Let Her Sleep (Dream Walker Chronicles #1)

Chapter 14

Reid watched Cordy sip her drink, glad he’d at least gotten her mind off her nightmare.  She kept craning her neck looking around the room they were in.  It was essentially the rec room of headquarters.  The ceiling was much higher than in any of the other rooms and bookcases were scattered around the room along with couches, chairs and lamps.  Normally there would be at least one person crashed on a couch after a particularly late night.  There was even a pool table in one corner.  He considered challenging Cordy to a game but figured he should probably get her out as soon as he could before anyone else started asking strange questions.

Reid tried to sort through everything that had happened up till that point.  The fact that Cordy’s mom had died on the route to headquarters set off red flags, but the big one, was Cordy’s reaction to the carving of Gabriel.  It had been centuries since anyone had seen him in the real world, but every once in a while he was spotted in the dream world, usually about the time a particularly strong dream walker died.  The mere fact that she recognized him from her dreams was disturbing, but if he had truly been there the night her mom had died, they had a whole new set of problems. 

He didn’t understand Michael’s reaction to her either; almost smug.  He hoped Cordy hadn’t noticed since she didn’t know Michael as well as Reid did, or at all for that matter.  And what had all those annoying looks Michael kept giving him been about?  One message was loud and clear though: I’ve got my eye on you, don’t get attached.

They’d been pounding that into his head since the first time he’d seen her in the dream world.  Don’t get involved.  Do what you must to gain her trust, but no more.  He watched as she gazed around the room, still sipping her drink.  A couple of people wandered through, nodding at Reid and shooting curious glances at Cordy.  Reid knew they should head back but he was pretty sure he was going to get it once they were alone again.

The third or fourth time Cordy checked the time on her phone.  Reid knew it was time to go.  Sighing, he extricated himself from the shared chair, pulling her up after him, pausing as she came face to face with him.  Her eyes searched his, startlingly blue.  He’d never noticed how blue they were, having spent the majority of their time together in the dream world.  For a split second he forgot where he was and that at any moment someone could walk in on them.  His gaze darted to her lips and back to her eyes.  He leaned in closer, breathing in her shampoo and the hint of strawberry lip gloss she always wore.  Her eyes fluttered shut, eyelashes brushing her cheeks.  He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and felt her shiver at his touch.

Someone banged a door and loud footsteps echoed down the tunnel heading towards them.  They jumped apart guiltily, but footsteps stopped and another door slammed.  Reid shook his head, trying to clear it and turned towards the exit. 

“Well look who finally came back home,” Bridget said, her voice sugar sweet.  The bright smile plastered on her face didn’t reach her eyes as she stared at Cordy.  Cordy set her soda down and extended a hand.

“Hi, I’m Cordy.”

Bridget shook her hand as quickly as she could, wiping it on her jeans afterward.  Cordy didn’t notice.  Reid glared at Bridget.

“We were just on our way out, so if you’ll excuse us,” Reid said and steered Cordy around her.  Can’t she just leave me alone?

“Don’t forget your orders, Reid.  It would be such a shame if you got reassigned,” Bridget’s voice followed them down the hallway.  Reid stiffened at the implied threat but kept moving.

As they hiked back to the car, Reid tried to come up with some kind of explanation he could give Cordy, for both his actions and for her reception.