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My body wants to say yes, it can, but my mind is still worried he will always be the monster I’ve known him to be. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down, but the anxiety is crawling all over me. It’s painful to move, but I don’t want to be on my back.
Pain radiates as I turn. I must have cried out too loudly because Jason comes running in. “What’s wrong, pebble?”
He comes into my view, and I gasp. “I don’t want to be on my back.” A whimper leaves my throat, and I cry out as the struggle to turn over gets worse.
“Pebble, honey, you can’t.” He tries to calm me down, but I cry harder.
“Okay, pebble. Okay. Please, don’t cry.” Jason presses kisses all over my face, and he rubs his hands along my arms. “Let’s see what we can do. It’s going to be all good, I promise, pebble.”
Jason helps me as much as he can to make me comfortable. There are pillows all around my body, and I’m finally halfway on my right side. “I can breathe better. Thank you.” I gasp out as John comes back into the room with a tray of food.
The smells are divine, but I don’t know if I’m going to be able to eat with my nerves the way they are. “Well, since this jerk left me alone, I brought you some scrambled eggs and oatmeal. That’s all I really know how to make.” John says as he puts the plate on the bedside table.
“I’m grateful for anything.” Jason chuckles, and he winks at me. He knows I won’t eat anything, but I’m trying to be gracious.
John beams at me, and I feel like I said the right thing. Jason takes the food, and John sits down on the other side of the bed. We shift and I chuckle. The pillows topple, and John curses.
“Sorry, I didn’t think.”
“It’s alright, John. Please get comfortable,” I tell him, wanting him to know I’m not upset at all. Why would I be? He clearly wants to be near me, and that’s a good thing, right?
“Open up, pebble.” Jason’s words make me turn back toward him and he has a spoon full of oatmeal. I want to be a brat and tell him no, but not in front of John. I’m not sure Jason would appreciate that, and it would be kind of embarrassing to show my ass in front of his brother.
Opening my mouth, Jason spoon-feeds me, and I accept it. The sweet taste of strawberries and cream hits my mouth, and I moan. “So good.” Jason chuckles as I smile at him and John. John looks satisfied.
Spoon after spoonful of oatmeal comes, and when Jason tells me it’s empty, I pout. “I was just getting started.”
John jerks upward. “Do I need to make more?”
For the first time since Ricardo took me, I feel a lightness within me. “No. I was teasing.”
Jason puts the food back down on the table and helps me drink some water. “Crucinda likes to make jokes, John. You’ll get used to it.”
The way Jason says that, he makes it sound like we will see each other more often. He left me once before, so I’m not sure if that’s true. Maybe he’s making John feel better. I’m not sure.
“At least she’s alright.” He sounds genuinely concerned about me, and I wonder if he was the tough guy only because Jason asked him to be. I don’t ask, not knowing how much they would tell me. Instead, I yawn.
“Let’s let Cru get some rest,” Jason says as he stands up and kisses my lips. “I’m going to leave the door open. All you have to do is call out my name. I’ll come running.”
“Thank you, Jase.” He shivers, and his eyes heat with lust at me calling him by his nickname.
* * *
I wakeup to the smell of smoke, and I cry out. “No!” The fire is hot and licking at my body. Where is everyone? “Jase!” Panic sets in, but I can hear him screaming my name.
“Wake up, Crucinda.” The urgency in the person’s tone makes me freak out. I am awake. Why do they keep telling me to wake up?
“Pebble, dammit, open your eyes.”
Jason’s harsh tone scares me, and I force my eyes open wider.
Why can’t they see me?
Or the smoke?
“Dear God, her dream must have had a hold on her.”
“She has night terrors, it seems.” That’s a voice I don’t recognize, and I gasp out. My eyes open now to see five sets of eyes looking back at me.
