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okay.You’re safe … I’m here. I’ve got you.” His tone is soft and comforting as he tries to settle me. I’m sure he thinks that once I’m really awake the nightmare will be gone, but little does he know this nightmare never goes away. This one will last an eternity.
    My heart breaks all over again as I feel the familiar sting of tears in my eyes. I try to calm myself down, breathing deeply while running my fingers through my hair. I grip the short strands tightly as a deep sob erupts from my lips.
    Heartache.
    Tyler looks terrified. He’s never seen me like this. No one has, except my parents. This is precisely the reason I take sleeping pills. I need to be knocked unconscious. I can’t keep reliving this dream.
    “Brooke, baby…” I hear the fear in his voice as he lifts me onto his lap and drapes my body across his chest, resting my head on his shoulder. The familiar warmth of his body and the smell of his skin have a calming affect on me and I begin to feel my heart rate and tears slow “There you go. See…it’s gonna be okay. I promise. Shhh…” He runs his hand gently up and down my spine. “You really had me scared there. You were sleeping soundly, and I couldn’t help but watch how peaceful you looked, but then you started to toss and turn right before you started screaming and begging for someone to kill you.”
    He shakes his head in disbelief. “It’s all right now. The nightmare is over and I’m here. I won’t let anything hurt you.” He cradles my body tighter against his as he leans down and reverently kisses my forehead, his lips lingering against my skin.
    He doesn’t realize what he’s said.
    I’m not all right.
    I never will be.
    He can’t stop my hurt. No one can. I was foolish to think this could work. No one is ready to deal with my ghosts.
    With his lips against my head he nervously asks, “Can you tell me what the dream was about?”
    I can’t.
    I can’t talk about this.
    Not with him.
    Not with anyone.
    “Ty…I-I-I can’t.” I force myself up off his chest, watching the disappointment spread across his face. He wants to take my pain away and it makes me cry even harder.
    What was I thinking?
    “I need to be alone right now... please I ju — ”
    “I won’t leave you like this. I can’t leave you like this. Not until I know you’re okay, and right now you are definitely not okay. Truthfully, you’re scaring the shit out of me.”
    I need him to leave.
    Now.
    I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve managed all these years on my own. I need to be able to breakdown without him or anyone else near me. I need to deal with me and not worry about what someone else is thinking.
    I stand up and walk towards the front door. “Tyler, please go,” I plead. “Please. I don’t want you here. Please just go… please!”
    The tears consume me.
    I’ll never forget the hurt look on his face as I refuse the comfort he desperately wants to give me. With his forehead scrunched tight, he shakes his head in confusion as he gets up off of the couch and stalks toward me. “I don’t understand. Why are you shutting me out? What’s going on, Brooke? Please, make me understand.”
    “Please, leave me alone. I don’t want you here. I don’t want anyone here!”
    He lowers his head in defeat. “I’m sorry I can’t take away whatever it is that’s hurting you. You have no idea how much it kills me to see you like this and not be able to make it go away.” He pauses for a moment looking me in the eye. “I don’t understand why you can’t trust that I’m here for you. You know me. You know I would never hurt you.” He leans down and kisses my cheek. “I love you, Brooke Adams. Don’t forget it because it’s not going to change. I only wish you’d trust in me and let me help make it better.”
    “But that’s the problem, Tyler…you can’t. No one can.”
    Defeated, he walks out the door. I close and lock it behind him, not waiting to see if he turns around to look at