Page 74 of Into the Woods

“Becca.”

My chest heaved with heavy, gut-wrenching sobs as I tried to curl into a ball. “Please, no!”

“Becca!” Strong hands grabbed my shoulders, shaking me into awareness. My eyes snapped open as I gasped.

“Hey, hey,” Court whispered, his face inches from mine. He hovered over me, his dark eyes wide with concern. “You were having a nightmare. Wake up, baby.”

“I…” I swallowed roughly, sniffling back tears. I blinked a few times, the tears blurring my vision. I managed to focus and saw Rook and Bishop crowded in the open doorway of the bedroom, each holding a gun. Light from behind them spilled into the space, casting shadows that made me anxious.

“I’m sorry,” I gasped, humiliation burning through me as I turned back to Court. My chest heaved as I cried. “I’m so sorry. I—” My voice cracked.

Court made a soft, strangled sound and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist like a toddler, burying my face in his neck as I tried to slow my heart rate. He turned us, sitting on the bed and leaning against the headboard with me curled around him like a spider monkey.

“Can we do anything?” Bishop asked, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

Court’s hand calmly rubbed up and down my back in soothing strokes. “No, I’ve got her, guys. Go back to bed.”

“We’re here if you need us,” Rook murmured, and then the door closed, enveloping us in darkness again.

My breath caught, and Court shifted.

“Don’t leave!” The words tumbled out of my trembling lips before I could snatch them back. Panic held my lungs in a vise as I clutched at him, my nails digging into his bare shoulders.

Both his arms wrapped around me, steel bands that would keep out the world. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. I was going to turn a light on for you. Can I do that?”

I nodded against his neck, embarrassment rolling through me as more tears fell from my eyes and landed on him.

“Okay,” he murmured, slowly peeling one hand off me. The bedside light flickered on a moment later. His hand came right back to my hip, anchoring me in the present.

The thundering roar of my pulse pounding in my head started to slow. My sobs turned to soft hiccups. Eventually I relaxed the death grip I had on Court, embarrassment surging in like a tidal wave on the heels of my panic. I tried to pull away, but he seemed content to keep me right where I was.

I sank into his hold, once again soaking up his comfort.

A shudder rippled down his massive frame, and this time he pulled back just enough to duck his head and meet my eyes. “Want to tell me about it?”

I dropped my gaze, humiliation burning my cheeks. “Just a nightmare.”

But it wasn’t just a nightmare. It was a recurring night terror I’d had since I was ten. It felt so real that I’d gone to therapy over it. I hadn’t had this dream in months.

“Becca, you were screaming like someone was after you,” he remarked softly, his thumb brushing the bare skin of my hip where my pajamas had twisted. “Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”

I still couldn’t meet his gaze. “Sorry.”

His hand lifted, gently pushing my chin up so I had to look at him. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

“You left,” I blurted out, my heart aching like a bruise.

He winced and ducked his head. “I know. I just couldn’t be here and watch you with my brother. Not when…”

After a heavy silence, I pressed, “Not when what?”

“Does it matter?” His tone was bitter. His gaze collided with mine, and the agony in his eyes was like a thunderclap going off in my head.

“Nothing happened,” I finally whispered. “Bishop and I are friends.”

His brow furrowed. “Then why—”

“I was trying to piss you off,” I muttered.

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