Free To Love & To Protect by Deborah R. Brandon

Trujillo finished.
    “I am going for a run, and then I will shower and change for dinner,” Ethan responded.

 
    Chapter 15
    Ethan change into basketball shorts and started out for a hearty jog. He was half way through his jog when he heard there was a disturbance in the villa where Jasmine was located. He ran as if someone was chasing him to get to her. He burst through the already opened front door and Kimberly advised that it was a false alarm.
    “What in the hell?” Ethan asked trying to catch his breath.
    “She is having bad dreams,” Kimberly said by way of explanation. She was screaming her head off, I radioed it in, and then I went in. She was screaming and crying but she was sleeping. So it was like a night terror, I guess. I called Michael at the main house, he and Donna are on the way,” Kimberly finished.
    Ethan stepped into the room. Jasmine was still dressed in her T-shirt and undies. She turned around when she heard footsteps approaching.
    “I made a mess,” she said about an area of tiled floor she had gotten sick on.
    Ethan stepped closer to her, his instinct was to comfort her but she shook her head no. He stopped in his tracks respecting her wishes.
    “Go start getting cleaned up, and we will clean this up for you,” Ethan said.
    “You don’t have to do that,” Jasmine said completely embarrassed.
    “Go,” Ethan said as a single word command.
    Jasmine nodded her head again this time in submission and throws the words thank you over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom.
    While Ethan was cleaning up the mess, Michael, Donna, Nicole, Antonio and Renee came in.
    “Jasmine had another bad dream, but it must have been real to her because she was crying and screaming in her sleep. She was so upset by it that she became physically sick. I told her to head into the shower while I cleaned this up,” Ethan supplied.
    Donna and Renee walked into the bathroom and left the others with Ethan.
    Nicole stood with her hands on her hips, “You don’t like to wear clothes do you, Ethan,” she asked.
    “I was out for a jog trying to clear my head when this incident occurred. I will finish cleaning up this mess…”
    “No, no,” Nicole said, interrupting and reaching for the mop. I will finish cleaning this up. Go finish clearing your head, and get dressed for dinner,” Nicole encouraged him.
    As Ethan walked passed Nicole she patted his back in a comforting manner. When he looked back she just winked at him. As he was leaving he radioed that all was clear and started back running. He pushed himself even harder because having seen Jasmine in that T-shirt, his mind was anything but clear. Then he remembered the look in her eyes of hurt and emotional pain, and his heart actually hurt.
    Jasmine showered and toweled dry.
    Renee asked, “Jas what is going on? What was the dream about?”
    Jasmine secured the towel under her underarm and moved to the sink and picked up her toothpaste and toothbrush. She turned on the water and began to brush her teeth as she had not heard her sister’s question. When she had finished, she turned around and looked at her sister.
    “I have dreams about mom and dad sometimes; they are so real. I remember everything in vivid detail. The feelings that I felt on the day that we lost them rush in on me and a volcano of emotions erupt. I am forced to feel emotions and feelings I try so hard to suppress. It’s unbelievably real. It has become worse since the shooting. I don’t know,” Jasmine said.
    “I am sorry sis,” Renee said as she walked over and hugged her close. She rocked her back and forth to comfort her. After a few minutes, Renee released her hold on her sister. “Are you going to be okay enough to go to dinner?” Renee asked and then added, “If not everyone would understand.”
    “I have to eat, so I should do it with our family and friends. Besides, I haven’t spent any time with Antonio since he got here. I need to do some catching up,” Jasmine