Vera

Chapter 14

Vera

"Callum, please wake up. Please. I can stitch you up and everything will be ok. Wake up." I try shaking his heavy body. I try to wake him but he won't.

He's not moving or breathing. There's blood so much blood. There shouldn't be this much blood. He can't live with this much blood outside of him.

"Cal, please." I beg and plead and cry, but he won't wake up. I just sit and hold him. I hold him until all the warmth has left his body.

I hold him until he isn't Cal anymore.

I snap out of my dream, breathing heavy. My eyes scan all over the room until they land on Santiago.

He's sitting in the bed, staring at me. I pull myself up until I'm supported by the headboard. I inhale and exhale deeply. I stabilize my breathing before looking at Santi again. Concern is written all over his face. Now that I've calmed down I vaguely remember him trying to wake me.

"It was the stitches." His concern doesn't waver it is just meshed with confusion. "When I do things that remind me of him I get nightmares, more like flashbacks."

He stares at me for a while and I focus on his face in the silence. He looks tired, his hair is messy, and his jaw is hard, rigid.

"Who?" His voice comes out hard, husky. I like it, it's a soothing sound. "My brother. I used to do them on him."

I clamp my mouth shut and remove my eyes from Santiago's. That's the most I've ever talked about my brother in 10 years. Right now it's more than enough, honestly too much.

I don't like thinking about back then. I don't like how I lost him. I grab my forearm and stroke wear his name is inked into my skin. Heart on my sleeve.

"Why is your room so empty?" I change the conversation, hoping he'll go with it, luckily he does.

I did want to ask him though. I had some time to look around last night and it was completely bare. Just grey walls, a tv, a bed, and a dresser on each side. And if I had to guess I'd bet the tv came with the house, otherwise he probably wouldn't have that either.

"I've never really considered it mine. It's just always felt like it was someone else's." I look over at Santiago to see him looking at me.

I love the way he looks at me. It always just feels so raw. Emotional. It makes my heart go crazy and stupid butterflies soar in my stomach.

"We'll have to change that." I throw the covers off of my legs and rise from the bed. "I can see it now," I spin around the room, eyeing a smile flash across Santi's lips. "A poster here, maybe a desk if you're feeling crazy, but baby steps. Wouldn't want you having a heart attack on me."

I look back at Santiago who is smiling fully now. It makes warmth spread throughout my whole body. It makes me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack.

"Don't worry we can do that tomorrow. Right now," I make my way back to the bed, slightly throwing myself on it so I bounce a little. "We're going to watch tv."

I reach out my hand, silently asking for the remote. He rotates reaching into the drawer in his nightstand to retrieve it. I zone in on how his muscles move, how his skin is molded perfectly against them. It makes my thighs squeeze together.

He places the remote in my hand and watches as I turn it on. As I scroll I see that he has every streaming service but doesn't watch any of them.

"Do you even use this tv?" I turn my head toward him just to see him shake his head. "It's okay. I can teach you everything I know. Starting with the most important and my comfort show."

I turn on New Girl because I watch it almost every night to go to sleep. I sit and stare at the screen until I feel an arm around my waist pulling me into Santiago's chest.

I laugh a little then look up at him. God, he's so handsome— like Greek god handsome. "Why have you been so quiet, besides the fact that it's," I look at the clock. "1:58 am?"

A small smile graces his face again. I love when I'm able to make him smile or laugh. It feels like the best reward.

"I like when you talk." I smile. "Even when it's about literally nothing?" I ask, starting to feel sleep creep back.

"You could never talk about nothing. Everything you say means something even if it's small." My heart does flips from his words. Especially because I'm usually really quiet and reserved.

When I do talk a lot I feel weird, but around Santiago it feels like I could talk to him for hours and never feel odd or tired.

Hell, I could simply sit and stare at him in silence and feel completely at peace.

Just before I slip off entirely into sleep I feel Santiago's soft lips pressed onto my head. "Good night, mi luz."

Then I'm gone but not before grabbing his words and locking them up in my mind, so I can never lose him or this feeling when I'm with him.