Page 221 of Time Stops With You

Nardi appears in my sight, dressed all in black. She dots at her tears with a handkerchief as more dirt gets thrown on top of me.

The coffin lid thuds closed.

I’m trapped.

“No, I’m still here!” I shout, hammering the top of the coffin.

Tap-tap-tap.

The sound of the dirt falling on top of the coffin is all I can hear.

“Please! I’m still here!”

“Cullen,” Nardi’s voice wafts to me. “Cullen, wake up.”

“Ah!” I push at the ‘coffin lid’ only to sink my hands into soft flesh and sinew.

Nardi yelps and staggers back. Her arms windmill and she can’t catch her footing. I see her teetering back, her head making a bulls-eye at the wall.

I spring out of bed with the quickness of a speedster. My hand extends to her and I’ve never been more grateful in my life to have such long limbs. Nardi squeals when I snatch her arm, but I don’t care that I’m holding her too tight.

I drag her back to me seconds before her head smashes into the wall. My chest heaves and I cup the back of her head, holding onto her for dear life.

She’s okay.

And I’m still here.

I’m still here.

“Cullen, what’s wrong?” Nardi’s voice is muffled against my T-shirt.

I release her and open my mouth to speak, but the world suddenly tilts to the left and I stumble backward.

“You’re so pale.” Nardi grips my biceps and steers me to sit on the side of the bed. “Cullen, I think we should go to the hospital.”

“I just stood too fast and my head is spinning. That’s all,” I breathe out.

“Are you sure?”

I nod, closing my eyes.

Nardi rubs my back. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Fragments of the dream haunt me and my heart beats double-time. Since the moment I started falling for Nardi, my biggest fear was the painshewould face when I left her behind. My own death didn’t bother me. I knew where my path would lead. I was one hundred percent prepared to die, and I’ve always faced the end with confidence.

So what was that nightmare?

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Nardi whispers. She eases back and frames my face with her hands, lifting my head so I’m looking at her. “Are you feeling better now?”

I nod. The discomfort fades and I become more aware of Nardi’s presence.

“How did you get in here?”

“You let me in.”

“I did?” I scratch my beanie. The last thing I remember is taking a long cold shower after Nardi’s flirty texts, popping two sleeping pills and heading to bed.

Did I sleep walk last night?

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