Jared touched the thin skin under my eyes with his thumbs, silently pointing out the darkened circles. Without another word, Jared pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and dialed.

“Bex. I need you to stay with Nina for a while.” He snapped his phone shut, keeping his eyes on mine.

“Don’t do this.”

Jared tucked my hair behind my ears. “You’re overreacting.”

“Please?”

“It’s only a few days.”

I frowned. “You don’t know that.”

“If I don’t find anything, I’ll just come back. Forty-eight hours, and I’m right back here. I promise.”

“You promised you’d never leave me.”

He laughed at my stubbornness. “I’m not leaving you. I’m going to work.”

One side of my mouth turned up and I sighed. Jared leaned in, kissing my forehead with his warm, soft lips.

The engine of a speeding motorcycle grew closer to the loft, stopping just outside. Within seconds of its silence, a quiet knock came from the door. My smile melted away, and Jared threw a few things in a duffel bag as Bex sprawled out on the couch downstairs.

“Mom wants you to call,” Bex said, holding the remote in front of him, flipping on the television.

“Keep it down, Bex. Nina’s going to try to sleep.”

I crossed my arms, angry that he refused to compromise. “I can’t sleep without you. You think I’m exhausted now? Forty-eight hours from now I’m going to lapse into a coma.”

His arms encircled me, kissing me once more. “At least you’ll get some sleep.”

He was trying to keep the mood of his departure light. Jared didn’t enjoy leaving me anymore than I, but he felt strongly enough about my recurring nightmares to break a promise. That realization only left me more unsettled.

Jared gently pulled each of my fingers from his shirt. Imprints of where I had crumpled it between my fingers remained in the fabric, and I hastily ironed it out with the palm of my hands.

“Come home soon,” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from breaking.

Jared touched his lips to mine, and then looked to his brother. “Bex?”

“Got this,” Bex said, lifting his thumb in the air.

Before my eyes finished blinking, he was down the stairs and out the door.

For a few moments I felt nothing, but the second air filled my lungs, an overwhelming sense of sadness came over me. Jared hadn’t been more than a block away from me since I came to my senses and begged him back last May.

The bed seemed miles away, but I slowly made my way to it. The moment my backside sunk into the mattress, I heard purposeful stomping up the stairs. Bex ran at me full speed, jumping up and taking flight, landing precisely one inch away.

I didn’t flinch.