opening them as she saw the scene unfolding again behind her eyelids.
My God, that dream.
She hadn’t had it in years, and the fact that it was back now was just as startling as the dream itself. Why was this happening now?
Andie carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, digging quietly through her purse. As soon as her hand closed around her cell phone, she stood, tiptoeing over to the balcony and sliding the door open. Once it was closed securely behind her, she lifted the phone, squinting in the darkness as she found Tracey in her contacts. She answered after the third ring.
“Andie?” she rasped into the phone. “Are you okay?”
“Hi,” she said, her voice trembling as she whispered. “I’m so sorry to wake you up.”
“It’s fine,” Tracey said. “What’s happening? Are you alright?”
“I had the dream again.”
Tracey sighed softly. “Shit. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just…I’m just a little shaken up,” she said, her throat closing with the threat of fresh tears.
“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Since you’ve had it?” Tracey asked.
“Mm-hm,” she hummed, her lips pressed together.
“Why…” Tracey hesitated. “Why do you think it’s happening again?”
“I don’t know,” Andie whispered.
But that was a lie. Because at that moment, she knew exactly why she was having it again. It was because Chase had stirred something in her, that desire to do something she knew was wrong, and this was her subconscious reminding her what happened the last time she did something she knew was wrong.
It was her conscience, trying to warn her.
“Are you alone?” Tracey asked.
“No. Colin’s inside sleeping.”
“Are you gonna wake him up?”
“No.”
“Andie,” Tracey said softly. “You should just tell him.”
She had no idea what her reasoning was—whether she was afraid, or embarrassed, or if she simply didn’t feel close enough to him—but regardless of the reason, she knew what her answer would be.
“No, Trace. I don’t think so.”
The next morning Andie sat in the passenger seat, filing her nails and listening to Colin grumble under his breath as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She hadn’t gone back to sleep after she woke the night before, and the exhaustion was finally starting to hit her.
“Come on, asshole!” he yelled, reaching the end of his patience. “Speed limit’s sixty-five, pal. Drive or get out of the left lane!”
Andie glanced over at him before she brought her eyes back to her nails. “Did you ever think that maybe this guy’s your guardian angel?”
“What?” Colin said, looking at Andie as if she’d lost her mind.
“Did you ever think that this guy is your guardian angel? That he’s slowing you down so that you’d drive a little more safely?”
It was quiet for a beat before she heard Colin’s laughter. “Well, that’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” he asked, shooting her an amused look.
Andie dropped her eyes, twirling her nail file between her fingers as she chewed on the inside of her lip.
“Have you ever been to Tybee Island?” she asked suddenly, not sure why she even brought it up.
“No, where’s that?” Colin said, speeding up to pass the car that finally switched over to the right lane.
“It’s this little island off of Savannah. It’s really historic but modern at the same time—”
“We can’t stop anywhere, Andie,” Colin said, cutting her off. “We’re too tight on time. I have to be back at work Tuesday morning.”
Andie furrowed her brow, looking out the passenger window. She just felt like talking about it; she hadn’t actually wanted to stop there. In a ridiculous way, she kind of felt like Tybee was her little secret.
Well, hers and Chase’s.
She rested her head back against the seat, remembering their time there, and she realized that, as absurd as it was, going there with anyone else would almost feel like an act of infidelity.
Colin spoke, clearly taking her silence for unhappiness. “Come on,” he said, nudging her playfully. “Are you upset that you’re driving back with a financial planner who has a schedule to adhere to and not some flighty photographer?”
“Brave?” Colin echoed, his eyebrows raised. “How is being a photographer brave?”
Andie turned toward him. “You know that he went to school to be a veterinarian, right? I mean, he could easily do that and have a steady job, steady money, but instead he’s doing what he wants to do. He’s following his dream, even if that means people might not support his decision, even if that means not knowing where his