“Die—”
“Brooke, you need to wake up! It’s just a nightmare,” someone says, bringing me out of my torture.
I gasp for breath and fling myself out of the bed. I look around the room with wide eyes, trying to catch my breath, but it’s difficult.
I grab my throat and back into a corner of the room. I slide down the wall, trying to get away.
“Brooke?” the person whispers.
I snap my head in their direction, but can’t make out their face or their voice. With one hand still on my neck, I leave my other hand and hold it up. I don’t want anyone near me, especially if I can’t see them. I try to find a way out of the room, but it is too dark.
Without warning, a light is turned on, and I have a hard time adjusting to the light.
“Everything is going to be all right,” the person says.
My eyes adjust, and I realize it is Bear in front of me. I flinch and move back, hitting my head against the wall. My breathing picks up as I panic, thinking he is going to hurt me. Everyone does in one way or another.
“Shhh. It’s okay, Brooke. No one is going to hurt you,” he calmly says.
I lock eyes with him and see that he is sincere, but my brain won’t fall for it. Jared tricked me so many times, and ended up giving me a beating after.
“I’m gonna touch you, okay? Just listen to my heartbeat, my steady breath,” he says.
Before I can say anything, he picks me up and places me in his lap. He guides my head to his chest and rests my ear over his heart.
“Just listen to my steady heartbeat, and follow my breathing.” He runs his hands through my hair.
I try to get out of his embrace, but his strong arms hold me in place. We sit in silence, and the only thing I can hear is his heartbeat, which is strong and steady.
“That’s it. You are doing so great,” he whispers.
I start to relax in his hold and eventually lie limp in his arms. He continues to run his hands through my hair, and I snuggle more into him.
“Let’s go back to bed.”
I stare at him with wide eyes and pout. I put my hands around his torso, placing my head on his chest. I hear and feel him laughing, but I am too tired to care. I just want to fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
“All right, I’ll carry you to bed, and you can lie on top of me,” he whispers.
He picks me up and stands, walking back toward the bed. The whole time, my head is on his chest, and I slowly fall back to sleep. Bear lies on the bed and brings the cover over us.
“Goodnight,” he whispers, kissing my head.
13
BROOKE
Do you know any places that are available for rent?
Gears looks up, surprised. He opens his mouth and shuts it again.
“Does Bear know about this?” Gears asks.
“Do I know about what?” Bear says out of nowhere.
I jerk my head up in shock. I did not hear him come into the room. I reach for my phone that is still in Gears’s hands, but Bear grabs it before I can. I jump in the air, trying to get my phone out of Bear’s hands. Bear doesn’t pay attention to me while he reads.
“You are not leaving this club,” Bear says.
