Saving Easton by Kaci Rose
Chapter 4
Easton
Gunfire. Always gunfire.
I can't get away from it. This time seems more intense than the last time, and it takes longer to pull up Paisley's face, but when I do, I start to relax.
Trying to shake off the remnants of the dream, I flip the lights on, go sit on the couch, and focus on the room. I'm not there. I'm here at Oakside in the room Noah designed for me. The room with a view and leather chairs and a sofa. The same sofa Paisley sits on, when she visits.
I'm beginning to calm down, where there’s a knock on my door. My head jerks up to find Noah.
"What are you doing here so late?" I ask, as I glance at the clock by my bed. It's two a.m.
"We got a new guy in yesterday, and he isn't doing well at night. I was here checking on him and saw your light on. Another nightmare?"
I just nod.
"Want some sleeping medicine?"
"No, I'm trying to get away from the pills. Even when I take them, I still have nightmares and feel more trapped, like I can't wake up. I don't like how I feel the next day."
"I get that. When I was in the hospital, I got off them, too. I didn't sleep much, but then one day, I drifted off with Lexi in my arms, and she kept the nightmares away. She still does."
"You got lucky."
"Yeah, I did. I thought my life was over. I mean, have you seen me?"
Noah has shared his story with me. He was in an IED blast and saved Lexi's brother, but in doing so, he ended up with burns on the right side of his body from his hairline down to his foot. He had some plastic surgery to smooth out the scars on his face, but I've seen him in short sleeves a few times, and the scars on his arm are still pretty twisted from the burn.
"I had given up and wanted to be dead, and then in bounces Lexi, who wouldn't let me. When you find the right person that you can talk to, that you can share all your demons with, and she helps you fight them? Then you hold on for dear life."
I just nod. I know what he’s saying, but I don't think Noah realizes how lucky he got with Lexi.
"Rumor has it you know Paisley."
"Rumor?"
"AKA my wife." He says with a huge smile on his face.
Noah and Lexi recently got married in a small ceremony. They flew to his hometown, got married one weekend, and then came back. He told me he plans to take her on a honeymoon, once Oakside is up and going a bit longer.
"Yeah, Paisley was my best friend, Leeland's, younger sister. I lost touch with Lee once I joined the service." I tell him.
"And..." Noah prompts.
"And what?"
"What are you leaving out?"
I sigh, "I always had a crush on her. She’s strong, independent, and beautiful. Too beautiful to let all this touch her." I say, resting my head in my hands and stare at my feet.
"But she's already helped you more than you realize."
"What?" I lift my head to look at him.
"I'm standing in your room."
I look over at him. He’s a good four feet inside my room, and the anxious feeling hasn't set in.
"This is the first time you’ve let me in your room. Don't block her out just because she's Lee's sister, or you feel you need to protect her. She's been around here and around the hospital, so she's seen worse than you. I've seen a lot worse, too. Just be open to her."
I shake my head.
"Okay, let me ask you this. When you woke up from your nightmare tonight, who was the first person you thought of?"
I look at Noah but don't answer. I don't have to, because he knows the answer. It's always her.
"That's all you need to know. Your bedside clock has an option for white noise with several different versions. Try it out and see if you can get some sleep." Noah says, before turning to walk out, closing the door behind him.
Noah is one of those friends who is blunt and honest, and he doesn't sugarcoat things, which I like. That also means he tells you things you don't always want to hear.
I go back to bed and mess with the white noise machine. One of the sounds is ocean waves. Turning off the lights, I go back to sleep with the sounds of the ocean, and this time my dreams are filled with Paisley in a little bikini.
I know I need to talk to Paisley about Leeland, but right here, right now, I can pretend it's just her and me for a while longer.