Then another.
Before I know it, a pool of red surrounds me, its surface is like a mirror.
My breathing turns shallow when I look down.
Hollow black eyes stare back at me.
I shriek.
* * *
Present,
I startle awake, screaming and frantically studying my hands.
No blood.
There’s no blood.
There are no dark hollow eyes gaping up at me.
No monsters.
“Hey… hey…”
A hand clutches my arm. I claw and hit them.
The monsters won’t take me away again.
I escaped them. They can’t find me anymore.
“Elsa!”
My breathing catches at the sound of my name. I blink twice and realise I’m in a bed in a familiar room.
Aiden is trying to hold me to his chest. A scratch mark runs down his left pectoral muscle.
My eyes widen.
Did… did I cause that?
Aiden grabs both my hands in his. The same hands that I just used to smack him with.
A deep frown etches between his eyebrows as he watches me intently as if preparing himself in case I have another episode.
Oh. God.
The nightmare. I had an episode after the nightmare.
I close my eyes and a tear slides down my cheek.
“Hey.” Aiden brings my fingers to his mouth and kisses them one by one.
I slowly peel my lids open.
How can he kiss the same fingers that I just hurt him with?
No. He’s not only kissing them. He slides his lips over each fingertip as if he’s worshipping them.