Chapter 12
Isla went into the kitchen, the time on the stove reading a quarter to two in the morning. Another night of restless sleep, and she’d about given up trying. She poured herself a glass of water and took a sip. Her mind kept drifting back to Nolan.
She rested her hip against the counter and stared at the big hole in the wall. She’d thought she destroyed Grandma’s house, but what Nolan had said to her really spoke to her heart. The best part about this house was all the memories and how every room had held a piece of Grandma.
Soon, there’d be a new wall, and instead of being sad about it, Isla was excited. She liked the idea of creating her own chapter in this house that had already been such a huge part of her story.
Her eye caught on a figure in the yard, and she froze. Fear shot through her but quickly vanished when her eyes adjusted to the dark night, and she could make out the solid frame.
Nolan was in nothing more than a pair of boxer briefs, stumbling around the space between the two houses. “What the hell is he doing?” she said out loud as she continued to observe him. “Oh no!” He was sleepwalking. She’d witnessed it before. His parents used to deadbolt the doors to keep him from wandering too far. He must not have deadbolted the door.
She should leave him. He’d find his way home. But what if he didn’t? What if his memory had forgotten he was in Morgan’s Bay, and he was trying to find his bed in Seattle? What if he wound up in the woods or worse… in the street?
They had one friend get taken out by a drunk driver when crossing the street, and Milo had been completely awake and lucid when it had happened. She couldn’t just leave Nolan asleep to take his chances with unsuspecting traffic.
Damn it! She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to corral him back into the house. It was dangerous to try and wake a sleepwalker. That’s what his mom had told him the first time he wandered down the hallway after a Christmas celebration. Isla had stayed to help his mom clean. They’d got to talking and so much time had passed by when Nolan came out of his room. Isla had smiled up at him, but he was like a zombie going through the motions. She had watched him in amazement until he bounced off the wall and nearly fell.
His mom had caught him, turned him around, and guided him back to his room where he collapsed on his bed and had no recollection of it the next morning. After that, she’d read up on sleepwalking. Nolan didn’t do it often, usually when he was stressed out about something.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he had any incidents while he was away in Seattle, alone and with no one to guide him back to bed… unless maybe there was someone.
Not wanting to think about Nolan shacked up with another woman, she shook the thought right from her head.
She slipped into a pair of flip-flops and ran out the door. There was a slight ocean breeze that kept the summer heat at bay, but she knew it wouldn’t be around for much longer.
Nolan did an about face and started heading toward his house. Isla stayed in the shadows, hoping he’d find the door and go inside on his own. No such luck. He turned again and headed for the street.
“Shit!” She took off after him. She didn’t want to startle him, so she calmly walked up beside him, linking her arm through his and waiting a moment before steering him toward his house.
The turn was effortless, with no stumbles or missteps. She sighed a breath of relief and helped guide him without doing anything to jolt him awake.
She managed to get him up the stairs and into the house. He swayed left, and she put herself between him and the wall. She propped his arm over her shoulder and steered him toward his old bedroom. With his arm draped over her shoulder and using her body to guide him, she got him close to the bed.
“Here we are,” she said quietly to herself.
His leg hit the bed, and he collapsed onto the mattress, taking her with him. His weight landed on top of her in a big, heavy heap. Bare chest trapped her between him and the bed, and she attempted to slide out from beneath him, but it was impossible. With his six-pack abs and big biceps, he was too heavy for her. She was trapped.
Fanfreakintastic.
She looked up to the ceiling, imagining seeing beyond the roof and sky, to the place where Grandma was. “Grandma if you’re up there, when you’re done laughing, can you help a girl out here?”
Isla waited for a sudden shift in body weight or the ceiling to open up, a light to beam down and guide Nolan off of her, but she had no such luck. There was no one to help her. She had to figure this out on her own.
She was a relatively smart girl, who was great at problem solving, so how hard could this be?
Nolan snuggled into her, resting his head at the crook of her neck. His breath skittered warm against her skin, and he squeezed tighter. His nose pressed against her skin, and he inhaled. “Mmm.” He sighed, and Isla attempted once again to escape, but his hold tightened. He pulled her close, his lips brushing against her neck.
