I thought back to Bella mentioning the nightmares but decided to keep that to myself. With a nod, I said, “Yeah, same here, Dad. Thanks for letting me stop by and talk to you guys. I just don’t want to push her in any way. The last thing I want is for her to pull away again.”
They both smiled at me as my mother said, “I don’t think she will, Hunter. Anyone can see how the two of you look at each other. You’re both still very much in love.”
“And your mother is right again,” my dad chimed in. “It’s obvious you love one another.”
“I do love her; I never stopped loving her.”
Dad hit me on the side of the arm. “Then she’ll be worth the wait. Now, where’s my namesake granddog?”
Jack bounded by as he chased a tennis ball that Kyle had just thrown across our shared office. Cat wasn’t far behind Jack, tripping up on her large paws and tumbling.
“That’s it, Cat! Keep up with him!” Kyle said with a laugh.
I looked from the two dogs over to Kyle, who was sitting at the desk across the room from me. Thanks to Kyle’s dad being the police chief, we always worked the same shift, so it made it easier when we wanted to do things together on our days off. Like go fishing.
“I still cannot believe you named your police dog…Cat,” I said.
Kyle shrugged. “Her name is Catherine, Cat for short.”
“You could at least spell it with a K.”
Kyle shot me a look. “That would take away the meaning of the name.”
I sat there for a few minutes and watched the two dogs play, racking my brain to try and figure out why in the hell Kyle would name his dog Catherine. I knew him. There was a meaning behind it, like he’d said, but what was it? I’d named Jack after my dad because he’s my hero. But Catherine? He’d never dated anyone by that name. Hell, I was pretty sure there wasn’t even anyone in school with us by that name. We went to the same college, and unless he just never told me about her, I was clueless.
Turning in the chair, I thought about the movie marathon I’d ended up having with Bella. All Jane Austen movies. Damn, Thursday had been one of the best nights I’d spent in a long time. I stared at the computer screen—then spun around and looked at Kyle as it hit me.
“Holy shit.” I laughed and shook my head as I pointed at him. “You named her after—”
Kyle threw a book at me. “Don’t even say it. You will take that to the grave, Hunter.”
I lost it laughing. “Dude, you need a fucking girlfriend.”
He rolled his eyes and started to turn toward his computer before he looked back at me. “Wait. How did lunch with Arabella go?”
“Nice change of subject.”
Kyle raised his brows. “I take it by your happy mood that things went well.”
“I think so. We had a bit of a rough start in the beginning. I got angry and wish I hadn’t, but it all worked out. Thanks for picking up her car and bringing it to her house, by the way.”
He smiled. “No problem. I’m just really glad to see you both talking and spending time together. How long did you stay at her place?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I left around six in the morning.”
“You stayed all night?”
When I didn’t say anything, Kyle threw Cat’s leash at me. “Don’t stop there, dude, what happened?”
I gave a nonchalant shrug. “We talked. Not about the past, but we talked and watched a few movies. I kissed her a couple times. Then she fell asleep in my arms on her sofa, and I didn’t have the heart to leave. She was sleeping so soundly, which is something she said she has a hard time doing.”
Kyle frowned slightly, then smiled. “You guys kissed?”
“Yeah.” I smiled too. “Once outside the restaurant when she was about to leave, and a few times at her place. Nothing over the top.”
Kyle slapped his hand over his chest. “Dude, I’m shook.”
I laughed. “You and me both. I’ve been questioning my own sanity and praying it wasn’t just a dream.” I met Kyle’s gaze. “She asked me to be patient with her, so that’s what I’m going to do. I just wish she’d talk to me. And tell me why she broke up with me.”
Something moved over Kyle’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Leaning forward in my seat, I asked, “Kyle, if you knew, you’d tell me, right?”
He nodded. “Of course, I would, but I don’t know. I think whatever happened really fucked her up, though.”
“Yeah, I do too. She stiffened a few times when I touched her or put my arm around her. She tried to play it off, but I don’t know. What do I do to get her to talk to me? I honestly don’t think we can move on if she keeps this inside. I wish she’d trust me.”
“Give her time, Hunter. You’ve both taken a huge step, and she’s obviously been hiding something that’s big enough to make her give up her life with you. Hell, give up her entire life. She’s come a long way in the last year or so. You’ve waited this long, you can wait some more.”
“That’s exactly what my folks said.” Jack walked up to me and nudged my hand. “She fell asleep on the sofa while we were watching Pride and Prejudice.”
Kyle gasped. “Who the hell falls asleep during Pride and Prejudice? That’s blasphemy!”
Hiding my smile, I said, “Not everyone is a Janeite like you.”
He pointed a finger at me. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
Ignoring him, I went on. “Anyway, I got up to go to the bathroom and while I was gone, I heard Jack growl and bark. Then Bella screamed.”
When I said his name, Jack looked up at me. I reached down and gave him a pat on the head.
“Why did he bark?”
I turned to face Kyle. “I think he sensed Bella having a nightmare, and he woke her up. When I walked into the room he was practically on top of her, licking her face. She said she had a bad dream. It sounds like she gets them often, and they keep her from sleeping.”
Kyle blew out a breath. “I wonder if she’s ever talked to anyone. I asked Greer, and she said not that she knows of. Greer says she doesn’t know what happened either…but I know for a fact Abby does.”
Sitting up straighter, I prompted him to go on. “How do you know that?”
“Remember I took them both on a hike a few months ago? When we got to the top of the trail, Abby turned to Arabella and told her to scream. To get it all out. I didn’t think anything of it until Arabella screamed once, then twice, then a third time. I got chills, Hunter. It was like she was screaming for her life. She broke down crying hysterically.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
Kyle nodded. “Dude, her scream caused all the hair on my body to stand up. I could hear it in her voice. The anger and fear all wrapped together. Abby gave me a look that begged for privacy, so I walked away. But there’s clearly something tormenting Arabella. And whatever it is, it’s what made her push you away.”
I leaned forward and rested my arms on my legs. “I just wish she would tell me. I can’t figure out why she won’t trust me with it.”