I was dancing.
I was sweating.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The lights were flashing above, and I could see them through my closed eyelids.
And then, I was back there again in Aspen.
Boom!
The door crashed open. Matt was running inside.
“Bailey! Get down!”
Boom!
I jerked, my arms dropped back to my side.
A body over mine, knocking me to the floor.
Boom!
Screaming. Shrieking. Someone wailing.
“Bailey!”
Hands were on me. I was being shaken.
Boom!
Tears were cascading down my face. I felt them. I tasted them.
I was being shaken again, and my eyelids jerked open. Matt’s face was in front of mine, tight with panic, and he was yelling over the music.“Bailey!”
His hands pulled me to his chest, he wrapped them gently around me.
He crushed me to him after that, his hand smoothing down my hair and back. “Jesus.” He panted next to my ear, swaying back and forth, as if rocking a child to sleep in his arms. “Jesus.” He pulled back, but his arms only loosened a little bit. He inspected my face, taking me in from forehead to chin before shaking his own head. He moved back. “You scared the crap out of me.”
I thumped him lightly on the chest, moving to his ear. “What did I do?”
“You started trembling. Mid-dance. And you looked like you were having a seizure standing up.”
Christ. I gulped.
I yelled into his ear over the music, “Let’s go back to the booth.”
He nodded, stepping back. His hand took mine, holding it tight, and he wound through until we got to the outskirts. Fitz took over, leading us past the other guard. Once upstairs, Matt went to the bar and got us both drinks before sitting next to me in the booth. He handed mine over. “Here. This might calm your nerves.”
He leaned in, elbows resting on his knees. “What happened out there?”
I didn’t want to talk about it, but… “I get flashbacks.”
His face shuddered, his eyes suddenly looking hollow. He jerked backward, his hand tightening around his glass. “Maybe you should try counseling again?”
I gave him a look. I hated going the first time we tried that. “Let me think about it.”
I was still trembling, but watching Matt, I leaned over. “You have them, too?”