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“Oh God.” Heat steamed my cheeks. The dream. I’d had a night terror. The nightmare was so vivid. More vivid than it had been in a while. Probably because Damon had asked me about what caused my agoraphobia a couple of times now. The memories were close to the surface.
Sonotwhere I wanted them.
“It’s okay. Angelina and Hunter came to help. But I’d already taken a couple tumbles. You okay? I mean, you were quiet the rest of the night, but are you? Okay?”
“I’m fine.” Totally embarrassed, more like it. Angelina and Hunter had to come over? Crap, that meant it was a bad one.
I pushed off the bed and hurried to the bathroom.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Pee break.” I slammed the door, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.Three. Six. Nine. Twelve.Oh, this might take more than counting.
I turned on the shower, three turns to the right, then left, then right again. Straightened the towels on the rack. Hanging exactly even. Had to touch the toothbrush holder, soap dish, and my mouthwash dispenser.
Much better. The pulse surging through my body didn’t sound like raging river rapids anymore.
I was a piece of work. I scrubbed my face with my hands. How embarrassing. Damon must think I’m a total loser. Dang it, now he’s going to ask more questions. Want more details. Maybe Angelina and Hunter told him and I wouldn’t have to?
No, that wasn’t Angelina. She was all aboutmetelling my story. For growth. Ugh, I was sick of growth.
I was sick of being sick. I was sick of being scared.
Even with Hunter’s self-defense classes I’d been taking, I still felt so damn weak. Fragile. I hated it!
I shucked my clothing and shoved them into the hamper, then jumped in the shower. The steam heated my skin, purifying it of the night terror. Stupid nightmare. Mom’s face flashed before my eyes, and I gripped the tile wall in front of me.It’s okay. I’m safe. I’m safe.
Scrubbing everything as hard as I could tolerate, I shut off the shower and towel dried. A quick run-through of the closet and I picked out my comfy yoga pants and tank top. I needed to face Damon sooner or later.
Maybe later. I could do some cleaning in here. It was spotless, though. No. I needed to face him.
Big girl panties onnow!
I opened the door, and he was still in bed. He lay on his back, his head on the pillow with his arms and legs sprawled. “Okay, picturing you in that shower…naked. Totally not a nice thing to do to me, girl.”
I sucked in a breath. He did not just say that.
“Since I’ve never technically seen you before, I had to go with my imagination. And let’s just say, it isverycreative. And man, I almost joined you.”
“Damon.”
“You’re so cute. I mean, I think you are, when you get all embarrassed.” He laughed. “And I have to say it again, this bed totally rocks. I think I’ll live here instead of at Drey’s.”
That would be fun—er—no way!
“Maybe he’ll have a bed like this for me. Huh?”
“You’re so weird.”
“I’ve been called that before, yes. But now I’m hungry. You don’t by chance know how to cook, do you?” He grinned. “Because I sure don’t, even when I could see what I was doing, but especially now. Probably not a good idea to let me in the kitchen.”
He wasn’t going to ask me about last night? I thought for sure he’d be all over me about the details. Because if Angelina and Hunter came over, that meant they heard me. Which also meant it was a very wicked night terror.
Yet there Damon lay, comfortable and not the least put off by it. At least from what I could tell.
The tension on my shoulders slid off,slightly, and I stepped toward him.
“We’ve got about two hours, then Drey will be coming to get me.”
