Pretending She's Mine

I had to jog to catch up to her. She was already descending the path. She was pissed. I didn’t know how to bring the moment back. I didn’t know how to tell her kissing her was only the beginning of what I wanted to do. Damn bear.

I ran beside her. “J, wait.”

Her head whipped around. “You stopped calling me that a long time ago.”

“Maybe I should start again.” I smiled.

Instead of leaning into me. Instead of reaching for my hand. She huffed and started her trek to the house.

I exhaled. Spending the day in the cabin together was going to feel just as lonely as before.

Ten

Journey

I heard screams. Loud. Frightened. Ear-piercing screams. I shook my head, trying to make them stop.

“J. Journey. You’re dreaming. Wake up.”

My eyes adjusted to the darkness. Asher was next to me on the bed. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me against his chest. I let go of the pillow I had tried to strangle.

His chest was warm and bare. For a second I nuzzled against him, sighing into his embrace. God, I loved how his skin always smelled like clean soap and felt as if he had been sitting in the sun.

“It’s ok. It was just a dream,” he soothed.

I pushed off the solid plane of muscle. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s ok. I ran as soon as I heard you.”

“You didn’t have to do that. You can go back to bed.” My voice still sounded foreign in my ears as if it was raspy from screaming.

“No. I’m staying until you’re asleep.”

“Why?” I questioned.

“Nightmares like that aren’t easy to shake,” he explained.”

I didn’t believe that was the truth. “Really?”

“What?” He squeezed my shoulder. “You’re upset. I’ll wait until I know you’re ok. It’s easier to fall back asleep if someone is with you.”

“I am ok.”

“Try to sleep, J.”

There it was again. The familiarity. The pretense of closeness.

I shrugged away from him. “Why are you doing all this?” I couldn’t remember what the dream was about. But I wasn’t scared anymore. My pulse had returned to normal.

“I want to make sure you’re ok.”

“You’re not a bodyguard anymore, Asher. You haven’t been mine in a long time.”

I was glad it was dark so I couldn’t see his eyes.

He tensed against me. “Journey, it’s late. Lie down and get some sleep.”

I shook his arm off my shoulder. “Damn it.”