Being nice never worked for Lucca for the simple fact that he was never nice. Being hard on Chloe, though, was something he wasn’t capable of.
Craving a cigarette and some time to think alone, Lucca went to the only place where he somehow found peace.
The quick knock on the door, followed by it being thrown open, had Chloe wanting to scream for her life. For that split second, she knew it was only a matter of time before Lucca took what he wanted. Then Drago appeared, bringing in a tray that held a glass of water and her untouched plate of food that was now steaming.
Watching him set the tray on the bed, she couldn’t believe it. She was grateful after being told she would starve if she didn’t leave the room.
“T-Thank you, Drago.”
His demeanor seemed to be just as sour as before as he nodded toward the window. “Don’t thank me. Thank Lucca.”
What? She jumped from the bed then walked toward the window as she heard the door slam shut behind him.
She pulled back the curtain, seeing Lucca sitting in the lighted gazebo, smoking his cigarette. From this far away, he looked almost beautiful to her in an obscure way. Yes, he had always frightened her and had made her fear for her life from the moment she had met him, but she couldn’t deny the small part about him that appealed to her. She would swear she could almost hear him calling to her at times.
His cigarette’s flame grew brighter when he inhaled deeply, causing lights and shadows to dance over his handsome features. Lucca seemed to be deep in thought, a look that suited him, making her wonder what thoughts weaved through his mind.
He was … hauntingly beautiful.
Chloe quickly dropped the curtain, shaking and stumbling back. That single thought coursed true fear through her unlike anything before. For someone who feared everything, she never feared herself. Until now.
The door opening was what broke his slumber, but it was the screams that forced him awake. He ran right past Drago, knowing he had come to wake him up to follow the screams.
His heart began to pound violently. Then it broke into tiny pieces from the audible pain in the cries. It was unlike anything he had ever heard.
The screams only grew louder the closer he got to her room, and when he opened the door, the sight he came upon almost brought him to his knees.
Lucca had always thought himself invincible in many ways, but the shrills that escaped her and the shaking that racked her body proved him otherwise.
He was afraid and was being ripped apart and torn in two. He wanted desperately to wake her up by holding her close, to forever erase the nightmares that reaped her soul. No matter how much he wanted that, though, the other part of him knew he couldn’t. It knew she was far from being able to accept the touch he craved to give.
“Chloe …” His voice came out in a broken whisper. Please wake up, darlin’.
She was breaking his heart, and if her nightmare lasted much longer, he was going to break.
Taking a step closer, his voice began to rise with each cry of her name. “Chloe … Chloe … Chloe!”
The blood that trickled down her face burned into her skin. She knew, even then, she would never forget the feeling when her tears met the blood to scorch paths of bloody tears down her face.
“Please, just kill …” It was hard for her to whisper her plea through her hoarse voice, but she had to try, hoping for mercy.
The maniac began to laugh while he caressed the edge of the blade over her skin. “Little girl, this is only the beginning.”
Closing her eyes, another tear fell, mixing with the hot blood. Mercy wasn’t going to be given tonight, leaving her with one final hope. To be saved …
Her eyes slowly opened at the repetition of words.
“Chloe, wake up and everything will be okay.”
Fully opening her eyes to the dark room, she saw a shadowy Lucca a step away with a glow surrounding him from the hallway light. The fear of her nightmare remained, having awoken only to see her other captor.
Lucca could sense the fear she exuded toward him now, but he remained calm, telling her, “See? Everything’s okay. I promise you, I’m not gonna hurt you.”
Chloe relaxed into the mattress. His voice was soft yet strong, somehow making her feel safe, something she had never felt upon awakening from a nightmare. She also knew he meant his promise just by the way he had said the words.
Lucca took a step closer to her. “That wasn’t just a nightmare, was it?”
Wrapping herself tighter in the blanket, she solemnly shook her head. There was no point in denying it. One look in Lucca’s eyes told her he could see the truth.
“Go back to sleep, darlin’.”
She thought his hand was going to reach out before he quickly disappeared into the dark room. It wasn’t until he spoke again that she realized he had gone to sit in the chair in the corner.
“I’m here …”
It must have been the complete nonexistent sleep she had gotten since being here, but her eyes slowly drifted away and into the night.
“… right here, Chloe.”
It took Lucca an hour before he unclenched his fists and relaxed back into the chair. It had taken all he had not to hold her, not to touch her to make sure she was all right. Being able to watch her sleep showed him how haunted she was by her past, even in dreams.
This had been the last straw. He had waited long enough. Tomorrow, his and Chloe’s life would change, colliding together into one.
One thing was for sure; those had been far from nightmares. They were memories.
Nine
I’d Hate to Have to Punish You, Darlin’
It took everything Chloe had to walk down the steps after last night. Elle had been the only other one to witness her nightmares, besides her parents. With each person to see it, it was like the curtain had been pulled back, showing her true self, the damaged goods she was. The fact that it was Lucca who had seen it meant he was going to have a part of her now. A deep, dark, locked away part of herself she was never going to get back.
Her father, her mother, her best friend, they all were a major part of her life, and now she had this overwhelming feeling like Lucca would be, too. Like our lives have now intertwined.
What she found strange about it was how … kind he had been. Even stranger was how much she appreciated it.
Scanning the downstairs, she looked for any sign of Lucca, but when there was none, she figured he had already left for work.
Seeing the laptop on the coffee table reminded her of why she had braved coming down in the first place.
Chloe sat down on the couch and grabbed the laptop, booting it up. Several things popped up, including detailed instructions of her classes and how to submit her coursework. Someone had already taken the time to set up her account and must have written out the instructions since it didn’t appear to come from the school. Did Lucca do this?