Page 37 of Saving Cade
Cade made a face that said, “They are,” but instead he said, “Brush your teeth. Stop worrying.”
He was right. It didn’t do any good to worry about it. She went into the bathroom, grateful once again for simple toiletries. She got ready for bed and walked across the room, turning out the lights as she went. Cade was already buried under his covers, his breathing even.
She crawled into bed and turned off the last light.
“Good night, Meg.”
His voice surprised her, and it struck her kind of oddly, like they were in a normal situation, but the reality was so far from the truth, she almost laughed. “Good night, Cade.”
Meg drifted off to sleep, her anxiety about the police evident in her dreams. Everywhere she turned, a cop was after her. But the worst dream was about the man who broke into the mansion.
She was sitting in the great room by the fireplace talking with Cade, just like the other night. A crash sounded, and Cade left to investigate. As Meg sat there, holding her breath and waiting for Cade to come back, a gunshot pierced the air and she jumped. Then the intruder ran into the room and grabbed her by the arm. “You’re next,” he said, pointing the gun at her.
Panic flooded her. She tried to fight him off, but her arms wouldn’t work. Her legs felt like wet noodles, useless. She struggled to scream, but even that was impossible. Her panic closed her throat. Finally, she was able to say, “Help me.”
Then the man disappeared, and Cade replaced him. Cade pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “He’s gone. You’re safe.” He stroked her hair and calmed her down.
The dream was so realistic, she could even smell him. Could she usually smell in a dream? She wasn’t sure. She laid her head on his chest. “Thank you.”
Cade didn’t respond. He just slowly rocked her, as if he were dancing to some unknown music she couldn’t hear. Meg didn’t mind. She liked being in his arms. “You’re wonderful,” she whispered.
The Cade in her dreams chuckled and embarrassment heated her cheeks. But it was only a dream, right? It didn’t matter what she said. She looked up at him, the slight smile on his face, and she suddenly wanted to kiss him again. She pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was brief, Cade pulling back. “Go back to sleep,” he said, taking a step away from her.
“Wait. Kiss me again.” She could be needy in her dream, right? It wasn’t real. You didn’t have to obey social norms in a dream.
“Not a good idea.” Cade kissed the top of her head. “Good night, Meg.” Then he disappeared, and she was left alone again. But she didn’t feel scared anymore. She knew Cade would come to save her if anything else happened.
Meg woke the next morning when sunlight filtered in through the curtains. She slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was in a hotel room. They were on the run from the cops. She sat up and peered over at Cade in the other bed.
His eyes flickered open.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No, it wasn’t you. I don’t know what woke me. But we should get going anyway.”
“Good idea.” Meg bit her lip. “I didn’t wake you up last night, did I?”
“You mean with your nightmare?”
Oh, no. What had she done? “You heard me?”
“You were thrashing around the bed. You looked terrified.” Cade’s expression softened. “Were you dreaming about the man with the gun?”
She looked to the industrial carpet. “Yes.”
“I thought so. You cried out for help.”
How embarrassing. Meg pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I didn’t realize you could hear...” And then it dawned on her. “Wait, did you come to console me?”
“I just calmed you down. You were pretty out of it.”
No, no, no. Meg wanted to sink into the floor. Cade really had been hugging her last night. And that meant she’d begged him for a kiss. Stupid. She grabbed her things and headed for the bathroom. “Well, thanks.”
Cade stretched back against the pillows. “Of course.”
She showered, hoping to wash away the embarrassment. It didn’t work. She would forever be reminded of that stupid dream every time she looked at him. She pulled on another cheap shirt and a pair of exercise pants. She was such a dork.
