He’s too strong, and no matter how hard I struggle, I can’t get away.
“Lexa, Lexa, stop!”
“Let go of me!”
“Wake up!”
The last two words penetrate my mind with a bolt of clarity. Suddenly, I open my eyes and look around, realizing I’m in Kit’s bed and he’s holding my shoulders.
“Are you okay?” he asks, letting go of me immediately.
“Yeah,” I gasp, lying through my teeth. “I’m okay.”
“You were really stuck. I’ve been trying to wake you for a couple of minutes.”
“Yeah,” I reply. “I have nightmares sometimes. It’s not a big deal.”
Kit shuffles awkwardly as if he’s not sure what to do. The fear and adrenaline from the nightmare are beginning to wear off, and I can feel the awkwardness rising in the room.
I look up at Kit again, wondering what to say. His eyes are so deep and compassionate, I’m tempted to tell him everything, but I stop myself just in time.
I’m strung out right now. This closeness isn’t real.
“Can I get you anything?” Kit asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I’m fine—”
But before I can finish the sentence, my stomach grumbles loudly. I grin and blush, and Kit smiles.
“I was just going down to make breakfast before you had your nightmare,” Kit says. “I’ll get started now. Anything in particular you’d like?”
“No,” I answer, looking away. “So long as there’s coffee, you can’t really go wrong.”
“Okay.”
He shuffles back and forth, and I look up again, wondering what his problem is.
“I found you some clothes,” he says, gesturing vaguely to the dresser. “They’re just there on top. I hope they fit.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, only just remembering that I’m completely naked under the sheet.
I was so tired last night, not to mention drowsy from the hot bath, that I didn’t even think. I just climbed into bed.
It was so nice to finally be on a soft mattress with clean sheets that I immediately fell into an incredibly deep sleep. I spent the entire night lying beside Kit—totally naked—and he didn’t make a single move.
Not what I expected.
“Okay, I’ll head downstairs,” he says, nodding. “You take your time.”
As soon as I hear his footsteps on the stairs, I slide out of bed and run to the bathroom. I almost don’t recognize myself in the mirror. I look haggard, like I aged fifty years in one night.
I probably have. I think that was the longest night of my life.
After I freshen up, I go back to the bedroom to grab the clothes. Kit found me a soft pair of black leggings, a tight blue t-shirt, and a fluffy white sweater. The clothes are a good fit, and I have to wonder where he got them on such short notice.
When I can’t delay the moment any longer, I start down the stairs, and as soon as I get near the ground floor, I can smell the bacon cooking. My stomach does another deep, echoing rumble, and I struggle to remember the last time I ate a decent meal.
When I come into the small, bright kitchen, Kit is humming a little tune to himself while he flips eggs and pokes at thick slabs of bacon. He looks up and grins when he sees me, gesturing to the table where the coffee is already set up.
