Page 209 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

“Nooooo,” she whined. “I’m not tired.” Her eyes were bleary and bloodshot and she slouched against the back of the couch.

“You’reexhausted. Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”

She climbed off the couch and took my hand. “Will you hypnotize me again?”

“You like it when I do that, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I feel safe, and it helps me sleep.”

“Well, you were so good this evening, I think you earned it.”

Chapter 47

Sunday morning afterour dinner with Reuben’s friends, we both slept in. We had gone to bed in our own rooms, but I woke up with him sitting on the floor beside me, his arms crossed over his chest, his head leaned back against the bed.

Why is he sitting on the floor in my room?I reached out and brushed the hair out of his face. It had gotten messy and a little longer over the past few days and he needed a haircut.The weird rough texture felt good under my fingers, and I kept stroking and playing with it.

“Hmm,” he grumbled, but then woke up, rubbing at his eyes and clearing his throat. “Alice.”

“What are you doing on the floor,” I mumbled.

He hauled himself to his feet and stretched, and I heard his hips and back pop loudly. “I was worried about you. Come on, get up, let’s make some coffee.”

“Hmmm I want hot chocolate,” I said, snuggling deeper into my blankets.

“Hot chocolate for breakfast?”

“I was so good yesterday, wasn’t I?”

He sighed and rubbed at his face. “Okay, come on.”

“Yay!” I pulled on a hoodie against the bite of the cold morning air and followed him to the kitchen.He started the coffee maker and then set to cutting up a bar of chocolate into small pieces.

“Why were you on the floor in my room,” I asked him again.

“Alice... Do you know what EMDR is?”

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