way up the short steps, glad that I'd managed to get control of the emotions that had momentarily been spiraling.
Eight
Georgia
I WOKE THE next morning bone tired. I’d tossed and turned all night plagued by dreams ― some memories, some a mash-up of my worst nightmares.
Flashes of blood glistening in the moonlight haunted me. My entire body trembled with fear. Heart racing, rapid breaths, soul-stirring fear. Nightmares have a terrible way of seeping into your bones and taking root long after morning has dawned.
I clenched and unclenched my fists in an attempt to maintain control and not fall into a full-blown anxiety attack. After years of therapy I'd finally put them behind me, or so I thought, but this…this felt as near to one as I'd had in a long while. I sucked in slow breaths and curled deeper into the cool sheets trying to recover from the emotional upheaval of the night.
A smile crept across my face when I exited my room a while later and found the coffee pot full, my favorite mug sitting next to it.
My muscles relaxed as I poured myself a cup and walked to the porch, curling up in the chair next to Tristan.
“Hey,” he murmured.
“Hey,” I said and inhaled the warm steam, letting it wash over my face and chase the fatigue away.
“Sleep well?” He took a sip of his coffee.
“Not really.” I frowned before taking my first sip of the hot liquid.
“Everything okay?” He turned to me with a concerned look on his face.
“I have nightmares that come and go. It's nothing, really, just some lost sleep.” I chewed on my bottom lip, downplaying the severity. “Being away from Kyle makes it worse,” I said absentmindedly. He nodded and continued to stare at the rolling waves. Long moments passed in peace as I nursed my coffee and thought about the summer stretched out before us.
“Is he going to come down soon?” Tristan asked quietly.
“Kyle?” His question shook me from my thoughts. “He's busy, but I hope so. We’ve never been apart for so long.”
“Must be hard to be separated from someone you love.”
“Yeah, it is,” I murmured. “What about you? I know you’re not seeing anyone, but what about family?”
“Not really much to report there. My dad still lives in Jacksonville, but things with him are… strained,” he trailed off before continuing. “My mom left when I was a kid. Just disappeared one day. She left a note, called once or twice a year after that, sent a birthday card now and again, but I haven't seen her since.”
Tears pooled in my eyes at his admission. “I’m sorry.” He’d talked about his mom before ― that she was a literature major and had named him after the story of Tristan and Isolde, but it hadn’t seemed like a sensitive subject at the time.
“Nothing I’m not used to.” He shrugged. “Dad went off the rails after that. Drank too much, trouble keeping a job. He always said true love is fragile and fleeting. He is wise, but broken.”
“He never found anyone else?” I watched the thoughtful, beautiful man next to me. My heart ached for the small, golden-haired boy who grew up without his mother’s love.
“No, it's been hard for him. He loved her, more than himself, I think. He says it was love at first sight. She tore his heart out when she left and he’s had trust issues ever since.”
“Is that why you...?” I couldn't finish my sentence and locked my lips closed.
“What?”
“Don’t make me say it.” A smile lit my lips.
“What are you talking about, Georgia?” His grin grew wider.
“You know,” my voice softened as I held his gaze.
“Drew filled you in, then?”
“Umm,” I averted my gaze.
“Have I avoided finding the right girl and settling down because of my dad?” A flirtatious glint lit his eyes, sending tingles to my lower body. “I s’pose so.” He took a long draw of his coffee.
“Do you think you’ll find her someday?” I asked.
I watched his fingertip trace the rim of the
Eight
Georgia
I WOKE THE next morning bone tired. I’d tossed and turned all night plagued by dreams ― some memories, some a mash-up of my worst nightmares.
Flashes of blood glistening in the moonlight haunted me. My entire body trembled with fear. Heart racing, rapid breaths, soul-stirring fear. Nightmares have a terrible way of seeping into your bones and taking root long after morning has dawned.
I clenched and unclenched my fists in an attempt to maintain control and not fall into a full-blown anxiety attack. After years of therapy I'd finally put them behind me, or so I thought, but this…this felt as near to one as I'd had in a long while. I sucked in slow breaths and curled deeper into the cool sheets trying to recover from the emotional upheaval of the night.
A smile crept across my face when I exited my room a while later and found the coffee pot full, my favorite mug sitting next to it.
My muscles relaxed as I poured myself a cup and walked to the porch, curling up in the chair next to Tristan.
“Hey,” he murmured.
“Hey,” I said and inhaled the warm steam, letting it wash over my face and chase the fatigue away.
“Sleep well?” He took a sip of his coffee.
“Not really.” I frowned before taking my first sip of the hot liquid.
“Everything okay?” He turned to me with a concerned look on his face.
“I have nightmares that come and go. It's nothing, really, just some lost sleep.” I chewed on my bottom lip, downplaying the severity. “Being away from Kyle makes it worse,” I said absentmindedly. He nodded and continued to stare at the rolling waves. Long moments passed in peace as I nursed my coffee and thought about the summer stretched out before us.
“Is he going to come down soon?” Tristan asked quietly.
“Kyle?” His question shook me from my thoughts. “He's busy, but I hope so. We’ve never been apart for so long.”
“Must be hard to be separated from someone you love.”
“Yeah, it is,” I murmured. “What about you? I know you’re not seeing anyone, but what about family?”
“Not really much to report there. My dad still lives in Jacksonville, but things with him are… strained,” he trailed off before continuing. “My mom left when I was a kid. Just disappeared one day. She left a note, called once or twice a year after that, sent a birthday card now and again, but I haven't seen her since.”
Tears pooled in my eyes at his admission. “I’m sorry.” He’d talked about his mom before ― that she was a literature major and had named him after the story of Tristan and Isolde, but it hadn’t seemed like a sensitive subject at the time.
“Nothing I’m not used to.” He shrugged. “Dad went off the rails after that. Drank too much, trouble keeping a job. He always said true love is fragile and fleeting. He is wise, but broken.”
“He never found anyone else?” I watched the thoughtful, beautiful man next to me. My heart ached for the small, golden-haired boy who grew up without his mother’s love.
“No, it's been hard for him. He loved her, more than himself, I think. He says it was love at first sight. She tore his heart out when she left and he’s had trust issues ever since.”
“Is that why you...?” I couldn't finish my sentence and locked my lips closed.
“What?”
“Don’t make me say it.” A smile lit my lips.
“What are you talking about, Georgia?” His grin grew wider.
“You know,” my voice softened as I held his gaze.
“Drew filled you in, then?”
“Umm,” I averted my gaze.
“Have I avoided finding the right girl and settling down because of my dad?” A flirtatious glint lit his eyes, sending tingles to my lower body. “I s’pose so.” He took a long draw of his coffee.
“Do you think you’ll find her someday?” I asked.
I watched his fingertip trace the rim of the
Similar Books
