17. Chapter 17
Jake
“Please, no. Mom, Dad, wake up.”
I hear Lottie screaming through the walls. I rush into her room and find her thrashing about in bed, clearly in the middle of a terrible nightmare. I approach her with caution, just in case she wakes up. I don’t want to scare her any more than she already is.
“Lottie,” I say gently while I stroke her hair back from her forehead.
“No, come back to me. Don’t leave me. Take me instead,” she pleads in her sleep and my heart cracks.
My poor girl, she’s having to deal with so much all at once. I call her name again as I rub my hand up her arm, trying to soothe her, and she startles awake. Tears are streaking her pale face, and I gently brush them away with my thumbs.
Gasping for breath, she grabs my wrists. “J-Jake,” she sputters out.
“I’m here, Lottie. I’m here, ok?” My thumbs still work over her cheeks. “You want to tell me what happened?”
“I had a nightmare about the accident…” she trails off. “It was horrible: one minute I was in the car, next minute I was outside watching my parents die and I couldn’t do anything.”
Sobs wrack her body, and she lets go of me to cover her face with her hands. I race around to the other side of the bed and climb in, pulling her to me, careful not to jostle her ribs. My arms are wrapped around her as her face burrows into my chest, her body jerking with every sob.
“We’re going to get through this, Lottie, I promise you. I’m going to be here every step of the way. Try and get some more sleep, I’ll make sure the nightmares don’t come back for you.”
She closes her eyes as I kiss her temple, and we fall asleep just like that, locked in a tight embrace. And it’s the best night's sleep I’ve had since before her accident.
The next morning, I wake before Lottie, sporting what can only be described as one raging boner. Jesus, this really isn’t the time. Lottie’s literally asleep next to me.
Think unsexy thoughts: the locker room, sweaty jock straps, Coach in his underwear—I don’t know where that last thought came from, but that certainly does it. My dick deflates quicker than a popped balloon.
Now that issue is sorted, I get up and change before checking my phone. Mom text to let me know Bella’s good, and I’m reminded Lottie doesn’t have a phone. Hers got damaged in the accident and hasn’t been replaced yet. I add it to my mental to-do list for when we get home.
Speaking of Lottie, I peer back into her bedroom and see she’s still asleep, so I take a moment to just watch her.
The lines of frustration from her nightmare have vanished and her face is now calm and serene.
Her blonde hair is a crazy mess from where she was tossing and turning, and her skin is lightly bronzed, but the one thing that has always driven me crazy about Lottie is her lips.
They’re a beautiful shade of rosy pink and are gorgeously plump.
I've imagined kissing them so many times I can’t even count.
I’ve also imagined those lips in other places as well, but I stop that trail of thought as I can’t go there right now. It isn’t right.
I’m saved by the bell—literally—and rush to open the door to find Wren and Sawyer on the other side. He’s got that scowl on his face he wears so well. For a couple that always seem to be pissed at each other, they sure are always in each other's pockets.
“Where’s Charlie?” Wren says as she walks into the suite, looking for any signs of life.
“She’s still asleep. she had a nightmare last night,” I mention as I go to pour them some coffee.
“Shit, poor thing. She doesn’t have to go to her parents’ today. There’s no rush.”
“I know, I told her this, but she was adamant she wanted to grab a few bits. Photos and stuff.”
“Well, in that case, I’ll go wake her up and help her get ready. Won’t be long.”
She sashays away and I see Sawyer's eyes linger on the sway of Wren’s hips. Definite tension there.