Page 87 of Fierce-Hyde

He had to find her.

He had to help her.

She was yards away, her hand in the air, the waves crashing into her and pulling her under.

He swam in her direction to help, held his breath, and dove down to get her as she sank.

He reached out, found her arm, and pulled her up with his legs kicking ferociously to keep them afloat.

When he turned to tuck his hand under her to swim somewhere safe, he realized it was Shana and not Tori.

Another wave crashed into them, sending them both down and under, him losing his grip on Shana and coming up gasping for air.

“Hyde. Are you okay?”

He blinked his eyes a few times and realized it was Tori’s voice next to him. He touched his side and it was dry, then flopped back onto the pillow.

“Yeah,” he said. “A bad dream.”

She snuggled into his side. “Tell me about it,” she said.

“No,” he said.

“Hyde,” she said. “If you don’t talk about it, it’s going to eat at you the rest of the night and into the morning. I know. I’ve had dreams before that feel so real that they affect my mood and you need to break yourself out of it.”

He sighed. “I don’t normally dream like that.”

“But you did,” she said. “So there has to be a reason for it. Just tell me.”

“I was drowning,” he said.

“Have you had a dream like that before?” she asked.

“No,” he said. He wasn’t sure he wanted to bring up that he was trying to save Shana and couldn’t. He didn’t want her upset that he was dreaming of his ex.

“What else was going on?” she asked. “Where were you? I mean, right now you’re in bed and nice and dry next to me.”

“Thankfully,” he said. “It felt real even though it was off. Or odd. I remembered dinner tonight and coming home afterward. Then the next thing I know I’m cold, wet, and struggling to breathe. I’m looking for you and you’re waving your arm at me.”

“And you swam to get me?” she asked.

He could hear the humor in her voice.

“Yes,” he said.

“I’m a good strong swimmer, Hyde. Just know that if it helps. I mean it. If you ever dream like that again, I was on the swim team in high school. I was a lifeguard during the summer.”

“So you’d be the one to save me?” he asked, laughing.

“Maybe,” she said. “But what I want you to know is that if you remember that about me, in your dream you’ll rationalize it more. It will help.”

Surprisingly it already was. “When I swam over to get to you, it wasn’t you. It was Shana.”

She was quiet for a second and then said, “I’m sorry about that. Do you have nightmares often where you’re trying to save her and can’t?”

“A few,” he said. “But it’s been months. Since before I met you.”

Her hand came out to rub across his chest. “Do you think having dinner with your family and them bringing up things about your past with me triggered it? About trying harder than me like you did with Shana?”

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