“You slept for a long time.” He tucked my hair behind my ears. “I think you took about thirty thousand breaths.”
Because he watched every single one.
“Where are the houseguests?” I asked.
“Kaleb and Lily went to find Michael and Em so I could bring you straight home. They’re all back. Probably asleep.”
“I don’t remember what happened.”
“It was a rip world. The whole thing took us over. Not only did you stop your possessions, you got us out, too.”
“How?” I asked.
“I hoped you’d remember. Poe saved Em and Michael from a rip world once, but it was a totally different situation.” His lips touched mine, and he smiled with his eyes. “You saved our lives.”
I climbed on top of him and dropped my forehead to his shoulder. Images of some of the people who’d possessed me flickered in my subconscious, but I didn’t want to recall any of it.
“You cried in your sleep. I couldn’t decide whether or not to wake you up.”
“Bad dreams. The night I was possessed in the ballroom, there were happy moments. Everything I saw in that alley tonight was terrible, depraved in some way. I don’t want the memories, but I have them.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not now.” Maybe never.
“Whatever you need, I’m here.”
“You’re here.” I sat up straight. “In my bed. My dad is going to kill you!”
“No, he’s not. Carl is heading up security tonight, and after I told him what happened, he didn’t want you left alone any more than I did. I put the security feed on a loop, just for tonight. We’re safe.”
“Look at you, taking care of me.” I wanted to touch his skin, not the cotton of his T-shirt. I pulled it over his head and was almost disappointed when I didn’t see more tattoos than the one on his shoulder. Then I ran my hands over his chest, and all disappointment left the building. Smooth skin. Defined muscles.
Floaty hearts. Falling. I let my fingertips absorb the warmth of him and hoped it would smother the nightmares.
“Tell me about your tattoo. You said you wanted to keep these memories for life.”
He explained the different parts as I traced over them. “The swirls stand for past, present, and future.”
“Is that a turtle?” I would’ve expected a sea animal to look hokey, but it didn’t on him.
He gave me his crinkle smile, like he knew what I was thinking. “They have remarkable migratory patterns. They always return home.”
I leaned over to place a kiss in the center of the turtle’s shell. “And the word aiga?”
“It means ‘family.’ The ten stars represent everyone I’ve lost, and the moon is for my father.”
I hoped he didn’t have to add any more stars. My sigh caught on a sob, but I stopped myself before it broke.
“Hey.” He lifted my chin with one finger. “Like I said tonight, I’m not going to lose you.”
“You saved me in that alley; you didn’t leave. You or your friends.” I couldn’t imagine what I would do if Dune weren’t part of my life. “You stayed, and gave me a reason to hold on.”
As if he heard the words I couldn’t utter, he said, “I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”
I moved to the skin over his heart, placed a kiss there. “I don’t want that, either. Not ever.”
“Hallie.” He spoke my name in a whisper.