Setting Myself Free

Chapter 16~Reflective Dreams

The dark night was the only thing visible throughout the small window I was peering through. The stars twinkled slightly, like tiny winks, after someone said something humorous. It was past eleven o' clock now, but I just couldn't sleep. There had been a number of odd events that occurred today, including my eight hour rest, and there would be no way that my body could shut down once more.

Blake was on the bed, fast asleep. I could only begin to imagine what a tiring day it must have been for him. And seeing his ex, Sadie, must not have been quite exciting.

There was a part of me that loathed her. After all, what she did to Blake—with Ethan, on the day Blake was going to propose to her—was completely unacceptable. And somehow, there was a small part that just wanted to talk to her. I just wanted some kind—any kind of explanation.

Weird, huh?

Maybe if I sneaked out, Blake would never notice, right?

He looked peaceful enough, and he doesn't seem like much of a light-sleeper. All will be good then. Well, I'd like to think so. If Blake found me leaving, I just know that he would start crying.

Um...I mean eyes watering. Yeah. From what I concluded, you have to be very special to see Blake cry. And I'm nowhere near that yet.

"Goodnight," I breathed out, my gaze directed towards Blake. I tiptoed away from the window, and out of Blake's bedroom. Quietly, I closed the door behind me, hoping Blake didn't wake up and start one of his killing rampages.

I already suffered so much. My stomach was still hurting, but the pain was easy to deal with. As for my head, it was spinning in different directions, making things blurrier than they should be.

Maybe I should be given an award for dealing with the most bipolar gang leader ever to be known. Seriously, I mean it when I say that Blake can sometimes have a change of feelings more than I do. One minute, he's all wow-I'm-going-to-smile-and-laugh. And then, in a couple of seconds, he goes into his usual narrowing-eyes-and-wanting-to-punch-you mode.

Honestly, I don't know how I put up with that guy. Just as long as he doesn't steal my ice cream, we're 'chill.' Is that what they're calling peace now? Chill. Hmmm, strange.

In the drift of happiness and sense of feeling tranquil, I ended up walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. My thoughts were destroyed in pieces when I saw Aurelia in the kitchen, a dazed look set in her expression. But, she looked up at me and grinned in the darkness.

"I see you're not asleep," Aurelia stated.

"Unless I'm sleep walking and talking with my eyes closed, then no. What's up with you?" I asked. I think it was quite clear that Aurelia couldn't sleep. Something was keeping her up, and she looked exhausted, judging from her heavy eye bags. And that was a strange sight since Aurelia was known to always wear concealer.

"I was just thinking. About today's...situation." Ari's gaze dropped to the floor, narrowing in anger—devastation perhaps.

"Why? I'm okay." It was really starting to get on my nerves that people were taking this accident too seriously. I'm not a ghost. Doesn't that mean that I'm perfectly fine?

"The thought of you being hurt," Aurelia explained, wincing. "The doctor said that if Blake continued to—well, you would have been seriously hurt. You could have d-died Shannon."

"I didn't," I repeated, for the twentieth time.

"You're like a sister to me, Shannon. I can't have another sister die." Before one tear could fall from those brown orbs, Aurelia wiped the lone tear away. She gave me a forced smile, too close to being useless.