Chapter Ten

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"Should I sleep with the girls? I don't want to invade your space you know?"

I lye messily on the floor with my feet on his bed reading a book while he sat atop his bed distracted with his phone. It was the most comfortable silence I had ever experienced.

"It's fine you can sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the floor." I wasn't sure how I should feel about the suggestion. Part of me wanted to sleep with the girls because then I wouldn't have to think about the double meaning this had.

His mom walks into the room a few minutes later holding an air mattress, "Jess you sleeping in here or in Camila's room?"

I shrug looking at her letting her make the decision for me as the adult. Lilith rolls her eyes placing the air mattress in his room, not sensing any debauchery within the situation.

"No funny business, I'm too young to deal with kids." My eyes go extremely wide in discomfort, "Woah."

Not that I experienced it often, but I hated this kind of teasing from adults.

Jayden let's out a deep groan massaging his forehead awkwardly, neither of us knowing exactly how to respond to that. She snickers at both our reactions before kissing her son on his head and leaving.

I stand up to turn off the light but bump into his father who was making his nightly rounds.

"Oh, my bad." I apologize catching my balance.

"No worries kiddo," Diego waves away my concern and at his movement I'm filled with extraordinary uneasiness as the scent of cinnamon spice floods my nostrils, reminding me of my father.

I stared up at him for a moment longer than normal which didn't faze him in the slightest, he met my eyes with a hint of sympathy almost as though he could sense my loss and parental yearning.

"Sleep tight, we're down the hall if you need anything." Diego's words dripped with a sincerity that practically forced my lungs to stop operating.

He then looked at his son almost in warning, "Goodnight Jay." Jayden playfully salutes him, "Night dad."

Once he's gone I sigh somberly then flip the light switch and turn to Jayden's silhouette which I could faintly make out in the darkness.

"Which bed do you want?"
"Either is fine."
"That doesn't really help."
"I'll take the air mattress."

I roll my eyes deciding not to combat the decision, "Cool beans," then wait for him to hop off the bed before mounting it myself.

"Night."

It wasn't long before I sensed myself drifting away from consciousness, but eventually I began to toss and turn, my memories of the day plaguing my mind.

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM."
"Don't you dare move an inch Jessica."

I look around trying to squint my eyes and see something, anything— everything was imperceptibly blurry and bright.

"Let the girl go!" My pupils dilate relentlessly in attempt to create some kind of focus.

"Jessica, you move even a little and I'll shoot you."

There was an inescapable desire to puke and fervent thirst within me.

"What's... what's going on?"

I feel a pang of pain explode in my back following the ring of a gunshot and suddenly I'm toppling over in paralysis.

I couldn't move, couldn't scream, only fade into nothingness.

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