Counting Sheep

Chapter 28

Hi everybody :) I am back with a new chapter! Thank you guys for waiting. I cannot even begin to tell you how much it means to me. It has been pretty tough lately, I am not going to lie, but I am optimistic that everything will work out and be okay :) I am SO excited because I have family coming from Maryland and I miss them SO bad. Anyways, I just hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! I loved writing it (as always) and I hope you enjoy it just as much. I also hope you know how loved and how important you are. xo, Hannah <3

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CHAPTER 28: Layla awoke slowly, wondering what had disturbed her sleep. She blinked the residual haziness of sleep from her eyes and took in a deep breath, listening.

There it was again.

Turning her head, she realized with a start that what had woken her was Julian.

He thrashed in his sleep, mumbling under his breath as a sheen of sweat coated his forehead. Her lips parted in surprise as she watched him, terror written across his face as plain as the small motes of dust that floated in a stream of milky moonlight streaming in through the window.

All this time that he had been staying here and all this time they had been in the same bed together, not once had she seen him have a nightmare. If anyone was having a nightmare it was usually her or Hazel. His hands tightened at his sides, clenching and unclenching as if he could fight the demons he went to war with in his nightmares with his fists.

Finally, Layla couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't take hearing his cries.

She never thought she was that much of a deep sleeper, but how could this be the only time he had a nightmare without her noticing? Quietly, she scooted closer, hovering above him to take his face in her hands, smoothing her thumbs across his cheeks.

"Julian, sweetie, I'm here. You're okay. You're okay." She cooed softly. "It's just a nightmare, you are okay, Julian."

Suddenly his eyes flew open, but he wasn't really seeing her. She let out a yelp as she found herself flipped over, hands restrained above her head with a tight and bruising grip.

"Julian!" She cried as he snarled like a terrified dog trying to defend himself.

She hit at his shoulders, flashbacks shooting through her mind like individual strikes of lightning.

Mason above her, hands around her throat.

She couldn't help the whimper of pure fear that escaped her lips and that small sound seemed to penetrate whatever cloud had descended upon Julian's mind.

This time, the horror on his face wasn't because of his dream, but because of what he was doing to her. Layla watched the emotions flit across his face with a building sense of sadness and dread, knowing how much it would bother him at what he had just done.

"Oh my god." He whispered, unable to look at her as he practically flew out of the bed.

Layla tried to control her breathing as she slowly moved to a sitting position. She reached over and draped her robe over her shoulders, tying it at the waist as she climbed out of bed.

She turned and found Julian by the window, his back and shoulders hunched and rising with the fast pants of his breathing, head hanging.

With this angle and the soft lighting, his scars were that much more prominent on his tattooed skin. She gave him just a moment to gather his thoughts, but not too long because she knew what could happen if she left him with his thoughts alone for too long.

She made her way over to him and finally lightly laid her hands on his back, his shoulder blades just on the edges of his spine. His muscles flexed at her touch, his skin enticingly warm and slick.