Chapter 202 Sounds downstairs

Chapter 202 Sounds downstairs


Only to find Sally standing there.

She blinked.

Then looked me up and down.

"...Were you running?"

The hopeful smile slid right off my face.

"Oh."

Sally narrowed her eyes suspiciously before grinning.

"That wasn't the reaction I was expecting."

I cleared my throat, trying to look anywhere but at her. “I thought you forgot something."

"Mhm."

She clearly didn't believe me.

"So..." she said, rocking back on her heels. "Can I crash in here tonight?"

I frowned. “What happened?"

She sighed dramatically. “Justin."

"What about him?"

"He's moving funny."

I blinked. “What does that even mean?"

"It means every time he sleeps he rolls around like he's wrestling invisible demons."

I burst into laughter.

"And," she continued with exaggerated suffering, "the boy snores like a dead pig. A very large dead pig."

That only made me laugh harder.

Sally folded her arms triumphantly.

"I knew that would convince you."

Still giggling, I stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.

"Fine. Come before the dead pig wakes up."

She walked in with a victorious grin while I lingered by the doorway for one last second.

The hallway stretched silently before me. Empty and still.
No retreating footsteps anymore.

No Tobias.

Just quiet.

I smiled to myself, shook my head at my own foolishness, then gently closed the door with a soft sigh, wondering why one boy had suddenly become capable of turning my entire world upside down without even trying.

It was in the dead of the night that I heard something.
At first, I thought it had woven itself into whatever dream I'd been having. I shifted beneath the thick duvet, frowning as the sound came again, faint enough to make me question whether I had imagined it.

My throat felt dry, my tongue sticking uncomfortably to the roof of my mouth. Water. That was all I needed. 

Beside me, Sally lay sprawled across the bed, one arm flung dramatically over her face, breathing deeply enough to suggest nothing short of an earthquake would wake her. 

Smiling to myself, I slipped carefully from beneath the covers, shivering the moment my bare feet touched the cool wooden floor. I wrapped my cardigan tighter around myself before easing the bedroom door open as quietly as I could. 

The hallway was swallowed in darkness, illuminated only by thin strips of moonlight spilling through the windows. 

The cabin had settled into the peaceful silence that only came after midnight, and for a brief moment I simply stood there, listening to the quiet. 

Then it came again. A low groan. Followed by another. Then a broken, pained whimper that made every hair on my arms stand upright. 

It wasn't the sound of someone talking. It sounded like someone hurting. My thirst vanished instantly as I hurried downstairs, my heartbeat quickening with every step until I reached the living room.

The only light came from the dying embers inside the fireplace, casting long orange shadows across the room. Tobias lay stretched awkwardly across the couch, his height making it impossible for his body to fit comfortably. One leg hung halfway over the armrest while the other rested crookedly against the cushions. His face was drawn tight with pain, brows knitted together so hard they almost touched. 

Every few seconds he turned restlessly from one side to the other, his breathing uneven, another strained groan escaping him before his lips moved again. 

"No..." he whispered hoarsely. "...No... please..." His head shifted frantically against the cushion. "I'm sorry..." 

The words were so quiet I almost missed them, yet hearing them squeezed something painfully inside my chest. 

Tobias never apologized. Not even when he should. Yet here he was, trapped inside whatever nightmare had found him, sounding so utterly broken that my eyes stung before I even realized why. 

I hurried toward him, dropping onto my knees beside the couch, my hand hovering uncertainly above his shoulder.

"Tobias," I called softly, giving him the gentlest shake. He didn't wake. Another pained sound escaped him, his breathing growing more ragged. "Tobias." I pushed a little harder this time, panic beginning to creep into my voice. "Wake up." 

His head jerked sharply from side to side before his entire body suddenly tensed. Then, with a harsh gasp, he shot upright so quickly I flinched backward. His chest rose and fell rapidly as though he'd been running for miles, his grey eyes darting frantically around the room before finally landing on me. 

For a split second... he looked afraid. Genuinely afraid. He instinctively shifted backward against the couch, his breathing still uneven while confusion clouded every inch of his face. Neither of us spoke. 

I simply sat frozen where I was, watching him slowly return to the present. "I..." I swallowed. "You were groaning in your sleep." My voice sounded strangely small. "I heard you from upstairs."

He blinked several times before dragging a trembling hand down his face. "Sorry," he muttered automatically, though it sounded more like he was apologizing to himself than to me. 

Slowly, I stood and lowered myself onto the opposite end of the couch, leaving enough space between us that he wouldn't feel cornered. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly. 

Tobias didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as both hands disappeared into his hair, fingers gripping the strands tightly. 

His forearm rubbed absently beneath one palm as though trying to soothe himself without realizing it. Watching him like that hurt, He looked... lost. Completely lost. 

Without another word, I stood again and walked quietly into the kitchen. A moment later I returned carrying a glass of water. He accepted it with a murmured thanks before taking a slow sip, staring into the glass long after he'd finished swallowing. 

"What are you doing awake?" he finally asked, his voice rough with sleep. 

“I got thirsty," I answered honestly. "I came downstairs for water." 

He nodded once, saying nothing else. Silence settled comfortably around us again, though it wasn't the peaceful kind. It carried all the unfinished moments we'd accumulated throughout the evening. The almost-kiss in my bedroom. The way he'd looked at me over dinner. The unbearable awareness we'd both been pretending didn't exist.

I rubbed absentmindedly at my clothed arms, more to occupy my restless hands than because I was actually cold. 

Tobias noticed immediately. "Are you cold?" he asked. 

I looked at him too quickly. "Uh... no. Not really." 

His eyes lingered on me for another second before he nodded, though I could tell he didn't believe me. 

My own thoughts had already wandered elsewhere. Was the nightmare about his memories? Had he remembered something? Was that why he'd apologized? A hundred questions circled inside my head, each one pushing against the next, but I swallowed every single one of them. He looked exhausted. Confused. 

I didn't want to be another burden pressing against whatever weight he was already carrying. 

I stood slowly instead, forcing a small smile. "You should try getting some sleep again." I turned toward the staircase, determined to give him the space he clearly needed. I'd barely taken two steps before warm fingers closed gently around my wrist.