Page 37 of Only Everything
“Where were you going? Do you remember?”
Silence surrounded us as she snuggled in, and I pulled her higher onto my chest.Closer. “Probably the basement.”
“The basement? Why would he take you to the basement?”
“It’s just a nightmare, Reid. I’m tired.”
Wetness pooled on my chest as she sniffled. That comment wasn’t for nothing. It was a bread crumb to anyone with half a brain. To me, it was so much more. My stomach twisted, and my pulse spiked. I glared up at the ceiling praying to all that was holy that I could keep my voice calm enough to interrogate Tauren without spooking her or making it worse.
“We weren’t allowed down there, but I always hated that basement anyway. It was so dark and cluttered. And it smelled like mold.” Again, Tauren’s body trembled. “Maybe it’ll help the nightmares if you tell me what it was about the basement that you didn’t like.”
She sniffled again. “It did smell really bad.”
“Yeah. What else?”
Fingertips pressed into my chest. “It was dark and…cold. I was always so cold.”
I lifted my hand, stroking down her hair. Always…She saidalways, and I couldn’t remember a single time I’d ever seen her come from there or even mention the basement. She’d avoided it like the plague.
“It was cold. One more thing. What part of the basement did you hate the most? For me, it was the front with all the records and boxes. I saw a spider there once. You know how I feel about those. What about you, Taur?”
She turned her face more into my chest and shoulder. Icould feel her holding her breath before she rolled back out to face me.
“The back room.”
“The old bedroom?”
“…Yeah. I didn’t like that room.”
I forced myself forward to place my forehead to the side of hers.
“It was secluded. Enclosed. It was scary. I can see why you’d have nightmares about it. I bet there were a lot of spiders back there.”
“I did see one there before.”
I shook my head, biting against my tongue. Blood washed through, and I swallowed it down, feeding the monster coming alive inside me.
“Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For trying to help me. For being here.”
“Thank me when the nightmares are gone.”
“Reid?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
I turned to my side, pulling her in closer as I held around her tightly.
“I love you too. I’m here now. Get some sleep. You have to be up for work in a few hours.”
