Page 17 of When Forever Stays

He smirks. “I wouldn’t say often. But once you eat one of Dana’s breakfasts, you’ll understand why I use any excuse I can to stay here.” As if he remembers he hates me, his smile vanishes.

My brow furrows. “Sorry if this is a dumb question. But I think I heard Dr. Woodhouse say you’re Dana’s cousin. Is that true, or are you guys…”

He eyes me for a long second. “As much as I’d like to make you sweat, you heard Dr. Woodhouse right. Dana is my cousin. She also happens to be one of the most important people in my life. So I’m staying here tonight because I want to make sure you aren't lying about your injuries or going to try anything funny.” He eyes me suspiciously, almost studying my face. “Something about you is off.” His bluntness takes me off guard even if it shouldn’t surprise me at this point. Sure, I only have bits and pieces of my past to go off of, but something in my gut tells me Crew may be onto something. “I don’t know what it is. But I will figure it out.”

“Well, if you figure it out, let me know.”

“Trust me. I will,” Crew replies, his tone once again threatening.

SIX

DANA

Screams come from across the hall. I throw my blankets off and sprint to Rhett’s room, bursting in without knocking. The comforter and top sheet lay in a heap on the floor. Rhett tosses and turns on the bed.

I stand frozen when he shouts, “Don’t do it! Please! Put it down!” He thrashes wildly, and I run over to him, praying I reach him before he throws himself off the bed.

“Rhett! Wake up!”

He reaches up toward the ceiling, then he screams, “NO!”

“Rhett!” I shout right back.

He stills, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Then I see the tears streaming down his cheeks. He curls in on himself as he cries silently.

He’s having a nightmare. A painful, heart-wrenching nightmare.

I kneel next to the bed, brushing his hair off his sweat-soaked forehead. His body visibly relaxes. I stroke his jaw, enjoying thefeel of his scruff against my palm. Swarms of emotions build inside me until I feel like I could burst. This is too much, too fast. Just like before.

I silently beg God to help me guard my heart, because somehow, this beautiful, confusing man is even more appealing this time around. My heart is too quickly falling back into its old habit, and I fear that I once again won’t be able to stop it.

My hand lazily pushes through his hair that’s just a touch too long, and I give him the comfort I’d want after such an awful nightmare. His five o’clock shadow has gotten thicker through the night, and he’s starting to resemble someone…someone I can’t place. I’m too tired to dwell on it, so instead I try to console him in his sleeping state.

Once his breathing has evened, I pull my hand away and prepare to take my leave. Rhett whimpers and reaches for me. His large hand circles my wrist, and he pulls me forward until I’m perched very awkwardly on his bed. He releases my wrist and wraps his arms around my waist, his head nuzzling into my side. Frozen in place, I sit perfectly still as he visibly relaxes. The rapid rise and fall of his chest slows and his breathing deepens. But his hold on me doesn’t loosen.

“Dana,” he mumbles. “Let me keep you.”

My eyes go wide and I stiffen. “Rhett,” I whisper, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, his deep, even breaths fill the otherwise silent room. I don’t know how much time passes, just that I’ve been sitting here with a gorgeous man’s arms wrapped around me, and it’s turning me inside out.

Exhaustion begins claiming me, but I can’t sleep here in bed with Rhett. Having him in my house is already pushing the boundaries.

I stare down at him, again brushing a rogue strand of hair away from his face. He’s truly gorgeous to look at. A slight wince is on his face, though, as if he still remembers the terror he experienced during that nightmare. It breaks my heart to see him like this.

I slide my finger across the crease in his forehead, and as it releases, a sigh slips from his lips.

My chest tightens. “You shouldn’t be able to do this to me again,” I whisper. I peel his arms from around me and slide a pillow into the space I recently vacated. He clutches it tightly.

His voice stops me just as I reach the door. “Dana?”

After closing my eyes and blowing out a puff of air, I turn to face him.

“I was just checking on you,” I say, making sure he knows I wasn't just wandering in his room at night.

Moonlight spills into the room, casting just enough light for me to take in every defined muscle of his chiseled torso as he sits up. As I scan him, my mouth goes dry. The raven wings he has across his upper back aren’t his only tattoos. The left side of his chest has a flock of black birds with a faded background of a forest. I’ve never been big on tattoos, but the way Rhett wears them helps me understand why some women would be obsessed with men who have them.

Thankfully, Rhett doesn’t seem to notice my perusal. “Did I wake you?” he asks.

I debate whether I should tell him why I’m really here. He may not remember the nightmare, or he may be embarrassed by it. Although he shouldn’t be. I decide to be honest since there’s no reason for me to lie or sugarcoat what just happened. “It sounded like you were having a nightmare.”

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