own, she nodded. "I will. And Matt, thanks."
After Matt had left, she took off Rob's shoes and tucked the blanket over his feet. Hesitantly, she pressed a hand to his cheek; it felt cool but not icy. Gently, she traced her thumb across his lip but stopped when her hand started to shake.
Standing, she made her way into his kitchen and switched on the kettle. Resting her elbows on the worktop, she dropped her head into her hands and quietly let the tears fall.
Thinking James was dead had been awful, the attacks on Matt and Emma terrifying, but this? She felt like she was losing her mind, and somehow responsible for whatever had happened to Rob. Hadn't she seen him in her vision in the exact same position she'd found him in? What if she could have done something to stop it? Instead, she'd been too busy pathetically wondering why he hadn't been in touch with her. Because she couldn't have called him, could she? Or texted him.
This was her fault. If Rob didn't recover, she'd never forgive herself.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rob woke to the sound of the radio and, when he opened his eyes, found himself in his own living room, on his own sofa. Shit, he had no idea how he'd made it home. He needed to stop drinking so much, he thought, especially when his head throbbed as he sat up . Where did the blanket come from? The horrible thought that he might have actually brought someone home with him crossed his mind, but the last thing he could remember was leaving work.
"You're awake, then?"
Slowly, he turned his head and saw Jess standing in the kitchen doorway. Now he really was confused. Why would Jess be at his place? "Yeah," he said, and then cleared his throat as his voice cracked over the word.
"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and she leaned her cheek into his hand. In answer, he shook his head, stroking his thumb over her cheek as it started to flush beneath his touch.
"I found you, outside on the path. Unconscious."
He remembered he had been going home, thinking about taking Jess out, then pain. Someone had hit him from behind, like a coward. "Someone hit me."
In response to his words, her eyes widened. "Who?"
He shrugged, then winced, as pain radiated down his back.
Jess stood and leaned over him, pulling at his sweater to peek down the back of it. "You have red marks around your neck, and down your back. I think it's going to bruise. It ..."
Leaning back, so he could see her face, he asked, "What?"
Jess let go of his sweater and looked over his head, not meeting his gaze. "It doesn't look the same as when Matt was attacked."
He took hold of her hand and tugged at it until she sat next to him. "I don't think it was the same. There was no strange darkness, or weird feeling beforehand. Someone just jumped me from behind, which—" He stopped speaking and started to check his pockets. "—come to think of it, is strange. They haven't taken anything, so they weren't after money or my phone. It doesn't make any sense."
Jess dropped her head at his words, biting down on her bottom lip as the feeling she was about to cry again hit her. Rob's finger underneath her chin forced her head gently upwards until their gazes met.
"What is it?"
One tear escaped, and she roughly brushed it away with the back of her hand. "I thought ... maybe it was my fault you were attacked."
Not responding to her admission, he leaned forward and dropped his hand to her hips. Firm fingers wrapped around her and dragged her onto his knee until her legs were straddling his. One hand ran up the length of her back and wrapped around her ponytail, tugging her head to the side, the other gripping her waist.
Her eyes started to close in anticipation, but he squeezed her side. He waited until she looked into his eyes and said, "It doesn't matter if it was your fault. I'd fight anyone, or anything if it meant keeping you safe."
Her tongue slipped out to wet her
After Matt had left, she took off Rob's shoes and tucked the blanket over his feet. Hesitantly, she pressed a hand to his cheek; it felt cool but not icy. Gently, she traced her thumb across his lip but stopped when her hand started to shake.
Standing, she made her way into his kitchen and switched on the kettle. Resting her elbows on the worktop, she dropped her head into her hands and quietly let the tears fall.
Thinking James was dead had been awful, the attacks on Matt and Emma terrifying, but this? She felt like she was losing her mind, and somehow responsible for whatever had happened to Rob. Hadn't she seen him in her vision in the exact same position she'd found him in? What if she could have done something to stop it? Instead, she'd been too busy pathetically wondering why he hadn't been in touch with her. Because she couldn't have called him, could she? Or texted him.
This was her fault. If Rob didn't recover, she'd never forgive herself.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Rob woke to the sound of the radio and, when he opened his eyes, found himself in his own living room, on his own sofa. Shit, he had no idea how he'd made it home. He needed to stop drinking so much, he thought, especially when his head throbbed as he sat up . Where did the blanket come from? The horrible thought that he might have actually brought someone home with him crossed his mind, but the last thing he could remember was leaving work.
"You're awake, then?"
Slowly, he turned his head and saw Jess standing in the kitchen doorway. Now he really was confused. Why would Jess be at his place? "Yeah," he said, and then cleared his throat as his voice cracked over the word.
"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
He reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and she leaned her cheek into his hand. In answer, he shook his head, stroking his thumb over her cheek as it started to flush beneath his touch.
"I found you, outside on the path. Unconscious."
He remembered he had been going home, thinking about taking Jess out, then pain. Someone had hit him from behind, like a coward. "Someone hit me."
In response to his words, her eyes widened. "Who?"
He shrugged, then winced, as pain radiated down his back.
Jess stood and leaned over him, pulling at his sweater to peek down the back of it. "You have red marks around your neck, and down your back. I think it's going to bruise. It ..."
Leaning back, so he could see her face, he asked, "What?"
Jess let go of his sweater and looked over his head, not meeting his gaze. "It doesn't look the same as when Matt was attacked."
He took hold of her hand and tugged at it until she sat next to him. "I don't think it was the same. There was no strange darkness, or weird feeling beforehand. Someone just jumped me from behind, which—" He stopped speaking and started to check his pockets. "—come to think of it, is strange. They haven't taken anything, so they weren't after money or my phone. It doesn't make any sense."
Jess dropped her head at his words, biting down on her bottom lip as the feeling she was about to cry again hit her. Rob's finger underneath her chin forced her head gently upwards until their gazes met.
"What is it?"
One tear escaped, and she roughly brushed it away with the back of her hand. "I thought ... maybe it was my fault you were attacked."
Not responding to her admission, he leaned forward and dropped his hand to her hips. Firm fingers wrapped around her and dragged her onto his knee until her legs were straddling his. One hand ran up the length of her back and wrapped around her ponytail, tugging her head to the side, the other gripping her waist.
Her eyes started to close in anticipation, but he squeezed her side. He waited until she looked into his eyes and said, "It doesn't matter if it was your fault. I'd fight anyone, or anything if it meant keeping you safe."
Her tongue slipped out to wet her
Similar Books
