Chapter Twenty-Three

I kicked at the covers until I freed my feet from their tortuous grip. My bed was a disaster area; I had tossed and turned all night with nightmares. Dreams of the destruction of the Grove. Dreams of Noah. Dreams of what could have been. The early morning sun was starting to peek through the blinds, and I was relieved to see morning and be free of my subconscious mind's twisted wanderings.

Brooke mumbled something into her pillow. She was spread eagle across her bed and still fast asleep. I gave serious thought to just staying in bed all day and moping, but the longer I lay in bed, the more I needed to get up and stop thinking. And at this point in time, thinking was bad. Thinking reminded me that not only had I lost the Grove, I had lost Noah as well. Just thinking his name made my chest tighten and the tears start to well up in my eyes. I still couldn't believe he was willing to give me up that easily.

I sat on the edge of my bed and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to figure