The Art of Dilapidation (Kellic)

25: A Living Nightmare With a Voice Like Honey

Vic's POV

It was around three in the morning and I had yet to fall asleep. I had spent the past several hours staring at the ceiling and resisting the urge to toss and turn since I didn't want to wake up Kellin, who was snuggled up to my side. I wasn't entirely sure that I even wanted to fall asleep. I knew that if I did it would lead to the terrible nightmares that plagued me every night. They were incredibly awful and filled my head with horrid thoughts.

Each one was the same. I would be driving way above the speed limit on a road in the middle of the snowy woods. There was always a sense of urgency as if I were running out of time and I needed more. I would pull over and get out of the car, desperately running to the covered bridge I'd followed Kellin to that one time. There, I would always see the same thing: Kellin, covered in blood and so dreadfully pale. The cuts down his arms always stood out vividly against his skin and his eyes had lost all their brightness. Every time I would try to save him and every time I would be too late.

Just thinking of it made my chest constrict and prompted me to hold Kellin tighter. I knew they were only dreams and that they were about as real as the Tooth Fairy, but they still shook me to my very core. They didn't seem like nightmares. They were to detailed, too vivid, too immersive. Everything was exactly the same each time, down to the snowflakes that hit my windshield.

I bit my lip as Kellin shifted around a bit next to me. What would I do if I lost him? I was so desperately in love with him that even dreaming about him being gone made me want to cry. If it actually happened I didn't know if I'd be able to go on.

I hid my face in Kellin's hair, trying not to start crying. My movement must have woken him because the next moment he was cupping my face with one hand and looking at me with concern. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "Did you have another nightmare?" Worry was evident on his face, but I didn't want him to be troubled by my childishness, so I shook my head. "No, nothing's wrong," I said as convincingly as possible.

"Vic," Kellin said softly, brushing my hair out of my face. "If something's wrong you can tell me." The concern never left his eyes for an instant. I forced a fake smile and tried to act cheery. "It's nothing," I assured him. "Go back to sleep." I could tell he didn't believe me for an instant, but he didn't press further. Instead he just leaned in and kissed me gently for a moment before resting his head on my shoulder again.

"Try and get some rest," he whispered. "If you have another nightmare just remember I am right here to help, okay?"

"Okay," I replied. He placed another kiss on my collar bone. "Good," he murmured. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. It felt nice to have someone who really cared. Sure, I had my friends and Mike, but Kellin was different. He treated me as if I were the most important person in the world. It was a nice change of pace since I was used to always being someone's second choice.

Maybe I was just going crazy from the lack of sleep, but I could easily see myself marrying Kellin and starting a family with him. By most standards, it was definitely too soon to start thinking like that, but for some reason I just knew that Kellin was the only one for me. Everyone else just faded to the background when I was with him. I couldn't think of anyone else I would want to spend my life with. He was perfect for me. I would never let him go.
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Kellin's POV

I could not catch a break. It's official, I thought. The world hates me. It was the only reasonable explanation. Why else would she be there? After a long night of working tables I just wanted to go home and possibly cuddle with Vic if he was back from his own job yet, but no, she just had to come ruin everything. That damn she-devil. She-who-must-not-be-named. Spawn of Satan. My aunt.