Page 68 of Finding Her
“I assume she doesn’t know?”
“No. And I assumeyouknow what could happen to her if I told her in the wrong way or at the wrong time?”
It was Theo’s turn to be silent.
I wanted to tell Faeryn everything. I always had. The more she came into her own and healed from her past, the more I dared to consider confession may be a viable option one day. I just needed to know for sure that “Earth”no longer had its hooks in her mind. She couldn’twantto go back. If I were certain that she would never attempt to return to the dangers awaiting her, I would tell her everything. Mykie was cautiously supportive. The urge to ask Theo for his input caused my tongue to twitch, but I sealed my lips. I couldn’t trust somebody motivated by “right” vs. “wrong”. The entire situation was wrong, and if I needed to keep it that way to protect her, so be it.
“Are we done with the sudden curiosity?”
“I’m sorry you lost your mate,” he said softly. “Is having her in the house helping to heal those wounds?”
“She heals them and rips them back open with every breath.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help—”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m handling the situation.” With the help of Mykie, who had the blessing of moral ambiguity.
“You know I don’t blame you for what happened, right?”
Heshouldblame me. I knew I was at fault for the past, I certainly didn’t need his pity. “Thanks,” I said stiffly, content to see the embers of this conversation dying out.
“I can finish up here. Go home and be with Faeryn. I’m sorry for prying.”
Gladly. I started towards the door.
“You’re like a brother to me, Graysen. Take care of yourself and reach out if you need anything at all. I’ll be around until the end of winter, so tell Mykie to reach out if she needs help managing things.”
Faeryn
“Come home.”
I sat in my white cage of nothingness, hugging my knees and rocking back and forth. The nausea was gut-wrenching, and sweat trickled down my face. My thoughts cycled rapidly between knowing it was all a dream and feeling so painfully alive. One moment I was certain I would wake up, and the next I wanted to run towards the familiar voice and follow it to what might be relief.
“How? Please I’ll do anything,” I choked, my skin crawled like something was alive underneath it.
“Come back to Earth.”
My dry eyes cracked open and squinted into the blinding brightness. I tried to stand up to follow the voice, but I was woozy and weak. Falling to my hands and knees, I dragged myself across a textureless ground, my limbs not capable of moving in sync with one another. Each attempt to progress resulted in little more than a flailing limb.
I gasped for air. Was I drowning? I felt everything. I would do whatever had to be done to feel nothing.
My eyes flew open to the familiar bedroom, comfortingly dark in comparison to the dream world I had awoken from. Graysen straddled my hips and had my shoulders pinned against the bed. Hair fell over his horrified eyes, and as I whipped my head around, I saw the veins popping out of his arm muscles from gripping me so tightly.
“Graysen?” I whimpered, my entire body was damp and trembling, my mouth felt dry and sticky.
“I’m right here.” He pressed two fingers against my throat. “Your heart is pounding.”
“I had a bad dream.” My lips quivered as I fought back sobs. The pain in my blood wasn’t entirely gone, but fading as I was sucked back into the present.
“What happened?” His voice was deep with worry.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”I don’t know how to. “Why are you on me?”
“I left for the bathroom, and when I returned, you were convulsing.” He carefully released my shoulders and sat back onto my pelvis. “You hit your arm on the bedframe pretty hard.” He gently traced his finger down my forearm, drawing my attention to a sharp ache above my wrist.
I dragged both hands down my face to remove the mix of sweat and tears and swallowed a deep breath of cool air. “What time is it?” I tilted my head to look past him at the clock and coughed in surprise. “I have to get to work.” How had I overslept so much?
“Let me cover your shift,” he insisted as I squirmed underneath him to sit up.
