My eyes fixed on the front door. I had to get there. I had to make it outside. Ignore the pain. Fight through the fear. I rolled to my side, crying out as glass dug into my knees and arms. Glass crunched under my weight. Every large chunk embedded in my muscles sliced like hot coals and every tiny shard knifed its edges into my skin. I crawled my way forward. Exhaustion weighed every movement, my mind unclear and my stomach uneasy. Oh, God, where was he? He said he was coming. Oh, God, please, Daddy, please come.
“Echo!”
I blinked rapidly to find myself crouched on the floor of the garage with my hands grasping my head. My heart thundered and every part of my body shook.
Noah sank beside me, eyes wide, face full of shock. He tucked my hair behind my ear and spoke in a low, soothing tone. “Baby, what happened? Are you in pain? Are you dizzy?”
My eyes darted around, sensing danger. Isaiah and Beth gave me the crazy stare. Noah framed my face with his hands, returning my attention to him. “Please, baby. ”
I swallowed in an attempt to help my dry mouth. “Stained glass. That was my mom’s newest project. ”
Understanding warmed his eyes. “You remembered something. ”
Lightning flashed and crackled in the sky. My muscles jumped past my skin. Noah drew me closer to him. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. ”
The back of my neck burned and my teeth chattered with my shaking body. I sniffed to keep away the tears. If I felt like this when I remembered a flash, what would happen if I remembered the whole thing? Would I break?
Hot tears pooled at the edge of my eyes and I swiped at them with the back of my sleeve. “I’m tired of having nightmares. ” I’m tired of wondering if I’m losing my mind.
Noah stroked my hair and his hold on me tightened. “We’ll figure this out, Echo. I swear we’ll figure it out. ”
NOAH
“I wish I could sleep with you,” Echo’s sexy-as-hell drowsy voice mumbled through the phone.
“Say the word, baby, and I’ll rock your world. ” I’d gotten in from work a little after midnight and decided to give Echo a call. I sat on the dryer, giving Beth and Isaiah the private time they both claimed they didn’t need. Isaiah pretended their make-out session never happened and Beth did the same. The good news was, Beth didn’t bolt to her mom’s or let some other guy use her. The bad news was, Isaiah hurt like hell. For the moment, I tried to forget my best friends’ problems and focused on remembering Echo’s delicious Cinnabon smell instead of the basement’s damp, musty stench.
My little nymph’s laughter filled my soul. “You’re so bad. I’m talking about sleep. Like real sleep. Not sex. ”
“We don’t need to have sex. There are other things I can do to help you sleep. ”
“You’re impossible,” she said over the rustle of sheets. “You make me feel safe, Noah. Maybe if I felt safe I could sleep. ”
Was that why Jacob had night terrors? Did he not feel safe? “I’ll sneak into your room one night and we’ll give it a shot. Sleep only, I promise. ”
“My dad would kill you and then lock me up in a convent. ”
“I’ll take my chances. ”
“So…. ” Echo said in an extremely light tone. “I told you the ACT story wouldn’t work. ” She giggled, enjoying being right.
Ten minutes into Echo’s therapy session, I’d walked into Mrs. Collins’s office and announced my sudden interest in college. I was right about one thing. Mrs. Collins did shit her pants. Instead of jumping up to get the information, she spoke rapidly, telling me she needed time to gather crap. She then handed me an appointment card for Thursday, right after school and moments before Echo’s hypnosis appointment. “And you love being right, don’t you?”
“Shhh. I’m basking in my moment. ” Echo yawned loudly. Her nightmares had increased in frequency and terror thanks to her therapy sessions. My gut told me she slept only a handful of hours each night, forcing herself to stay awake to avoid the dreams.
My mind wandered to Jacob and his nightmares. “If you knew the cause of your nightmares, would you talk to Mrs. Collins about it?”
“Are you high?” She didn’t even wait for my answer of no. “She knows the cause of my nightmares, but to answer your question, yes. The lady is crazy, but I think she knows what she’s doing. Well … kind of … a lot more than the other idiots I’ve seen. I don’t know. I guess I kind of like her. ” Her voice slurred toward the end.
“Go to sleep, baby. I’ll see you at school tomorrow. ”
Echo yawned again. “I’ll get off, but I think I’m going to read for a while. Love you. ” She hung up, knowing I wouldn’t say it back. I wished I had her courage.
“Tell me you broke up with her,” Beth called out.
I hopped off the dryer to find Beth and Isaiah curled up on the bed watching television. “Why would I do that?”
“Because she’s crazy. And before you defend her, remember I saw her little breakdown. ”