Read First Shift Online Free by Rebecca Norinne

Cally’s leg hitched suddenly—narrowly missing kneeing me in the balls—as a full-body spasm rocked through him. His forehead curled into me, the smooth, steady cadence of his breathing turning sharp and shallow.

“Cal,” I said, jostling him.

His fingers twitched where his hand was on my stomach, and he let out a low, strangled-sounding groan, his face scrunching up in a grimace.

“No, no, no,” he murmured, his voice filled with the same sort of panic as last night. “No, stop. Please, don’t⁠—”

Fuck. Another nightmare.

This time, I didn’t have to wonder what’d caused it.

“Cally, hey. Hey!” I said, raising my voice, the people in the room next door be damned. “Wake up!” I lowered my arm, shaking him. “Come on, Cal. I need you to wake up.” I shook him again, harder this time, and he moaned.

Then he gasped and sat up, knocking my arm away, my shoulder joint protesting the sudden movement.

I scooted up into a seated position, but actively kept myself from reaching for him in case he wasn’t fully awake yet. I didn’t want to make things worse than they already were.

“Hey, it’s Mikey,” I said, when his head turned my way. “You’re okay, Cal. I’m here.”

His sleep-clouded eyes went glassy, and a sob tore from his mouth as he launched himself toward me, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face in my lap, his body shaking as hot tears soaked into my skin.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his words muffled.

I ran my hands through his hair, soft, gentle touches that I hoped would chase away the memory of the violent ones that plagued his dreams.

“Don’t be sorry,” I whispered fiercely, so fucking angry at the man who’d don’t this to him. “I’ve got you.”

I held him through the comedown and through a fresh round of tears, rocking him gently, and telling him everything I thought I would want to hear if I was in his position.

What I didn’t tell him, though, was that I loved him.

“You’re safe,” I repeated softly, holding him as close as possible as morning dawned blue and bright.

Eventually, the whole-body tremors gave way to uneven, shuddering hitches of his breath until it evened out into something closer to a normal pattern. Cally unlocked his arms from around my waist and pushed himself slowly up, drawing in one last ragged breath before swiping the back of his forearm aggressively across his nose and his palms over his cheeks.

“You’re going to have to shower again,” he said, his eyes falling to my tear-damp lap.

“It’s fine,” I said, waving away his concern.