𝒎𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂

𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒆

Alayah's POV

I had just gotten out of the shower to find Maverick's room empty.

"Maverick? Maverick?!" I called for him but he was nowhere to be found. I got dressed in the clothes he gave me and started looking for him. The hoodie was huge and I had to double knot the strings on the sweatpants to semi-adequately keep them up.

I walked out of his room starting my search of the house but he was gone. Mrs. Allegretti was gone too so I was alone. Sighing, I walked back to his room and snuggled into his sheets. They smelled like him. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I missed him—even if he was gone for only a couple hours. I didn't want to be alone.

I know when I flinched away from him I hurt him. I didn't mean to but everything was still on repeat in my head. My mind was clouded. I didn't think he'd reach out for me and so when he did, I reacted. The irrational part of my mind is telling me he'll never come back to me because I pushed him away. That made more tears well in my eyes.

After starting at the ceiling for God knows how long, I felt my eyelids grow heavier and before I knew it I had slipped into a deep sleep.

___________________________

5 hours later

I woke up with a start. I had a nightmare about Giuseppe. To make matters worse the room was pitch black. I reached over for my phone and checked the time. It was now 9 o'clock at night and Maverick was still nowhere to be found. I got up and walked out of his room.

The rest of the house was lit beautifully but today I didn't feel like admiring it. I walked down the hallway aimlessly. I stumbled upon the room with a huge skylight. The skylight allowed for the moon light to illuminate the entire room. The glass was made from a mosaic that seemed to glisten as the moonlight seeped through it. The view of the evening sky from this room was to die for.

I laid on my back looking up at the night sky. My mind drifted to last night. Just the thought of what happened sent shivers down my spine. A silent sob racked over my body as tears welled in my eyes. I could feel myself shaking uncontrollably.

I felt arms wrap around me and I relaxed into his embrace. "I'm sorry," he continued to mumble into my hair as I held onto his shirt. He pulled me back and cupped my face as I looked up at him our faces inches apart. "I'm so sorry, cara," he said before kissing my forehead and picking me up bridal style.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to my room."

I nodded my head and rested my head on his shoulder as we walked down the long corridors until we made it to his room.

He laid me down and sat on the edge of the bed at the foot of the bed, farthest from me. He ran his finger through his hair and I could see the bags under his eyes. He smelled like he had recently smoked. He sighed and put his head in his hands. Even though I was still a little mad at him, I crawled over to him.

"What's wrong?"

He was silent for a moment before he said, "All I can think about is...what if I didn't make it in time? Like if I hadn't been there what would've happened to you? I would've never forgiven myself..." He said trailing off, saying the last part mostly to himself.