“There’s always a choice Lauren, take off your trackies, I promise not to peek, or touch. Okay, actually, I won’t go as far as to promise but I will try not to”
He winks at me. Oh fuck, I don’t care about my jocks, I don’t care about anything much, I pull off my trackies and pull my T-shirt down to cover my bits and slide into bed. He pulls me tight in beside him, I lay in the crook of his arm, my head on his chest, my arm across his belly and without a second thought my leg slides over his and I realise instantly there is contact, my T shirt has ridden up and my naked pubic bone is pushed against the side of his hip. I am both embarrassed and aroused. Arousal, I think, winning out on the sensation front, to the point where I actually feel dizzy and light headed because of it and unconsciously close my eyes .and as exhausted as I am by the past few days events, all thoughts of sleep leave my mind as Gabriel brushes his fingers all the way down from under my arm, down over my waist and hip and around the cheek of my bum, pulling me against him tighter.
“Lauren?”
I swallow a couple of times, like that is going to help clear my head.
“Lauren, fuck, I want you so badly baby, I really do but I don’t want you to feel like you need to do anything, you’re under no pressure here, I am happy just to lie here like this, as much as its killing me”
He kisses my forehead, having him this close, breathing in his smell, feeling his flesh on mine is just divine but I’m not ready for anything else, not today, I want him, badly, but I want it to be right and I definitely don’t want it to be in Jo’s spare bed, I don’t think I even answer him, I must lose the battle against exhaustion and simply fall asleep.
~
I jump as the bedroom door is kicked open and as I struggle to open my eyes I see Jason standing over me, I call out to Gabe but he's in such a deep sleep he doesn't hear me. Jason grabs me by my hair and pulls me out of the bed and along the floor. I swing my arms and try to hit him. He’s dragging me towards the door and I just know that once he gets me out of that room, away from Gabe, it will be game over for me; I don’t remember being more terrified in all of my life, I reach out and try to grab on to anything available, just to slow down what I know is inevitably coming to me but I refuse to give in, I won’t go quietly, I kick out with my legs and grab on with my hands, clawing at the sheets, the doona, anything and I try my hardest to call out to Gabriel but I just can't seem to make a sound, other than this strange choking noise as I try to gasp for air, I’m terrified, because I just know what’s coming. I become aware of my name being called over and over and my eyes open. Gabe is leaning over me, kissing my face and telling me to shush, I can hear myself sobbing. My first instinct is to claw and lash out at him but he’s too strong for me and he just pins my arms down on the bed.
“Baby, baby, shush it’s okay, it’s okay you’re safe, it's just a bad dream, it's just me and you bubby, your safe”
“He was here, he kicked the door open and he pulled me by my hair” I sob “I called and called out to you but you didn’t wake up and he was dragging me to the door, he, I think he wants to kill me, he was here Gabe”
“Lauren, it was a dream, just a dream, he’s not here and if he does ever come near you, I promise, I swear to God, I will fucking kill him”
I get my breathing under control and gradually stop sobbing, he kisses my head through my hair and strokes his fingers gently up and down my spine and my arms.
“I’m so sorry” I whisper.
“It’s okay, you just scared the shit out of me, you okay? You sounded terrified”
“Yeah, yeah, think I'm okay now I know you’re here, I’m sorry” I feel like such an idiot now that I’ve calmed down a bit, he must think that I am a complete and utter nut job.
“I will always be here Lauren; I won’t let him hurt you again, ever” He rains more kisses down onto my head and into my hair, which I find immensely soothing. We both settle down but it takes me a while to get back off to sleep.
CHAPTER SIX
When I wake up in the morning, Gabe's not here and the house is empty. There's a note from Jo on the dining table telling me to make myself at home and help myself to anything to eat. Didn't we establish last night that she has no food in the house? But there's nothing from Gabe. I pick up my phone and there are a few missed calls, voice mails and texts, one of which is from Gabriel. I open it
“Morning gorgeous, sry I wasn't there when u woke, I had 2 get into work early this morning. Hope u slept better the rest of the nite... U certainly snored well :-) I will give u a call later as there's sumthing I wanna discus. Have a good day, rest & eat!!!That's an order .Ciao x