Gideon’s eyebrows furrowed as he raced his mind. He remembered hugging Summer close to himself. But he had no idea when he had fallen asleep.
Over six years, sleep had eluded him. Every time he had tried to get some sleep, the haunting nightmares forced him to open his eyes. But last night was different – it was free from the nightmares. For the first time in a long time, he actually had a peaceful sleep. And it was because Summer was beside him.
Did that mean she was his cure?
Just as he was wondering, he heard Matthew ask, "Did you have the nightmare?"
Gideon shook his head. "Surprisingly, I didn’t have any nightmares last night."
"That’s a good thing," Matthew said with a smile, believing Gideon’s condition was improving.
But Gideon’s thought wasn’t the same as Matthew’s. His expression pinched as he recalled what had happened last night.
"Something strange happened since I met her," he murmured, walking into the room in a daze. He pulled the nightstand drawer and took a cigarette, lighting it.
Matthew watched him keenly, waiting for him to speak.
Gideon sucked the smoke, his eyes narrowing.
"I had the visions – the same scenes from my nightmares," he recounted. "First, at the office, when I had an argument with her. Then I again had the vision last night when she took me into the bathroom."
"She took you to the bathroom!" Matthew couldn’t believe it. He had waited for his call last night, hoping Gideon might need him. But that expected call never came, and he had drifted into sleep after some time.
But he didn’t believe that Summer had helped Gideon in freshening up. Maybe she had just led him inside. However, Gideon’s next words deepened his surprise.
"Yes, she prepared a bath for me," Gideon continued, "filling the water in the bathtub. But I couldn’t get in. The vision appeared again when I saw the water."
The cigarette between his fingers shook a little as he recalled the horrific scene of Summer’s motionless, cold body lying on the riverbank. He didn’t want to remember it, nor did he want to see it happen in reality.
Matthew could understand why Gideon couldn’t get into the bathtub. Ever since Gideon had that heart attack that night six years ago, he had developed this phobia of water. He couldn’t swim since then, not even use the bathtub. It was all because of that nightmare he had.
"The nightmare starts to haunt me when I am awake as well," Gideon said in a daze, "and my headache is increasing. I can’t say my condition is improving. But I believe she is my cure."
Matthew’s worry grew as he thought about Gideon’s condition. "Shall I call Dr. Ben? Or do you want to return home?"
Gideon waved his hand. "I’m not leaving anywhere, not now when I know Summer is alive. If I leave now, she’ll disappear on me again. I can’t lose her."
He gritted his teeth in frustration as he thought she had been hiding from him for all those years. "I need her." Get faster updates on g.com.
"But your condition can worsen," Matthew cautioned.
"I am fine," Gideon snapped. "We are not leaving until I get her back."
The determination in his eyes silenced Matthew. He understood Gideon wouldn’t listen to anyone and that he would stop at nothing until he reclaimed Summer.
"I get it," Matthew relented. "We won’t leave."
"I saw a man picking Summer up from the office," Gideon said with a grim tone, the image of Summer with that man searing his insides. "I want everything about that man on my desk by the end of the day."
Matthew straightened, ready to carry out the command. "I’ll look into it." After a pause, he added, "I received a call from Mr. Hill’s assistant. The meeting is fixed. Mr. Hill will be meeting you at the golf course."
Gideon nodded, but this wasn’t what concerned him. It was just another business meeting. What really concerned him was the man he had seen with Summer the previous day. Summer’s smile was still vivid in his mind. She looked comfortable with him as if they had known for ages.
’Is she dating that man?’
The idea of Summer forgetting about him and starting anew with another man disturbed him. He wouldn’t allow anyone to snatch her from him.
"Call Summer and tell her to accompany me to the meeting," he muttered.
"Sure, sir."
With that, Matthew walked out the door. Once he was in the lobby, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Dr. Ben?" he said as soon as the call connected. "Something is happening with Mr. Woods. Can you come over? It’s urgent."
~~~~~~~~
Summer rushed into the hospital. "Oh no... Hope must be awake and looking for me," she muttered as she checked the time, quickening her steps down the hallway. "How could I be so careless? How did I end up falling asleep beside Gideon?"
The thought made her stomach twist. Images of his bare chest, his arms wrapped around her, and the warm breath on her shoulder as he held her flashed vividly in her mind. Goosebumps tightened her skin.
"Focus, Summer," she scolded herself, rubbing her arms. "I can’t keep thinking about him. He is just my boss now. I need to keep my distance."
Blowing out air, she headed to the ward. Her mother was sitting beside Hope, who was already awake. Summer forced a smile and walked over.
"Good morning, Hope."
Hope grinned, delighted to see her mother. "Mommy, you are back."
"Yes, sweetheart," Summer whispered, guilt twisting her gut. She hugged her. "I am sorry. I couldn’t come back sooner."
"Where were you?" Holy asked. "When I came, Hope was alone. The nurse said you left urgently last night." This story is hosted at g.com.
Summer’s expression froze when she faced her mother’s inquisitive gaze. She couldn’t possibly say she had spent the night with Gideon. "My boss called me in for something important."
"Your boss? You mean Kate?"
Summer was speechless momentarily. No one in her family knew yet that Gideon was her new boss. She curled her lips into an awkward smile. "Yes. It’s Kate."
"I see." Holy sighed, looking helpless. "Chloe didn’t come back last night either. You two are so busy, and I can hardly help with anything."
"Mother, don’t talk like that," Summer said, displeased. "We only need you with us. You don’t have to do anything else, alright? And... where is Chloe? Why wasn’t she home all night?"
"She went to her friend’s place for group study."
"Oh..." Summer nodded, relieved that Chloe wasn’t out doing a part-time job.
Her phone rang.
"Hello," Summer answered quickly.
"Miss Summer, come to the office quickly," a voice spoke. "Mr. Woods wants you to accompany him to a meeting."
Summer’s face fell, her shoulders slumping. She had barely sat down and spent a moment with her daughter, and now work was calling again. A mix of sadness and frustration washed over her, but she knew she couldn’t refuse.
"Yes, I’ll be there."
Thousands of miles away...
Danica’s phone vibrated nonstop, the screen lighting up with several new messages. She set her coffee cup down and picked up the phone, only to freeze at the sight of the photos of Gideon with a woman, his entire body leaning over hers.
Her spine went rigid as she stared hard at the woman in the images.
"Impossible," she muttered. "This can’t be Summer."
She zoomed in, studying the face closely.
It was Summer.
Danica felt chills pricking all over her body; her peaceful morning was no longer peaceful. "She is alive! And with Gideon!"