ROMEO (book 1)

63. ROMEO

Delilah didn't feel comfortable sleeping together. So, I watch her from the armchair in the room as she sleeps.

The first night home she was fine.

The second she woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep again.

The third she was on and off.

The fourth she stayed up the entire night, making sure the doors were locked and the security alarms work. After her meltdown I didn't know what to do.

Tonight is the fifth.

She got all weird earlier. I tried kissing her and she pushed me away. I understood and stopped. I made food and when she didn't even look at it, I told her she needed to eat and she walked away and ignored me.

I tired getting in bed with her, I do give her credit. She tried cuddling up to me, she kissed me a couple of times, then she just starts crying. She went to the bathroom and cried more and then said she was angry because she didn't know why it didn't feel right.

So i said I'd sleep downstairs but I could hear her mumbling and stirring in her sleep, so I'm sleeping here. In the armchair.

She rolls onto her side again.

I know there's one thing I had to learn with my dad and it's to never wake someone up from a nightmare.

My dad used to get them bad, he still gets them some nights, but mom told me a story about how she had to wake him one day because he tried strangling her.

I could pin Delilah down with my finger so I'm not scared about that. I just don't want to scare her too much when I wake ber.

She turns again and mutters something.

Then curls in a ball, hiding her face as she begins to hyperventilate.

I stand up, leaning over her.

It was like she was trying to fight somebody off her, yelling stop and starting to cry. Her face turns red and then she starts screaming, her eyes opening widely.

What the fuck did they do to her in that place?

I didn't know what to do.

She looks around the room in a panic and crawls right against the headboard. I flip the light switch on and she looks around again, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that." I sit on the edge of the bed. "You okay?"

She nods her head yes, slowly she falls back asleep again.

I leave her on the bed and sit back on the armchair.

I even doze off for a while.

I wake up randomnly, looking at the empty bed.

"Delilah?" I stand up.

She was under the desk, sleeping with her body curled.

I feel a sense of relief and walk to her.

She's put herself in the possible smallest space.

It was 4 in the morning and I didn't know what to do but call dad.

"Romeo?" He was wide awake.

"Delilah has nightmares." I walk out of the room so I don't wake her. "She's hiding in the smallest space. Why does she do that?"

"Shes finding a place she feels safe." He clears his throat.

"Why small spaces?"

"You said she hid in the clsoet when she was a kid."