Page 53 of See It Through

I pulled back, blinking at him. “Would that be a problem?”

His mouth hitched. “Only if it’s a problem for you.”

I pressed my thighs together, finding tenderness but no pain. “Not a problem at all, Remington.”

He laughed against my lips. “Absolute menace.”

At first, I didn’t understand why I had woken up. My room was pitch dark, and my glowing clock read 3:17 a.m. This was sleep time. But movement beside me put me on red alert.

Remington. That’s Remington.

I turned my head, seeking him out in the dark. He was asleep on his back, his breath coming out in sharp bursts, his head thrashing back and forth. Fists bunched the sheet at his chest, and his legs were drawn up, bent at the knee.

For a few seconds, all I could do was watch him struggle. Then my brain kicked in. He was having a nightmare, and from the looks of it, it was torturous.

I reached out, putting my hand over his fist. “Remi,” I whispered. “Wake up, Rem. Wake up.”

His head whipped in my direction, but his eyes remained shut. His face was warped with pain, pulled down at the corners, slashed with lines on the planes.

I rolled toward him, throwing my arm across his chest. “Remi,” I said closer to his ear. Not loud, but more than a whisper. “Wake up, honey. It’s just a dream. I’m here with you.”

Without warning, his eyes sprung open, wild and frantic. They bounced over my face and to the ceiling as if he was placing himself.

“It’s okay,” I soothed. “You were having a nightmare, but you’re okay.”

His eyes returned to me, staring for several pounding heartbeats before his breath released in a heavy whoosh.

“Hannah,” he rasped. “I’m—what—”

“You’re okay.” I brought my hand to his face, surprised to find wetness on his cheeks. If I tasted it, I knew it would be salty. Whatever he’d been dreaming about had made him cry in his sleep. A little piece of my heart broke, and the caretaker in me sprung to life. I scooted over, pressing my body against his. “Look at me, Remi. You’re okay. You’re here with me. Everything is fine.”

“I’m here with you,” he repeated. “I was back there, I think, in the car. This time, I saw it coming. I tried to stop it, but I was moving through mud. Slow motion. Nothing I could do, but I saw it coming. I knew it was going to happen. Everyone else…they were singing along to the radio. And I think—”

I shut down my emotions, swallowing the lump in my throat. It wasn’t my turn to be upset, even though hearing him talk about the accident that had almost killed him made my heart race with panic.

“What do you think, Rem?” I asked.

“I think that really happened. I was dreaming of a memory.” He took my hand from his face and held it on his chest. “We were singing together. Having a minute of happiness in between all the stress and horror of working in the field. Then…nothing. We were blown up. Two of us died singing.”

“Maybe they really didn’t see it coming. Maybe their last memories were the happiness you were feeling.”

He nodded slowly. “God, I hope so, but I don’t know. I don’t know…”

“Then hang on to that hope, baby.” I pressed soft kisses to his bicep and shoulder. “Keep it close. That’s all you can do, right? Hope it didn’t hurt and they didn’t know. Hope they died singing.”

“Yeah,” he answered tightly. “Gotta have hope.”

I kissed his overly warm skin again. “Have you been having nightmares often?”

Another heavy breath, then he rolled to his side and gathered me against him. “Since I was a kid. It’s where I work out the things I’m not able to during the day. I had issues before I went abroad. I’ve seen a lot, Hannah. Heavy things most people would rather not know about. I carry them with me, even in my sleep.”

“That makes sense.” I leaned toward him, touching my lips to his. “Just so you know, if you want to work things out with me, you can. I’m strong enough to carry some of it. Or I can just hold you through it.”

His eyes darted between mine, and I felt his breath hitch as he held it. Then, he nodded, letting it all go.

“I’ll keep that in mind, sweetheart.”

He didn’t say anything else, but he kept his arms wrapped around me, and when he fell asleep, he was finally at peace.

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