Promised pain

Seven

Levine Romanov
Sweat creeps along my forehead, I close my eyes tighter, feeling my muscles tense as a blazing of fear fills my bones, I tremble.

Choke, not able to breathe, before a scream ripples from between my lips and I open my eyes, feeling the pillow wet beneath me with tears, my body is cold as hell, shivering even, yet the sweat casting my skin is unlike another.

More tears continue pouring down my cheeks, I stare ahead, the room is so dark, so suffocating, it almost still feels as if I can't catch my breath, a painful whine escapes my lips and the next sound I hear is one of the click of my door.

Terror fills my body but when Enzo comes into view, I slacken down, my muscles relaxing as I look up at him, I don't even care about the state I'm currently in, I'm just glad he came.

Reminding me that I'm safe.

I repeat the word into my mind until it's all I can hear before his voice pulls me out of my thoughts, I startle, and look up at him, he turns on the dim light of the lamp beside the bed.

It reflects across his features as I take him in, feeling my breaths calming down, "Here." He passes me a glass of water, I welcome it, clutching it tight to stop the tremble of my hands.

I don't know how long passes in silence as I just stare at him, until my body starts to warm again, and the realization that I probably woke him up settles in my stomach.

Guilt seeps into my body and I fidget with my fingers "I'm sorry." I apologize, looking up into his dark eyes, "What happened?" He asks instead, his voice hard yet soothing, as he searches my eyes with a narrow of his, "A nightmare." I swallow.

Particularly being truthful, his Adam's Apple bobs up and down and he looks at me with a look I cannot indicate, as if he doesn't know how to comfort me, "You're safe." He says softly.

I smile through the pain, flashing him a lopsided grin, "Yeah..." I let the word trail off, "Did something specific happen during the day?" He's asking if something triggered that nightmare which means that he suspects that it's far deeper than just a nightmare.

Maybe I'm underestimating that man.
Or maybe I'm overestimating my ability to act.

"No." I lie, "I know when someone is lying, Levine." His voice carries a warning, and a familiar edged tone to it, I gulp, "Let it go, Enzo." I whisper under my breath, by instinct, I reach out and tap the back of his hand as a gesture to assure him.

But the sudden hardening of his features instantly makes me snatch my hand away, as if it's on fire, he probably realizes that his reaction pushed me away because he glances away.

"I won't-" he starts but the sudden lightening of my phone screen in the dark cuts him off because his eyes instantly land there, i freeze for a moment before grabbing the phone and flipping it over.

His suspicion grows clearer and clearer in his eyes, and my stomach drops even further, and I instantly sense what he's about to do, he suddenly reaches out for my phone but I step away, the blanket gets all messy around my body as I hold the phone away.

"What are we? Kids?" I ask, widening my eyes marginally, he looks amused, "You tell me." He speaks with such nonchalance I'm tempted to punch him so that I can get a reaction.

"Give me the phone, Levine." He orders in a lower tone, one that sounds too demanding that shivers prickle along my spine in a chilling sensation, "You're not my father." I protest, tightening my hold around the phone as I keep it up in the air.

"No, but I'm the one protecting you here, and you looked fucking terrified a second ago." He states slowly, as if I need time to absorb his complicated words, I narrow my eyes "I was terrified because of the nightmare, and I can protect myself just fine." Not entirely a lie...