Page 8 of Inevitable Dream

“Can I stay on the couch with you?” My stomach clenches at the idea of being alone. He eyes me carefully, then walks away, disappearing into the bedroom and coming back with a pillow and blanket. He slides in next to me, drapes the blanket over us, and kisses the top of my head.

“Sleep, babe. I’ll be right here when you wake up,” Rebel says. He proceeds to turn the television on low, and his hand runs soothingly along my arm. My eyes droop shut, and I can hear the drone of the commentator on the sports channel, until finally I fall asleep.

Rebel

I flip through the channels and wait until Sadie’s breathing is even and deep before moving the pillow under her head and going to the kitchen to clean up. I can’t help moving my gaze back to Sadie to make sure she’s okay. Throughout the night, she would moan and move like she was fighting someone, and as soon as my arms came around her, she’d settle and go back into peaceful sleep.

I take this opportunity to check in with Wire and see if he’s come up with anything.

“Hey, brother, how’s Sadie doing?” Wire asks.

“Resting. She needs it.”

“How are you dealing?”

“Better than I thought. She has two cracked ribs and a gash on her head, and she’s black and blue all over. I’m focusing on her for now. I’m calling to see if you found out anything,” I tell him.

“I checked in with the police. The report was filed, and Sadie gave her statement at the hospital. They want to follow up with her and see if she can answer a few more questions. I told them she needed a couple of days and to contact you directly so that you can bring her down to the station,” he says.

“All right,” I huff, not wanting to do it because I hate for Sadie to have to retell the story over and over and dredge up the memory of that night again, but it needs to be done. “Any information on the perp?”

“Sadie didn’t get a good look at the guy’s face. It was dark, and he had a black hoodie on. She mentioned that he had tats on his hands. I looked up all the cameras in the area, and there’s only one across the way from the bus stop, but the footage is blurry. I’m working on it. I’ll do the best I can, but it’s a long shot. The best chance of catching this guy is Sadie. She probably remembers more than she thinks,” Wire comments.

“I was hoping to avoid having her relive the moment.”

“Assault victims relive it whether they want to or not. It’s still fresh, and she’s going to feel the aftereffects of the attack. Burying the memory is a bad idea, man. You know it and I know it. We all have shit from the past we wish we never experienced, but we did. We got through it because we had each other and we were able to talk it out.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. I’m grateful that I had my brothers who got me. Talking helps, and because they could relate, it made it easier for me to open up to them. “I’ll talk to her. Let Sadie have the day to rest. Tomorrow, we’ll talk.”

“Bring her to the office. That way, we’ll all be there for her,” he suggests.

“Better to do it here. She seems comfortable in my apartment. Maybe Kailyn and Maya being with us would be good for Sadie.”

“I’ll get the word out,” Wire responds.

“Gertie’s already invited herself for tea.” I chuckle.

“Love that old woman,” Wire says, laughing along with me.

Once I hang up the phone, I look through my first aid kit and get what I need. She needs to change the dressing on her forehead. Sadie will want to take a shower, then I’ll rewrap her ribs. I grab some fresh towels and hop in the shower before Sadie wakes up. I want to be next to her when Sadie opens her eyes, like I promised.

Sadie is fast asleep when I come back into the room. I settle back in beside her and allow my fingers to run through her hair. Slowly, her eyes open, and I’m rewarded with those beautiful green eyes peering up at me so trustingly.

“Welcome back, sweetheart. Did you sleep good?” I ask, continuing to run my fingers through her hair.

“Mmhmm,” she murmurs. She moves to sit up, wincing as she does.

“You need a hot bath. It’ll help ease the aches and pains. Your muscles will thank you for it,” I say softly.

“It sounds nice,” Sadie says with a grin.

I get up, then bend at the waist and kiss her gently. “I’ll run the bath for you.” I help her to her feet. She’s a little wobbly but catches her balance quickly. “Easy, baby. Slow and steady.”

“Sorry, my legs are still a little shaky.” She grabs my arm. “Nurses make the worst patients,” she jokes.

“I thought doctors are the worst.”

“True. I revise my statement. Nurses are the second-worst patients.” Sadie gives me a shy smile, and I swear the room lights up brighter than ever.

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