I shook as my heart thundered. What the hell was he dreaming about to provoke such a violent reaction? “Lex,” I called out. “You’re okay, you’re having a bad dream.” I watched him carefully, but he still tossed in the bed, with his legs tangled in the sheets. “Lex, I need you to wake up.”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God, what did I do? What did I do? Everyone will know. What have I done?” His voice was tinny and raw, not like the man I knew, but more like a small child’s. Shit, what was it they said about waking someone from a dream? Was I supposed to wake him or was I supposed to let it play out? Fuck me, I had no idea. But I sure as hell couldn’t leave him like this. He might hurt himself.

Scooting marginally closer to him, I called out again, “Alexi. Alexi, it’s me Abbie. I need you to wake up. It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here, but you need to open your eyes now, okay?”

His head shook violently from side to side. “No, no, no, no, no. What have I done? What have I done?”

All right. That was enough. I had no idea what he was dreaming about, but I wasn’t going to watch any longer. With a hand on his shoulder, I shoved him… hard. “Alexi, wake up!”

He sat up with a jolt, eyes wide and panicked. He stared at me, blinked several times, then sagged into the pillows.

I inched closer to him. “Are you okay?’

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Fine? I hardly call that fine.” I gestured to the tangled sheets around his legs along with sheen of sweat on his chest.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sometimes I have nightmares. It’s fine.”

I frowned. That was no regular nightmare. “How long have you had them?”

He shrugged. “Since I was a kid. It’s no big deal. I’m sorry you had to wake up to that. I usually sleep alone.”

I tucked that bit of information away. Him sleeping alone was a very good thing. Although, that could also mean he kicked out his sexual conquests after the deed was done, which was bad, but I’d worry about that later. “I was really worried. How often do you have these nightmares?”

“It used to be only every once in a while when I was stressed, then in the last couple of months, they’ve been coming more frequently. A couple of times a week. Sometimes more than once a night.”

“And you don’t know what they’re about or what’s triggered them?”

His eyes shifted away. “No. I’m sorry I woke you. Let me make you breakfast.”