I gave a nonchalant shrug. “We talked. Not about the past, but we talked and watched a few movies. I kissed her a couple times. Then she fell asleep in my arms on her sofa, and I didn’t have the heart to leave. She was sleeping so soundly, which is something she said she has a hard time doing.”
Kyle frowned slightly, then smiled. “You guys kissed?”
“Yeah.” I smiled too. “Once outside the restaurant when she was about to leave, and a few times at her place. Nothing over the top.”
Kyle slapped his hand over his chest. “Dude, I’m shook.”
I laughed. “You and me both. I’ve been questioning my own sanity and praying it wasn’t just a dream.” I met Kyle’s gaze. “She asked me to be patient with her, so that’s what I’m going to do. I just wish she’d talk to me. And tell me why she broke up with me.”
Something moved over Kyle’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Leaning forward in my seat, I asked, “Kyle, if you knew, you’d tell me, right?”
He nodded. “Of course, I would, but I don’t know. I think whatever happened really fucked her up, though.”
“Yeah, I do too. She stiffened a few times when I touched her or put my arm around her. She tried to play it off, but I don’t know. What do I do to get her to talk to me? I honestly don’t think we can move on if she keeps this inside. I wish she’d trust me.”
“Give her time, Hunter. You’ve both taken a huge step, and she’s obviously been hiding something that’s big enough to make her give up her life with you. Hell, give up her entire life. She’s come a long way in the last year or so. You’ve waited this long, you can wait some more.”
“That’s exactly what my folks said.” Jack walked up to me and nudged my hand. “She fell asleep on the sofa while we were watching Pride and Prejudice.”
Kyle gasped. “Who the hell falls asleep during Pride and Prejudice? That’s blasphemy!”
Hiding my smile, I said, “Not everyone is a Janeite like you.”
He pointed a finger at me. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
Ignoring him, I went on. “Anyway, I got up to go to the bathroom and while I was gone, I heard Jack growl and bark. Then Bella screamed.”
When I said his name, Jack looked up at me. I reached down and gave him a pat on the head.
“Why did he bark?”
I turned to face Kyle. “I think he sensed Bella having a nightmare, and he woke her up. When I walked into the room he was practically on top of her, licking her face. She said she had a bad dream. It sounds like she gets them often, and they keep her from sleeping.”
Kyle blew out a breath. “I wonder if she’s ever talked to anyone. I asked Greer, and she said not that she knows of. Greer says she doesn’t know what happened either…but I know for a fact Abby does.”
Sitting up straighter, I prompted him to go on. “How do you know that?”
“Remember I took them both on a hike a few months ago? When we got to the top of the trail, Abby turned to Arabella and told her to scream. To get it all out. I didn’t think anything of it until Arabella screamed once, then twice, then a third time. I got chills, Hunter. It was like she was screaming for her life. She broke down crying hysterically.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
Kyle nodded. “Dude, her scream caused all the hair on my body to stand up. I could hear it in her voice. The anger and fear all wrapped together. Abby gave me a look that begged for privacy, so I walked away. But there’s clearly something tormenting Arabella. And whatever it is, it’s what made her push you away.”
I leaned forward and rested my arms on my legs. “I just wish she would tell me. I can’t figure out why she won’t trust me with it.”
His face wore a conflicted expression. “I don’t think it has anything to do with not trusting you, Hunter. I think…” His voice trailed off.
“What?” I asked.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I don’t think she thinks that. I don’t want to make guesses or assumptions, Hunter. The main thing is, she’s letting you back in.”
I smiled. “She told me she never stopped loving me.”
Kyle returned the expression but didn’t say anything.
The door to the office opened just then, and Chris Smith, a fellow police officer and the head of our K9 training department, walked in.
Jack sat up like the well-trained dog he was, while Cat ran so fast toward Chris, she tripped over her own feet again, tumbling and landing in a sitting position. Kyle smiled like a proud father, while Chris slowly shook his head and sighed.