THE NIGHTMARE
Andrew's Pov
I stand behind the curtain, a low ringing in my ears, watching the car as it speeds down the driveway until it disappears around the corner.
I'll have to talk to Ian about that. He shouldn't go too fast with Angel in the car. It’ll be condition number two for him receiving it. Although I suppose it's more of a subsection underneath number one, which is to drive her anywhere she wants to go.
Jameson closes the gate shut behind them. Behind her.
I'm gripping the curtains. I didn't notice but I am. My grasp on the floaty, mint fabric is so tight that my knuckles are white. I’ve nearly pulled it down from its rod.
I did the right thing. I know I did.
Yet I almost changed my mind. In fact I did change my mind last night.
I remember walking back to my room, feeling kind of like an asshole. By the time I was closing my door behind me, what I'd done had settled around me and I completely felt like an asshole.
I didn't handle that well, at all.
Yes, I am trying to protect her but she doesn't need to leave at the first light of dawn. She could stay a few days, slowly pack and all of us could get used to the change. I didn’t want her to feel like I was tossing her away, out on her ass.
Just like that I turned around, making a beeline back to her room. I'd also tell her to lock her door, I'd forgotten about it.
But I was already holding the door handle when I paused.
What am I doing? Am I really going to disturb her a second time tonight to tell her I didn't need to disturb her the first time?
I exhaled, a deep breath. I needed to calm down. She might already be back asleep, and even if she wasn't, it would still be weird. If she accused me of being a crazy person, I'd be hard-pressed to prove her wrong.
In the morning, I decided, I'll tell her in the morning. Come morning, I'd apologize and tell her the change of plans. I didn't want her to go, I just wanted her to be safe.
She's under my watch and I don't want to hurt her again.
I walked into my bathroom, clicking on the light to get my pills. They're right there, sitting behind my mouthwash.
I hate the pills. They were the only things that could keep me down for a night, yet I'd be fine in the morning, and my father exploited that when after we found out I could wield. But I could get better about taking them, I think, so maybe Angel could even. . . stay.
I sighed, raising my eyes to look at myself in the mirror. I really needed them. I needed to sleep well so my head would stop pounding, so the bags under my eyes would deflate.
I twisted the cap off, pouring them out into my hand. Six pills tumbled out of their container and I began to put four back when I paused. Could I take more than I usually do?
I didn't want to overdose on them but if I took an extra one, I reasoned, it could really knock me out. The question was; would I wake back up?
I walked out holding three pills. A quick search online told me I'd be fine, that three pills taken one time won't kill me.
I put the phone down, tossed the pills back, went back into the bathroom to follow it with a lot of water and turn off the light. Then I got into bed.
I sigh, releasing my grip on the poor curtains and turn away from the window.
I dreamt again.
It started with Daphne. She was coming back home and I was there to pick her up. She got off the plane, sporting a slight tan and the widest smile on her face.
She was hurrying to me and me, to her. And then just as I smelled her perfume, just as I felt the heat off her skin, she gurgled, red dribbling out of her mouth.
What the fuck?
She fell heavily into my arms and then I felt something warm against my stomach, where my shirt had ridden up in catching her.
More blood.
Daphne was bleeding badly.
Shouts went up around us, and people scattered. My eyes were drawn to a man far behind her, dressed in all black with a hat and glasses. His lips weren't covered, and they pulled up into a smirk.
I was frozen. He just fucking shot Daphe. Tears jump into my ears. He just shot Daphne.
Do I go after him or try to save her? I needed to make a decision, and I needed to make one fast. I could feel her dead weight in my arms.
I hesitated for a second and the man made the decision for me, talking off running.
I panted, blinking the tears away so I could see. I took Daphne to the floor immediately, pressing my hand against the wound to try and stop the bleeding. I didn't know what else to do.
I remember thinking I needed to call the guards to tell them to be on the lookout for him but I needed to call an ambulance for Daphne first.
They got to us in maybe five minutes but it felt like I was kneeling on that airport ground for five days, just watching Daphne twitch until she stopped, praying to fucking anything that could hear, hoping they would listen to my plea and not take her from me.
By the time the medics got here and they took over from me, she was gone. I saw it in the way they kept pressing against her neck looking for a pulse that wasn't there anymore.
I walked outside with them, in kind of a daze, way behind the stretcher which carried her body. They weren't running, weren't talking with other people asking them to prepare this or that equipment. . . because there was no need.
There was no need.
What would I tell her family?
How did he even get in there? In addition to the hospital’s security, I'd added my own.
There was a crowd around my car, including a medic probably from the ambulance that brought these ones. Why? What's going on?
My heart falls to the bottom of my shoe, as I see the concerned faces of the people around, some shaking their heads, some covering their mouths, all looking like something bad happened.
Angel was in the car waiting.
I wanted to introduce them to each other, finally. She'd been with me inside but Daphne’s fight was a little late so she went to the car, to have a snack and lay down.
It's more comfortable in the car, she'd said. And she was right, my car seat was plush. So I gave her the keys knowing there was a car with five bodyguards behind it.
I rushed into the crowd, pushing people out of the way with fingers still stained with blood until I could see.
Angel was in the backseat, pressed to the one end of the car. They must have detonated something against the glass because it was shattered. Then a bullet could go through.
She was staring outside at the ghost of something, mildly surprised as if she didn't believe what she was seeing.
Was.
In a few minutes, I'd lost them both.
“I'm so sorry, sir. We didn't get them down fast enough,” A guard spewed beside me.
He was roughed up, with a cut above his eye, frantically searching my face.
I really didn't want to look but my eyes were drawn to the dead men on the floor. Neither of them were the same one from inside.
One must have gone down from the force of the blast because he looked like he was standing right in front of it before the guards had taken care of him.
The second one was riddled with bullet holes. But he was still smiling. The urge to punch him in the face seized me and I'd already leaned down before I could stop myself. Then I saw something that made me rear back.
His plain black shirt had one thing printed on it; ‘Cosmos’. As did the other one.
Of course, I didn't know it was a dream while I was in it. I watched it play out, fully living it.
When I woke up I was drenched in sweat. Some parts of my chest stung because I'd apparently clawed at myself. And my room was a fucking mess; I'd used magic in my sleep. It took me a long time
to realize that I wasn't too late.
But I didn't wake up for a long time. I got my wish; I stayed asleep till morning.