We went up to his bedroom, where he undressed me and then himself. We lay in his bed, his arm around my shoulders, my face buried against his chest. Tears bled slowly from my closed eyes until I fell asleep.
I heard screaming. It seemed to go on and on. It wouldn’t stop.
"Nathan! Nathan, wake up! It’s okay. It’s only a dream."
Someone pulled me against his body and held me. I started to sob, and the screams stopped. At some point I realized it was Drew holding me. He had managed to get himself into a sitting position, and he had pulled me up beside him. He held me gently, saying nothing, letting me cry.
Slowly the sobbing subsided and I pulled away.
"There’s a tissue box on the table beside you."
I groped and found it, blowing my nose again and again, taking in shattered breaths. Fin
