That girl would do just about anything to help me sleep better. She’s even invested in some expensive memory foam pillows for me.
I return her text from a few minutes ago checking on me and snap a photo of my bed.
Willow:Wow. And it’s not even two yet.
Willow:Sweet dreams.
Rose:Stop waiting for me to go to bed.
Willow:Never.
Shutting off the light, I slip into the comfy bed, taking deep breaths as I close my eyes.
It’s not long before I hear the noise.
It’s different though. Like footsteps on gravel rather than hardwood.
My eyes fly open.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Someone’s outside.
I jump and quickly slide on my slippers. Racing to the living room, I move to the kitchen and grab a pan off the stove, then turn the light on.
The moment I do, the crunching stops. My heart pounds against my chest. Stupid.
I turn the lights back off and listen. Still no sound. Maybe it’s Wesley again.
Maybe it’s not.
If there’s someone outside this door, I’m going to find out who it is.
Or I’ll never sleep again.
This is what you do, Rose. You face your fears. You don’t cower. Now open that door and confront.
Swallowing hard and prepared to attack, I unlock the door and leap forward at the hazy, silhouetted body in front of me.
“Whoa, easy, Rose, it’s me.”
Wilder.
His strong hands grip my wrist to stop me. I’m breathing so hard, I don’t say his name out loud. All I hear is the pounding against my chest.
He mutters a curse and shoves us into the house before liftingthe pan from my fingers and setting it aside.
“Wha—what are you doing .?.?. here?” I manage.
Blue eyes rake over me in horror. “You’re shaking.”
I stare at him like he’s the crazy one—not me. “Gee, I wonder why.”
Without a word, he lifts me off my feet and carries me to the bedroom, then deposits me onto the bed. He turns the lights on to a dim setting and closes my curtains.
Finally, he turns to me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask again.
