Bullet ✔️

Chapter 6

My dreams turned into nightmares. Again, and again, and again.

The same dream; Damian's dark eyes staring into mine while his inviting smirk pulled me closer and closer until our noses touched—until I could feel his breath on my lips, still gazing deeply into those black irises...and then the ground split between us, pushing us apart.

The loud boom deafened me again and again. Stones fell from above us, falling into the abyss that was created between us. Calmness washed over him, while I struggled to breathe. He reached for me every time, but I was too far. He even said my name, an order to reach back, to grab his arm, but I couldn't.

There was always a stone, a pillar or something equally big that fell down from above, cracking the ground even more, making me fall down into the nothingness below us.

I always woke trembling, my hands sweaty and my heart racing so fast it felt like it would never calm down.

The whole week I didn't get much sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him, and then the ground splitting and swallowing me whole. Though Damian was a pleasant sight in my dreams, I didn't want to think of him any more than I wanted to relive the bombing. So I did my best to avoid it all, just like he told me to.

The next weekend I had another gig. Getting closer and closer to fall, I could practically pick and choose my own jobs, which was both a blessing and a curse. It meant I could go to the ones I wanted more, but I had to turn down a few as well. That was the worst part of my job, saying no to something. I always recommended other photographers I admired and knew did well, though, if I wasn't available.

This one, however, was at one of the big hotels in the city and filled with guests of all ages and backgrounds. The bride and groom were in their mid forties, and told me they were high school sweethearts, but got away from each other when they both moved away for college. Their story touched my heart as soon as they told me, and I knew I had to say yes to them.

Both had already been married once, had a couple of kids, but it didn't work out. Then they met by chance at a grocery store and had been inseparable ever since. The groom told me during the night that he knew she was the one already in high school and knew they'd find their way back together sooner or later. The bride blushed and shoved his shoulder at that, which I managed to take a picture of with my own giddy smile covering my mouth.

It was such a nice distraction from the thoughts and worries that had poisoned my mind since James and Elina's wedding—although I kept looking over my shoulder in case I saw anyone with a backpack or something, or any other signs of terror. There was nothing, of course, but...better safe than sorry.

I kept trying to clear my mind as well, especially when, towards the end of the night, two men with stone cold faces and tattoos up their necks stepped into the venue, looking around. Red lamps went off in my head immediately, but I did my best to ignore it.

As soon as the bride and groom left for their hotel room together, I snapped a few more pictures of the party's successful mess and drunken guests, before I packed up and got out of there. My head was practically exploding with the possibility that the hotel would go up in flames and I wouldn't have a mystery man to guide me out this time.

On the way home, however, my rusty heap of crap broke down in the middle of the street, and I groaned. I waited for a full minute for the car behind me to go around while I had the emergency blinkers on, but the car didn't move. At all. It just stayed a little further away from me, and I groaned in frustration as I popped the hood and got out of the car.

The engine was smoking, smelling all kinds of wrong, and I lifted my dress to avoid getting it dirty in the puddles as I leaned into my car again to get my phone—my dad would know what to do.