“Why did you do this, Babydoll?” she whispers and then drops into the pool, drowning in it.
“Muuum!”
“You only have me now.” Adam reaches a black-coated hand in my direction.
I scream.
The sound is muffled when another hand wraps around me from behind and snaps my neck.
I startle awake to be greeted by the darkness in my room.
My harsh breathing echoes in the silence and my clothes stick to my back with sweat.
He’s coming for me.
He’ll catch me.
He will —
“Silver?”
The sound of Cole’s voice instantly calms me down. I don’t know how, but it does.
He hits the light switch to reveal he’s been sitting on my bed. Grabbing my hand, he slowly uncurls my stiff fingers from around my necklace. I’ve been holding it and my chest in a death grip as if that could’ve saved me from the nightmare I was seeing.
No. I didn’t only see that nightmare. I lived and felt it to my bones.
Papa and Mum left me.
Adam was coming for me, and then he or something else killed me.
No one was there for me.
A sob tears from my throat and it’s like I’ve been holding on for eternity to express whatever is lurking inside me.
“Come here, Butterfly.” Cole opens his arms.
I don’t hesitate as I dive into them, my hands wrapping around his waist and my face disappearing into the hard muscles of his chest.
Whenever I inhale, I take in his clean scent mixed with cinnamon, and it’s like my own therapy.
For long seconds, we stay there as he strokes my hair away from my forehead and rubs small circles on my back.
My breathing evens out, and just when I think I’m going back to sleep, his quiet voice surrounds me, “What happened?”
It’s like a spell has been broken. Whatever halo I’ve been trying to pretend exists shatters all around me.
He’s the reason why I had that nightmare. How the hell could I take refuge in him?
I start to push away, but Cole keeps me pinned in place by the hand on my back. Literally on my back. He has reached under my oversized T-shirt and has his palm on my bare skin.
Holy shit.
I’m suddenly fully aware that I’m completely naked under the T-shirt.
“D-did you change my clothes?” I stare up at him with horror.
“Mum did.” His lips tug in a smirk. “Not that it would be something new if I saw you naked. I can even picture you right now.”