I shove through the door, race across the carpet to find…
My bed empty.
Heart pounding, mind racing, I spin, thinking that somehow someone got in, that someone gother…
That the nightmare is happening all over again.
Then I see her.
Curled up in the corner of the room between the dresser and the wall.
The rage ramps up as I move closer, as I see a pillow and blanket from the bed tucked behind and around her, respectively.
She whimpers and I tamp it down, crouching.
Her eyes are closed, her head thrashing from side to side, hair tangled, hands clenched on the edge of the blanket, knees tucking up tighter and tighter.
A nightmare.
The rage flares again, but I force myself to move carefully, slowly, to speak calmly, softly.
“Briar, baby,” I murmur. “Wake up.”
She whimpers again and I brush her hair back.
“It’s just a dream,” I soothe. “It’s not real, and I’m here now. You can wake up.”
Another whimper. “Br-Brooks.” She thrashes, dislodging my hand. “No. Don’t—Please,I need you.”
I rock back as the impact of that hits, eyes sliding closed.
I hold myself still for a long, long moment, trying to contain all that I’m feeling, wishing with every cell in my body, I could turn back time.
That I could give it all up, make it so I never ruined her life.
So I never knew her.
Never brought my stain to her world, never caused her pain, never?—
Soft fingers on my cheek startle me and my eyes fly open.
EIGHTEEN
BRIAR
I can still almost feelthe raindrops on my skin, dripping down my hair, my back, between my breasts, leaving me chilled and numb.
But right now it’s another drop of liquid that has me frozen down to the bone.
I woke to a man crouched in front of me and my past has taught me that’s dangerous, that I should run and hide, do my best to escape…
Because bad things are coming.
Except the onlybad thingin this moment is the pain written into the lines of Brooks’s face.
And the tear sliding down his cheek.
I’m reaching up before I realize I’ve moved, lightly rubbing the drop from his skin.