“No, no, no.” If she and Nolan were to ever kiss again, she’d prefer he’d be conscious. She didn’t care how desperate she was.
She shimmied, hoping to either break free, or at this point risk bodily harm by waking him up, but it was useless. His grip was solid rock, and she was nothing more than a mere piece of sand stuck beneath the weight.
She might as well get comfortable. It looked like she’d be spending the night. Of course, the first night with a guy in years, and he was completely unaware. It was just her luck. Maybe if she waited long enough, he would roll off of her. She just had to stay awake and wait for her moment.
“You smell so good,” he mumbled.
“It’s my shampoo,” she said, then imagined smacking herself in the head. “He’s sleeping, you idiot.”
He rubbed his nose along her neck, and for a second, she closed her eyes and absorbed the sweet sensations of human contact. She hadn’t been with anyone since Nolan left, and it had been lonely, especially at night when her bed grew cold and she had no one to snuggle into.
“Missed you.” His words were muffled, but she could make them out. Two simple words that wrapped around her heart and squeezed until tears pricked her eyes, and she couldn’t breathe without a gasp.
It’s not real . But God, how she wished it were. At nights when she couldn’t sleep, she’d imagine what life would have been like if she never called that stupid radio show. If she would have just trusted Nolan like she should have and ignored the insecure parts of her mind that only cared about reacting.
She had to get out of here. Being in his bed with him was bringing back too many memories, reminding her of the biggest mistake of her life. It was too much for her to handle.
She pushed into his side, but instead of rolling away like she silently prayed he would, he pulled her even closer. No! she screamed in her mind. No. No. No. But it was too late. His leg draped over hers, cutting off any and all movement. His arms squeezed her like a child who had recently found their teddy bear. His nose implanted in her neck, and he sighed.
At least someone was content… With no other options, she closed her eyes and waited.
***
Isla always smelled like she bathed in a pool of flowers. So many times, he imagined her stepping from a hot bath, flower petals floating on top, water dripping down her naked body as she met his eyes and went to him. It was his favorite fantasy. He’d avoid waking up just to bask in the vision for as long as possible.
This time, though, the scent was so strong it felt as if she was with him. Her warmth wrapped around him, and the soft skin of her arms was like heaven. He sighed, pulling her to him, and nuzzling her neck. He pressed an open mouth kiss to her skin, tasting her floral scent.
The vision of her blurred, and he fought his body and mind to stay asleep. The harder he fought, the more Isla faded, until all that was left was the dim of early morning. He blinked open his eyes and caught a glimpse of blonde before being pummeled with that familiar floral scent.
It hadn’t been a dream. Isla was in his arms. What in the…?
“What the hell are you doing here?” he shouted as he jumped from the bed.
She woke with a gasp, grabbing her chest. “Jesus, you scared me half to death.”
“Scared you? I’m not the one who climbed into your bed!”
She let out a perturbed laugh.
“Do you think this is funny?” he demanded.
Her eyes narrowed as she stood, rolling her shoulders back and stretching to her full height. “Oh yeah, a real riot.” She pushed her hair out of her face and marched toward the door. “I should have left you to get hit by a car or taken out by a pack of wolves.”
“Wolves? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Forget it.”
He grabbed her wrist and halted her. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I found you outside wandering around the yard at two o’clock in the morning.”
He ran a hand over his face. “Shit. I was sleepwalking.”
“Yeah, you were, and I should have let you figure that out on your own, but no, my stupid heart that you like so much wouldn’t let me leave you to fend for yourself. I went out and guided you back to the house. I would have left, but you fell on me! Do you have any idea how much you weigh in your sleep? You’re like a freaking beluga whale.”
“That’s very specific.”
“This isn’t funny. You trap me in bed, and I get yelled at. Like I said, I should’ve left you to the wolves.”
“We don’t have wolves in Morgan’s Bay.”
She let out a loud growl. “Whatever. The point is I should have left you there, but I didn’t, so you’re welcome, you ungrateful jerk.”
“Isla, I…”
She shoved his chest and stormed out the door. He ran after her, donning only his boxer briefs, but by the time he got to the front door, she was already gone.