Page 105 of Ex Somnis

My shoulder is shoved, jostling some of the sleep away.

“Paul, for fuck’s sake, wake up!”

Another shove, harder this time, and my eyes snap open. Groaning, I reach for my glasses before I’ve assembled a coherent thought.

The room slowly comes into focus. Lennon is asleep beside me. Perfect and right there.

For one blissful second, that’s the only thing that exists.

“Paul! The baby boy fucking sleepwalked.”

The urgency in Ridge’s voice has me bolting upright. “What?”

“Up the stairs,” Ridge says, wheeling toward the door in frantic, jerky movements. “I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t follow him, and now he’s…” He gestures toward the ceiling. “Who the fuck knows what he’s doing.”

I glance down at the floor at Nevan’s sleeping bag, which is now empty. The last scraps of sleep evaporate instantly as a loud crash echoes from upstairs.

“Paul, move, dammit!”

I’m already running out of the room.

“Tell me what you see,” Ridge calls after me, genuine panic in his voice.

I take the stairs two at a time, and I’m distantly aware of Ridge’s voice, yelling louder and louder for updates.

Second floor.

Third.

My pulse booms in my ears when I see an open door at the end of the hallway. I rush over but come to an abrupt halt when I find Nevan crouched on the windowsill.

My brain refuses to process what I’m seeing. What is about to happen.

The open window.

The drop below.

The early morning air moving his shirt.

Oh, Jesus-fucking-Christ.

I force myself to breathe and take a careful, silent step toward him, glad my socks muffle my movements.

Don’t startle him.

The voice in my head is professional and very calm, but my body is on high alert, cataloging Nevan’s every micromovement.

Three stories. The unforgiving concrete below. If he goes off that ledge at any angle other than straight back, he will hit the ground at a velocity that…

Fuck.

Don’t startle him.

I continue crossing the room, never taking my eyes off his back, watching for any shift in weight, any lean.

One more step. Almost there.

I get close enough to reach and am starting to believe I am going to get to him in time.