Being Shot

P h o t o #57 - Desire vs. Duty

P h o t o #57 - Desire vs. Duty

Although I wasn't a restless sleeper in any way, I awoke to find my half conscious body in a strange position. Normally, I slept on my back - it was something I did for as long as I could remember, something as habitual as the simple muscle memory one has for their morning routine - but when I found my eyes, almost glued shut after the heavy night of sleep I had before, beginning to peak out at the world around me, I couldn't help but notice I was staring at a wall, not a ceiling.

I tested a movement; a quick twitch of my leg against the linen that was warmed by my body heat. If I wasn't a curious person by nature, I would've abandoned the minor change altogether and fallen back into the comforts of the wonderful night's rest I had, but since I was unbelievably so, even when slightly drowsy, I couldn't help but wonder.

I blinked twice, trying to clear my blurred, barely woken vision as I studied the neutral gray color of the wall. My nose flinched against the cold of the room, feeling ticklish as a small draft swept in along with the mauve morning light as it peaked through the window's diaphanous curtains. I went to its aid immediately, sliding my hand along the bed sheet, readying to releave my sensitive nose with a quick scratch.

What I wasn't expecting was to find something halting almost all upper body movement, restricting my arm from the elbow up. Now I was wide awake.

Instantly my hand, only semi-free, latched onto the thing that snaked around my torso. Warmth blossomed upon my finger tips, and it only took the brief flick of my eyes downward to notice it was an arm holding me in place.

I struggled against the dead weight, pondering just how strong someone could be even amidst the dream world, never stopping to consider or worry just exactly who was holding me hostage. My ebony hair licked at the golden pillow under my head, smelling of the shower I took only hours earlier, as I then tried craning my neck forward, not taking too kindly to being pinned in place.

My heart slammed against my rib cage the moment I was pulled closer, a small yelp pushing its way past my lips once I felt that my back was now perfectly molded into a lean, toned chest. Someone snuggled their face deeper into my neck, hot, slow breath fanning my nape. I shivered despite the heat.

A part of me beckoned myself back to sleep again, feeling too safe and comfortable in these arms to do anything else, but my sensible, more self-conscious part screamed in all directions, mustering every ounce of strength I had in me and prying said arm off my body before I even had a chance to weigh my options.

Before I knew it, my back, once cradled against a comforting heat I could've wrapped my entire being in, now smacked against the gray wall I woke up to, my hands still quivering as my wandering eyes searched the bed.

My pulse only excelerated further once I came face to face with a sleeping Elliot, eyebrows slightly knitted together after being moved from the position we held for who knows how long. He shifted under the covers, then his breathing settled once more.

A thought dawned on me as I stood in silent panic. 'Please, please, please for the love of God, please,' My gaze drifted down, praying to God Himself that I hadn't allowed a single moment in the dark to shake everything I believed in. Seeing that my body was still clad in Kayla's hand-me-down sweats left too much room for relief.

The relief was short lived though, as my memories from the night before finally upsurged into my mind again. A blush coated my cheeks as my hand flew up to my mouth, remembering how Elliot's lips felt on mine.