Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
I would tell him I’m sorry, but I still can’t suck enough air into my lungs to make that happen. Slow, deep breaths. That’s what I need. It was just a dream. A dream can’t hurt me.
No, but the person who inspired that little nightmare could if he put his mind to it.
“What happened?”
He lifts his head and stares down at me, and I almost feel sorry when I see how worried he looks. It’s almost like he’s in pain with his scrunched-up face. Did I do that to him? Do I have that power? I guess I must. He’s supposed to be taking care of me, and I woke him up screaming my head off.
“It was a nightmare.”
“I figured.”
He closes the book I left next to me—I never did pick it back up after I got that email, did I? Now I don’t know if I ever want to pick it up again when all it’s going to do is remind me of this night. “What brought it on, do you think? It’s been a while since you’ve had one of those nightmares, hasn’t it?”
I work my way up until I’m sitting with my back to the headboard, being that lying here while he looms over me is sort of awkward. Like I’m at his mercy. “Yeah, it had been a while.”
“You don’t have to worry about him anymore. You know that. He’s miles away, has no idea where you are, and has stopped trying to reach out to you.”
It must be the way I wince — I can’t help it – that makes him narrow his eyes like he’s suspicious. “What don’t I know?”
Right away, I have to defend myself. “It happened tonight. I was going to tell you in the morning. I didn’t think it would give me a nightmare like that.” Just thinking about it makes me lose my breath again. I can almost feel Kristoff’s hand around my neck like a steel cuff, the way it was in my memory-soaked nightmare. Tightening until I was sure his twisted snarl would be the last thing I ever saw.
“What happened tonight? Dammit, Tatum—”
I wave my hands before running them through my hair. They’re shaking. I can’t get them to stop. “Just don’t, okay? I don’t need to hear it.”
He growls before taking a deep breath. “What happened?” he asks in a quieter voice this time, which is basically a freaking miracle.
“I threw my phone.” I feel pretty stupid about it now, but oh well. I point to the corner of the room, and he gets up and finds it on the floor. He brings it to me so I can unlock it and then opens the email.
It takes no time to look over the message before he barks out a laugh. “This? You’re worried about this? He can’t do shit to you.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“I know so.”
“You’re a lawyer now?”
“Come on. You know I’d never lie to you.”
“True,” I admit with a snort. That’s the last thing he’d ever do.
“This is a scare tactic. It’s not even all that good. He can’t hurt you. He can’t force you to say anything. Between your dad and me, we will find a way to make this stop for good.”
“He is never going to stop wanting to know what happened. Would you? If this was your son, wouldn’t you want to know?”
“I wouldn’t bully a girl over it. What, does he think you killed him out there?”
“Yeah,” I whisper without hesitating, knowing that’s exactly what he thinks. “He’s expecting me to break down and confess if he hounds me long enough. Like we’re in an episode of Columbo or something.”
He doesn’t see the humor. “This fucking prick. I swear to Christ, he’s lucky I don’t—”
“Enough, okay? I appreciate it and everything, but it’s not worth it.”
“It’s like this guy forgot who he’s dealing with. You’re not just anyone.”
“I guess that doesn’t matter.”
“No,” he growls. “He’s too fucking brainless to quit while he’s ahead. But we’ve got it under control. It will be alright.” He leaves the phone on the nightstand before awkwardly patting my shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
“It’s just… whenever I think I’m getting better and a day or even two passes without me thinking of him…”
This time, he squeezes my shoulder and doesn’t let go. “Something like this happens and sets you off again.”
“Exactly.”
But now I’m back in reality, and the dream is fading with every breath I take. It wasn’t real. He’s not here.
Though, I still don’t feel safe, and it has nothing to do with the nightmare. It concerns the man sitting next to me wearing nothing but a pair of loose pajama pants. It’s not like I forgot about the body under his clothes. Who could? Seeing his bare skin, his defined muscles… It’s different.
Flashes of my fantasy play like a movie in my memory, while I stare at him in the present. I was so afraid I’d never feel like this again. I thought Kristoff took it from me. Desire. Need. Feeling like I’m in charge of my body and my hunger.