The Dream Jumper's Promise

Chapter 20

            “When I arrived, Noble was here so I sat under the window.” He gestured to the front yard below. “And jumped when you entered a dream.”

            Tina wiped her nose. “Wow. You’re good.” She threw her pile of tissues into a wastebasket.

            “I wasn’t sure it would work but I seem to be able to piggyback your dream jumps.” He squinted at her. “Have you ever jumped someone’s dream before tonight?”

             “I don’t think so unless I jumped into that sexy dream with you? Or was that my dream and you jumping?”

            Aha. There was a new possibility. He shrugged. “You were the jumper tonight because you’d arrived in Noble’s dream before me.”

            She groaned.

            He knew how it felt to discover you had a scary talent you didn’t want. He smiled apologetically. “I really don’t know that much about it, except how it works for me.” Putting his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her in. “You entered Noble’s dream. Probably you two were touching in the bed?”

            Tina looked exasperated. “I don’t remember anything. There was a surprise party. I supposedly drank too much, which was weird because at dinner I only had two drinks with a lot of food and when I got back here, I only had one, or maybe none.”

            “What were you drinking?” Jamey squinted.

            “Wine at dinner, water here.” She pointed to the glass on the bedside table.

            He picked it up and swirled around the last tiny bit in the dim light. “Do you mind?” Jamey reached for the switch on the bedside lamp.

            Tina inched closer to Jamey, their shoulders touching. “What is it?”

            “Sediment, of some kind. Maybe a sedative.”

            “I didn’t take one, I know that.”

            Jamey frowned. “It’s never good to mix alcohol with that stuff. I’m going to have it analyzed.” In the light he noticed how drawn her face looked. “You’ve got to be exhausted. Should I leave, or stay in case Noble comes back?” He preferred staying but given what Tina had gone through already, she might not agree.

            She put her head in her hands, and then looked up quickly. “Do you have that headache again?”

            Jamey shook his head. “Not nearly as bad.”

            “Do you think you should stay, in case you get the headache worse. I can watch you. Or what about if I fall asleep and have the diving dream?”

            His heart melted and pooled at his feet. She was still trying to help him first, then herself. A good sign. “Maybe, yes.” Jamey looked at her. “I’ll stay.” He knelt and took her hands in his. “I can also drive you to the clinic if you want to do a rape test.”

            The corners of her mouth twisted. “No. I couldn’t do that.” She looked away. “I just couldn’t, especially seeing Noble and I … maybe I led him on in my drunkenness.”

            “Or druggedness.” Jamey bit back the words that would impose his opinion on her. “Your choice but if you want to go back to sleep, I’ll take the chair.”

            She bit her bottom lip and glanced toward the door.

            Tina had plenty to be scared about. A rapist for a friend, dream jumping, a ghost in her bedroom and getting drugged – all on her birthday.