Broken

Chapter Twenty-Two

I rolled over in bed. I had never felt more comfortable in my life. I opened my eyes and my vision was blocked. The room was dark, but moonlight was shining through the window. I tried to move, but I was unable to.

"Shhh, go back to sleep."

I now pushed away from my restraints. With the aid of the moonlight, I could see Justin laying next to me. I now realized my view had originally been the dark fabric of his t-shirt and the restraints had been his arms around me.

"Justin, what are you doing in my room?" I asked.

"I'm not in your room," he said. He finally opened his eyes and looked at me. "This is my room." I looked around and realized that it was his room.

"Why am I in your room?" I asked. I sat up and put a hand on my head. I was trying to recall the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.

"Stop thinking," Justin said. He reached up to me and pulled me back down to his pillow. I turned, and we were both facing each other, separated by inches. "Just sleep."

"I don't know how..."

"It doesn't matter, Hayley Ann," said Justin. He reached forward and brushed some of my hair out of my face. "Just let me hold you and go to sleep."

My heart beat was racing, and I am sure my eyes were wide. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. My head was once again resting on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat was beating almost at the pace mine was. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down.

"Baby, you're going to wake up if you don't relax," Justin said. I felt his breath against my ear. I looked up at him. He had a sleepy look on his face. "And I really want to fall asleep like this. I need it tonight."

I blinked. Justin took my hand and placed it on top of his chest. I felt his heartbeat at the tips of my fingers. I looked back up into his brown eyes. They were already on me, swirling with emotions I had never seen in them before. I decided at that moment my dreams were feeling way too real and I definitely had problems. I was nervous in a dream.

"I feel it too, Hayley Ann," said Justin.

His heartbeat kept steady at its fast pace under my hand. I took a deep breath. I moved my hand from his chest to rest on his shoulder. I looked back up at him and saw a small smile on his face. His arms wrapped around me again. I relaxed in his arms. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was him kissing the top of my head and whispering good night.

Then I woke up in my room, my dream with Justin slipping from my fingertips. I sat up and looked down at the hand that had felt his heartbeat. I placed it over my own heartbeat. How was he able to do that to me in a dream? I pushed myself out of bed. Why did Justin have to taunt me in my dreams like that? It was making me think about telling him how I feel. There's no way I could do it now. I could not tell a guy that I like him when his girlfriend is unconscious in the hospital. Now that part kicked in when I started to feel bad about dreaming about another girl's boyfriend.

I walked into the living room to see Dad's bags packed by the door. It was two gray suitcases and a satchel bag that I assumed held his computer. I had seen him working from it a few times while he was here. Dad himself was sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal.

"Hey," he said. "Sorry, I didn't make breakfast today. I didn't think I had enough time."

"That's fine," I said. I poured my own bowl of cereal before sitting down next to him at the breakfast bar. "Are you ready for your flight?"

"I think so," he said. He was finished with his cereal and went to put the bowl in the sink. He turned back around and faced me. "I need to tell you something and I really didn't mean to put it off. I just didn't know how to tell you."