Chapter 357 Nightmare
My head snapped up to look at him, and now I could see him clearly.
Ashton’s face, that usually so composed and handsome face, was streaked with blood.
A scream tore out of me.
I was sitting up in bed, the sheets tangled around me, my back slick with cold sweat.
I stared at the empty space by the bed. Sunlight was streaming through the windows. The gentle hum of the air conditioning filled the room.
No blood. No Ashton.
Just a dream. I pressed a hand to my racing heart, wiping my forehead with the other.
‘Mrs Laurent? Is everything alright?’ A maid’s voice came from the other side of the door, followed by a soft knock.
‘I’m fine,’ I managed, my voice a bit shaky. I felt clammy and unsettled. ‘Could you run a bath for me, please?’
A few minutes later, I was sunk deep in the bubbling water of the massage tub. My body had stopped trembling, but my mind wouldn’t quiet down.
The dream was ridiculous, but the panic felt real. I knew he was probably already out of the country, but I needed to hear his voice, just to be sure.
I reached for my phone on the shelf and dialled his number.
He picked up after a few rings. ‘This is a surprise. What’s up?’
Hearing him speak, that familiar, slightly dry tone, was like a balm. The tight knot in my chest loosened. He was okay. I was being ridiculous.
‘Nothing. Just...’ I sloshed a hand through the water, embarrassed by my own dramatics.
He heard the noise. ‘Where are you? What’s that sound?’
‘I’m in the bath,’ I admitted.
‘A bath? First thing in the morning?’ His voice dipped, taking on a low, intimate note. ‘Missing me already, are you?’
It took me a second. Then I got it.
Heat flooded my cheeks as a series of very specific, very wet memories popped into my head.
‘I’m hanging up,’ I spluttered, mortified.
‘Don’t you dare.’
My hand, which had been moving to end the call, stilled. I held the phone back to my ear, saying nothing.
The line was so quiet I could hear every one of his breaths, a soft, steady rhythm against the silence.
Slowly, the blush receded, leaving behind a warm, soft feeling. It was stupid, but just listening to him breathe made me feel calm. It made everything feel normal.
‘Ashton?’ I said after a long while, when his breathing seemed to grow fainter. ‘You still there?’
‘Hm.’ The sound rumbled from him, low and solid, and it settled something in me.
I leaned back against the cool edge of the tub, wanting to stretch the moment. ‘You know, I had a dream about you last night.’
‘Oh? What kind of dream?’ His voice held a flicker of interest.
I couldn’t see his face, but I could picture his expression, and it made me smile. ‘You were just standing by the bed, watching me sleep. Then I woke up and it was morning, and you weren’t there at all.’
I hesitated, editing out the nightmare’s darker details. No point mentioning blood or fear when he was so far away.
‘Hm,’ he said again.
I pouted, though he couldn’t see it. ‘Is that all you’ve got to say?’
‘What would you like me to say?’
‘Anything. I just want to hear you talk.’
He was quiet for a beat, then his voice came through, softer now. ‘I like that I was in your dreams.’
A warm flush crept up my neck. ‘And what about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Am I in your dreams?’
He considered this. ‘You’re in my reality.’
A quiet laugh escaped me, and a wave of pure happiness washed over me. I couldn’t have asked for a better answer.
We talked for a while longer, about nothing and everything, until I couldn’t even remember what we’d said, only how it felt. That feeling of closeness, like no distance existed at all.
Eventually, the water grew cool, my skin was pruned, and the phone was hot against my ear. I had to let him go.
As I stared at the dark screen of my mobile, the last remnants of the dream’s dread finally loosened their grip.
He was safe. That was all that mattered.