Shadowed (Unbound, Book 2)

Chapter Eight

"Dammit, Nora. Wake up!"

My body shook and my memory trembled, faded, and then rooted itself firmly within my mind's eye. I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to open my eyes and watch it disappear from my vision. It's too real; if I wake, it will be lost. I can't... lose anything else.

"Nora, come on."

The voice grew softer, less frantic, and the shaking eased. In its place was a gentle touch tracing the curve of my cheek, still wet from the stroke of my dog's tongue.

"Nora."

I opened my eyes and the light of my dream vanished. Tears—it was tears soaking my cheek. Calin was here to wipe them away. He was so close, safe, and the only thing that felt right in a reality more confusing than my dreams.

I tried to speak and opened my mouth with the words already formed in my head. No sound emerged, my throat too raw to make a sound. Rather than explaining it all, my pain erupted from within my inner dam. My body shook. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think, only feel. My vision blurred as tears welled up and the spilled down my cheeks.

"I-I-I—"

Calin's face transformed from frantic urgency to concern. His eyes squinted at the corners, not unkindly, and he stepped forward. "Shh, Nora. It's okay."

He leaned forward and picked me up from the bed, cradling me in his arms as he lay back against the pillows with my head firmly nestled against his chest. He didn't speak, but he didn't need to. His comfort was his silence. His touch as he stroked my hair away from my face with deft motions of his hand kept me firmly in reality, ensuring I knew I wasn't back in a dream. I couldn't tell him to stop even I wanted to, though I think if he did I wouldn't be able to handle the emotions that had been released alone.

I cried for at least an hour. At first, the sobs wracked my body until I was nearly convulsing in pain. My tears ran freely, soaking everything they landed upon. Calin never complained or tried to talk. He just stroked my hair and held me, even after the tears slowed and finally stopped falling. My sobs lessened, becoming hiccups. Then, for a few minutes, nothing. No tears, no sobs, no hiccups. I felt like I was numb.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered into his chest, not wanting to move away from his warmth.

His hand paused for a moment but then returned to stroking my hair. "Why?"

"For being such a spaz." I sniffed and forced myself to sit up. "You didn't have to come here to catch me screaming in my sleep and then have me soak your shirt. I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

I rolled my eyes and crawled off the bed, catching a glimpse of my face in the window and wincing. Ugh. It was so much worse than the foundation debacle. It was no wonder we'd never dated if I was such a spaz.

"I'm just going to go get ready, okay?"

I didn't look back at him as I rushed into the bathroom. I hoped that my face had been hidden in his shirt well enough to hide how puffy the crying had made it. Not just my eyes, but everywhere—my cheeks, nose, lips. I glanced at the clock on the wall of the bathroom and cringed.

There was only a half hour left for me to make myself presentable enough to go to Dr. Stanzo's. I hadn't told Devland Calin was taking me yet but really didn't care what he had to say about it anymore. At least Calin had comforted me. Devland would never have.

I shocked my system with cold water on my face and brushed my teeth. Then I ran back to my dressing room and changed, spending an extra five minutes on my make-up in an attempt to hide my puffy, red-rimmed eyes. In the end, I wore my glasses so I could hide behind their thick dark rims, though I doubted I would've been able to insert contact lenses with eyes that were so sensitive from crying. Thankfully, Calin hadn't asked for an explanation. Yet.