Lia
I try to roll over and block out the sound, but it’s relentless. Who is crying at this hour, I wonder before it hits me. I jerk upright in bed, looking around the darkened room. The mattress moves and I turn to find Lucian flailing around next to me. Oh, no, that sound, I know the choking sound from his nightmares, but he’s crying? As I reach for the lamp on the nightstand, I hear him whimpering my name over and over. I learned the hard way to approach him cautiously when he’s in the middle of a nightmare. The one time I didn’t, I ended up flying through the air and striking my head on a nearby table. I try calling out to him, hoping he’ll hear me. “Luc, wake up! Luc, you’re dreaming, baby. Wake up!” I try a few more times but even though he calls my name, I’m almost positive he’s still asleep.
“Cassie, what have you done?” he sobs, breaking my heart. I want so badly to know what she did to him all those years ago that still torments him to this level today. I get close enough to take his hand and try shaking it.
“Luc, it’s me, Lia. Please, wake up…please,” I call out to him as he begins to choke again. I drop his hand and quickly leave the bed to turn on his lamp. His face is pale and tears leak from the corners of his eyes. I want to launch myself into his arms and hold him to me until whatever haunts him releases its grip. “Lucian!” I call sharply. “Wake up!” His head turns toward me, and I see his eyes moving rapidly behind the still-closed lids. “Luc! Look at me!” I hold my breath as his eyes finally flicker open then blink against the glare of the light.
“Lia?” His voice is scratchy and strained, but I think he sees me. Before I can move to approach him, he springs from the bed and hurls toward the bathroom. I’m still trying to process his sudden movements when I hear the distinctive sounds of him being sick. I want to go and take care of him as he has done for me in the past, but I know how raw he is after one of these dreams, especially when I witness them. I force myself to stay where I am and take my cues from him.
After a few more minutes, I hear the toilet flush and then him brushing his teeth. There is dead silence afterwards until he finally walks back into the bedroom with his eyes carefully averted. I go to him, putting my hand on his arm. He has always worried about hurting me during one of his nightmares so I’m quick to reassure him. “Luc, I’m fine. I stayed back until you awoke. I’m worried about you, though. Do you…want to talk?” I see the shutters click tightly over his beautiful eyes as he moves restlessly on his feet. I’m surprised when he pulls me into his arms instead of walking away immediately.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs against my temple. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Luc, I’m fine,” I attempt to comfort him. I kiss his throat and nestle into his embrace. “Please talk to me. Maybe it would stop if you told someone about it.”
He’s quiet for so long I think he’s going to ignore my comment before he finally says, “I can’t tonight. I’m too close to the edge. Just…give me some time, and I’ll try—for you.”
“I love you,” I say softly, thinking that even if he can’t give me the words back, he might need to hear them right now.
“Oh, Lia.” He inhales loudly, shaking for just a moment before pulling away. “I’m going to work in my office for a few hours until I key down. Try to get some sleep and I’ll be back later.” I almost offer to go with him, but I know he doesn’t want that. He needs time alone to sort through the ghosts raging in his head. I’ve been there before, and I understand the urge to run away from it all.
“Okay.” I give him a smile of understanding and let him walk away to deal with his demons. Fighting the things you can’t see or touch are sometimes the battles that wound you the most.
Lucian
I drop my head in my hands as I make it to the sanctuary of my office. My heart is still racing from the dream that seemed so horribly real. I’ve had nightmares for years… since the night Cassie tried to kill me. Tonight, though, it was different. Cassie and Lia had intertwined in the dream, taking even my subconscious by surprise. Before I awoke, Cassie had been stabbing Lia, yelling that I was hers. It had been so fucking real that I was choking on my own bile as I bolted from the bed.