Chapter 13

Chase got up, sitting on his bed straight as his heart pounded louder and louder and louder. Panting really hard, he felt his heart was about to explode with the sudden pain both in his chest and head. His entire body was shaking, and he could feel cold sweats dripping from his forehead down to his cheeks and neck.

Why was he feeling this way?

Why was he hurting?

It was just a dream, so why would he be in pain?

He felt the person beside him moved but his thoughts began to wander more with the dreams he had. It was that dream again. The dream about the kid, but the kid had a companion now. There were two kids in his dream and Chase was getting hurt the more he had these dreams.

But why?

Why was he experiencing such pain from a mere dream with faceless people?

He didn’t even know them.

As he pondered and looked for answers with the same questions all over again, he felt soft familiar hands touch his face. Turning his head to the side, he found Isabella looking at him with a pair of loving eyes, silently telling him he wasn’t alone. Chase felt the back of his eyes begin to heat, his head spinning and chest banging painfully with every beat the more he looked at Isabella.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here. You're not alone, Chase. I'm here. I'm here," he heard Isabella's soft voice whisper to him as the younger gently wrapped her arms around Chase, caressing his back tenderly, and Chase couldn't help but let out all the tears he'd been holding in.

Tears.

Chase let them all out, frustrated with the questions that begin with one word: Why.

Why was he having those dreams?

Why was he hurting so much because of those dreams?

Why was he crying because of those dreams?

Isabella tightened his hug around Chase and patted his head as if a mother would to her child, "I'm here, Chase. I'll stay with you forever, I promise."

And with that. With that simple sentence, Chase's aching heart stopped beating for a second.

Thoughts of Isabella and her loving gaze flooded in his mind, and they made Chase's breath slowly become even. After a few minutes, Chase finally calmed down and Isabella was now able to let out a relieved sigh.

Isabella didn't ask. Isabella never did. But Chase found it comforting because Isabella didn’t need to give a very worried look on Chase whenever he woke up in the middle of the night because of his dreams. Yet, Isabella did. So, Chase decided it was time to finally tell Isabella what his dreams were all about. 

"Isabella. About my dreams—”

"Don't. Don't say it, Chase," Isabella suddenly interrupted him and it made Chase shocked for a moment.

"It's fine. You don't have to tell them. Just…forget them, Chase. Forget the past and live in the present."