My Dear Nightmare

Chapter Forty-Five

Daniela's POV

It was him.

I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but I could feel his presence. I could feel his tight hold on my hand. I can't say it's because I knew him well, because right now he was as close as a complete stranger; a whole different person from the man I thought I loved.

I opened my eyes slowly, analysing my surroundings. From the white sheets that covered me and the needle in my left hand, I could tell I was in a hospital.

I finally moved my eyes to the man sitting next to me. I could only see his messy hair since his head was bent, staring at his hand and mine clasped together. Why was he holding my hand?

Tears pooled in my eyes as I stared at him. It hurt me so much to know that happily life I had been living had just been a fantasy. It hurt me that I had to go through all this to come to my senses. It hurt, that I hadn't been able to get him to change and to love me back.

I sniffed to stop the tears, and that's when he lifted his head and looked straight into my eyes. He sighed, his eyes brimming with tears as he smiled sadly at me.

"Daniela," he whispered. "Are you alright?"

That's when everything came back to me.

My mother. I had seen my mother? Was I going crazy, or had it all been a dream?

"Mama," I tried saying. Speaking was hard. For some weird reason my throat felt dry and tight. How long had I been asleep? "My mother? Is she here?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "She's a couple rooms away. Bertha is with her now."

I smiled. She was alive. I felt so overwhelmed that I couldn't even identify what I was feeling, but I knew I was happy. She really hadn't left me to face this world alone.

I glanced down and realised he was still holding my hand. I looked away from him and pulled my hand out of his hold. I didn't want to see his reaction, because I didn't know how I would take it.

"Daniela." He sounded hurt, but more confused. I turned to him to find him looking all over my face, as if trying to find something.

"How do you get people to trust you so easily?" I asked, staring at him blankly.

He blinked and took his hand off the bed, as though he wasn't expecting that question. "Why are you asking that now? I just need to know if you're alright."

"I want an answer, Alexander."

He frowned, moving closer. "What is going on? Are you alright? Tell me how you're feeling."

"How am feeling?" I echoed. "At least I feel quite happy in the midst of all these unfortunate happenings, that my mother is alive. I feel sad, that I still don't have closure on my happy ending. Sad because I can't dare say I feel betrayed. I brought this upon myself. I was so stupid, but I feel angry too, that you still think I'm stupid enough not to look past your deceptive exterior, and fall into your trap once again."

He stood up, looking at me as if he didn't know me, as if he didn't know why I was saying all this. He opened his mouth to say something, but his confusion swallowed the words.

I wasn't going to let him fool me once again. I had had enough.

"I don't understand, Daniela," he told me slowly. "What the hell is going on?"

"You tell me, Alexander," I snapped. "We're the only ones in the room. There's no need to continue pretending. If I'm going to be punished again, at least I should know what the punishment it."