Page 109 of Wish You Were Mine

“Ash, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

I jerked upright and my eyes snapped open, but my vision was blurry. I blinked gritty eyes.

Damn, I felt like I hadn’t slept at all. I’d struggled to shut my mind off last night, and I hadn’t been sure I’d sleep at all, but I must have dozed off at some point.

“Ash?” Summer sounded concerned.

I drew in a deep breath and tried to calm my racing heart. Sodden sheets covered my legs. I must have been sweating heavily.

“I’m okay,” I said, forcing myself to focus on her gorgeous face. Her hair fell in a mess around her shoulders, but no trace of sleepiness lingered in her expression. “Bad dream.”

She frowned. “About the fire?”

“No, actually.” Although that would make more sense. I leaned against the headboard. “First I was at the site of that fatal accident on the mountain, and then, for some reason, Lionel Lowry was there, but he hadn’t healed yet.”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. That must have been awful.”

“Yeah.” I dragged my hands down my face. Guilt still sat heavy in my gut, like an undigested meal.

“You know that you can’t blame yourself for what happened to them, right?” she asked. “They were in accidents that had nothing to do with you.”

I flopped my head back against the headboard, wincing at the slight thud. “That doesn’t stop me from feeling guilty. Like, if I’d tried harder, I could have saved them.”

Summer hesitated. “I might be overstepping, but have you considered seeing a therapist?”

I stiffened and swung my legs off the edge of the bed, turning away from her. What was with the women in my life thinking I needed help?

“I’m fine. I just need a good, hard cycle. I’m sorry about your bed. We’ll need to wash the sheets.”

“That’s fine. I have a dryer.” She didn’t call me out about changing the subject. “Why don’t you shower while I get started on the laundry?”

I nodded, grateful for the direction. I always felt lost after work-related nightmares, and having a task helped ground me in the present.

I showered and dressed in clothes from the bag my parents had packed for me.

Thankfully, one of my paramedic uniforms was at the station, so I’d be able to get changed once I was there.

Summer was already in the kitchen when I entered. She opened the pantry door. “There’s bread if you want a sandwich or toast. I’ve got cereal too, or yogurt and fruit.”

I grabbed the loaf of bread and toasted a couple of slices, then slathered them with peanut butter. There was no instant coffee, so I drank chai along with Summer, and we sat beside each other at the table.

“Are you going to take today off?” she asked, scooping yogurt and banana into her mouth.

“Nah, I need the distraction.” If I moped around her place all day, I’d go out of my mind.Summer didn’t push back on this, but the narrowing of her eyes suggested she didn’t approve. “Call me if you need anything. Promise?”

“I will.”

We finished breakfast and she drove me to the fire station. Snow was no longer falling, but a crisp blanket of white covered the township and extended into the horizon. No doubt the vacationing skiers would be ecstatic. Meanwhile, we’d be fielding more ice-related calls.

Summer pulled up outside the station and I leaned over to kiss her cheek before getting out of the car. I walked inside, strangely anxious to see Liam. Usually, if anything went wrong in my life, he was my go-to guy to talk it over with, but I wasn’t sure if I still had that privilege.

“No,” Parks said as he stepped out of his office. “Go home. I’ve already got someone in to work your shift today.”

Frustration simmered in my stomach. “But I didn’t call in sick.”

Parks scowled. “Your house was on fire yesterday. No one expects you to be here.”

I jutted my chin out. “Maybe not, but I need to keep my mind off everything.”

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