Page 9 of The Truth of Our Secrets

He’s setting my phone, juice, and a protein bar on my bedside table. His jaw clenches.

“What’s wrong?”

“You called out Emmet’s name.”

The words were on the tip of my tongue that he told me to say his name, but at the last second, the crushing realization that it was a dream sets in. It freezes my blood and my heart curls in on itself.

The dream, so clear and perfect, becomes foggy and dissipates. My hands clamp my head as if I can hold the thoughts in.

The loss of the love in the dream hurts as acutely as if it had been real.

“Baby Girl, what is it? What happened?” He kisses my forehead.

Shaking my head, I try to assemble thoughts that won’t make me sound crazy. “It’s stupid.” I let out a humorless laugh. “In my dream, I hit my head and when I woke up, it felt like it really hurt.”

Jayce’s frown deepens, but I doubt he’ll call me out on my ridiculous lie.

“You were dreaming Emmet hit you?” His tone isn’t accusatory but close.

“No. We were together, all three of us. The details are fuzzy, but you asked me to call his name. Obviously, that sounds absolutely bonkers, but it’s the truth.” It is the truth. Mostly. Leaving out the naked parts.

The details fade, leaving an emptiness of a dream of what could be.

And I want it.

Jayce’s intense gaze seems to delve into my mind. Finally, he shakes his head. “You and your visions.” He tries to smile, but his eyes are sad. “Did you see anything good?”

“Any dream with you is amazing.” I sit up for a kiss. I’d like to take it further to ease the ache in me, but he’s fully dressed in a suit and tie. “Wait. I forgot Emmet’s here. Shit.” I throw the covers off.

“He’s gone.”

The words are a punch to my stomach. “What do you mean, gone? It’s early. What did he say?” I ask rapid fire.

“He was gone when I got up.” Jayce shrugs. His nonchalance hurts.

“Did he leave a note? How will I get in touch with him again?” The empty guestroom adds to the hollow pang.

Jayce wraps me in a hug and guides me to sit on the bed. He kneels in front of me, taking my hands in his. “You care about him. I’m sorry he’s not the person you want him to be.” His thumbs rub soothing circles on my hands.

Emmet left.

“I thought…” My voice trails off, deliberately keeping my hopes to myself. “I don’t understand why he would come here and then leave without a word.”

“He’s obviously not as invested as you are. You want to help everyone and you do your best. Not everyone appreciates it.”

I lean forward and rest my head on his shoulder, hoping he’s wrong.

My body goes limp, and he picks me up to cradle me in his arms, taking my place on the bed.

“This might be hard for you to hear. Maybe it’s for the best. He’s young. He doesn’t want to hang out with us. But he’s okay. He’s not stuck in that trailer park. Your worst fears didn’t happen. Now you can put him behind you. If he wants to see you again, he’ll show up.”

Everything he said is true. “Wait, how did you know he grew up in a trailer?”

Jayce freezes, then laughs. “Baby Girl, you used to talk about him all the time. It stuck with me. You took an interest in a hockey player from a trailer park who got suspended for fighting. I worried about your safety.”

“The fight wasn’t his fault. He was being bullied and had to defend himself.” My voice pierces the stillness of our room.

But he’s right. If Emmet is meant to be in our lives, we’ll find a way.

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