about her words, the angrier he got. Does she not know me at all?
Pulling the front door closed behind him, he sat down on the doorstep, leaning back against the door. He didn't want to go home at this time of night, and no matter what she said, he didn't want to leave her on her own. She had looked terrified before she woke up. Maybe it was easier to lash out at him than deal with whatever had been going on in her head.
He fell back as the door suddenly opened, and he heard Jess's gasp of surprise. But it was his turn to be surprised when she sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry ... for what I said."
He nudged her knee with his, and when she looked at him, he gave her a small smile. "It's okay."
"I didn't mean it, and I'm sorry. Well, not about the adoring fan girl bit, because I'm not."
He laughed and shook his head. "What adoring fan girls? Maybe you need to introduce me to them—oof, you have really bony elbows!" he said, as she jabbed one into his side.
"I made you a coffee. Are you going to come back inside?"
He stood and held out a hand to her. When she placed her hand in his, he pulled her to her feet. He followed her back into the living room, where she sat on one corner of the sofa, and draped a blanket around her. Wrapping his hands around the coffee cup to warm them, he took a small sip of the steaming liquid.
The feather he'd brought downstairs was on the coffee table, and he stared at it, waiting for her to say something.
"I'm sorry."
She said it so quietly, he wondered if she was even saying it to him, but he answered her anyway. "I know."
"It's just ... You were there, and you were laughing with them. At me."
He turned to face her as her voice broke over the last words. Watched as the first tear fell. "Damn it." He set his cup down and slowly put an arm around her shoulders, just in case she pushed him away again. "Don't cry, Jess. Where was I?"
She leaned against his shoulder, and he tightened his hold around her, wishing he could just pull her onto his lap, wrap her up in his arms.
"In my vision."
"What happened?" he asked, gently rubbing his thumb along her collarbone.
"I was down by Alt Hall. Except it wasn't there. It was just fields. Fields and a peacock." She stopped and took a deep breath. He took her hand in his, and she gripped it tightly. "It was like it was taunting me as it spread its feathers. They had eyes that just kept staring at me, hundreds of them glaring at me. And I thought it was going to attack me. So I ran, but then I fell. When I looked up, it wasn't a peacock."
Her nails dug into his hand, and he brushed his thumb across her wrist. He could feel the frantic beating of her pulse beneath it. "What was it, Jess?"
"It ..." She pulled back from him and said, "It was you."
His eyebrows drew together at those three words. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"You were standing there, looking down at me where I'd fallen, and you were laughing at me. But you weren't alone. You had ..."
He waited for her to carry on, giving her shoulder a squeeze to encourage her. "I had what, Jess?"
"You had hundreds of women around you, draped over you, and they were all staring at me and laughing too."
He heard her sob and thought, Screw it. He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her as she cried. The sound tore at his heart, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Please don't cry, angel." He ran his hand down her hair and pressed her head to his chest. "Please don't cry," he said again. Gently, he rocked her in his arms and kissed her forehead.
***
Jess held herself completely still and slowly opened her eyes. Sliding her gaze to the side, she saw a toned chest sprinkled with a few dark hairs; farther up, red lips curved into a smile. Slowly, she let out a breath, as parts of the previous night came back to her. Pulling her arm free, she slid towards the edge of the bed, trying not to wake Rob. As she pulled back the covers, she muttered her thanks, as she
Pulling the front door closed behind him, he sat down on the doorstep, leaning back against the door. He didn't want to go home at this time of night, and no matter what she said, he didn't want to leave her on her own. She had looked terrified before she woke up. Maybe it was easier to lash out at him than deal with whatever had been going on in her head.
He fell back as the door suddenly opened, and he heard Jess's gasp of surprise. But it was his turn to be surprised when she sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry ... for what I said."
He nudged her knee with his, and when she looked at him, he gave her a small smile. "It's okay."
"I didn't mean it, and I'm sorry. Well, not about the adoring fan girl bit, because I'm not."
He laughed and shook his head. "What adoring fan girls? Maybe you need to introduce me to them—oof, you have really bony elbows!" he said, as she jabbed one into his side.
"I made you a coffee. Are you going to come back inside?"
He stood and held out a hand to her. When she placed her hand in his, he pulled her to her feet. He followed her back into the living room, where she sat on one corner of the sofa, and draped a blanket around her. Wrapping his hands around the coffee cup to warm them, he took a small sip of the steaming liquid.
The feather he'd brought downstairs was on the coffee table, and he stared at it, waiting for her to say something.
"I'm sorry."
She said it so quietly, he wondered if she was even saying it to him, but he answered her anyway. "I know."
"It's just ... You were there, and you were laughing with them. At me."
He turned to face her as her voice broke over the last words. Watched as the first tear fell. "Damn it." He set his cup down and slowly put an arm around her shoulders, just in case she pushed him away again. "Don't cry, Jess. Where was I?"
She leaned against his shoulder, and he tightened his hold around her, wishing he could just pull her onto his lap, wrap her up in his arms.
"In my vision."
"What happened?" he asked, gently rubbing his thumb along her collarbone.
"I was down by Alt Hall. Except it wasn't there. It was just fields. Fields and a peacock." She stopped and took a deep breath. He took her hand in his, and she gripped it tightly. "It was like it was taunting me as it spread its feathers. They had eyes that just kept staring at me, hundreds of them glaring at me. And I thought it was going to attack me. So I ran, but then I fell. When I looked up, it wasn't a peacock."
Her nails dug into his hand, and he brushed his thumb across her wrist. He could feel the frantic beating of her pulse beneath it. "What was it, Jess?"
"It ..." She pulled back from him and said, "It was you."
His eyebrows drew together at those three words. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"You were standing there, looking down at me where I'd fallen, and you were laughing at me. But you weren't alone. You had ..."
He waited for her to carry on, giving her shoulder a squeeze to encourage her. "I had what, Jess?"
"You had hundreds of women around you, draped over you, and they were all staring at me and laughing too."
He heard her sob and thought, Screw it. He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her as she cried. The sound tore at his heart, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Please don't cry, angel." He ran his hand down her hair and pressed her head to his chest. "Please don't cry," he said again. Gently, he rocked her in his arms and kissed her forehead.
***
Jess held herself completely still and slowly opened her eyes. Sliding her gaze to the side, she saw a toned chest sprinkled with a few dark hairs; farther up, red lips curved into a smile. Slowly, she let out a breath, as parts of the previous night came back to her. Pulling her arm free, she slid towards the edge of the bed, trying not to wake Rob. As she pulled back the covers, she muttered her thanks, as she
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