AFTERMATH [ 2 ] | LEGACIES

T W E N T Y - T W O

there's like 200 of you actively reading the new chapters and not a single comment, and now I remember why I got so discouraged to write this a while ago.

———

"This... this is ya bedroom," Rafael said as he followed me into my shared dorm with Hope.

"Well aware," I laughed, going to plop down on my bed, taking my shoes off.

I watched in amusement as Rafael's eyes widened, and I wondered just where his mind was going. Don't go there, Wolf Boy.

"Um..." 

I patted the spot next to me, waiting for him to come down me on my bed. Above the covers, of course.

He let out a huff of breath, and laid down side-by-side with me. His hands were on top of him, crossed in the most respectful manner. As if he was suddenly scared to make contact with me just because we were on a bed. It was cute, and extremely amusing.

"Okay, we can take turns," I said, looking up at the ceiling even though I could feel his eyes on me.

"Take turns...?" he asked, still not following.

"Oh, my God, Raf!" I groaned, laughing. "You said you were tired, but I'm not convinced Night Bitch-"

"-Hag-"

"-Isn't going to hurt you if you were to sleep. Now, Bitch-"

"-Hag-"

"-Can attempt to hurt me all she wants. I'm indestructible, and I have no idea where the damn urn is... and from what I've seen, these nightmares make you groan in your sleep so if it gets bad, we can wake each other up. We take turns sleeping," I said, proud of my little plan.

"Won't that just make us more sleepy? It takes more energy to fall asleep constantly," he said.

"...So you don't want to take turns?" I asked slowly.

He chuckled, looking at me with a slight squint in his eyes.

"I don't know why I'm so down to do whatever it is you suggest we do, but I guess we're taking turns," he said. "You go on first."

I beamed at this, and I leaned my head so it was closer to him, but there was still a distance between us. How the two of us fit on that twin sized bed? I'm not sure. I wasn't even really sure how Roman and I did. We felt very squished, though.

"Don't let me get hurt, okay?" I muttered as I closed my eyes. If there was one thing I mastered, it was the art of being able to sleep just about anywhere.

"Would never dream of it," I heard him say, before everything went pitch black.

—

"ah... lah... Lilah!"

I opened my eyes. It was a small jolt, my conscious stirring after recognizing my name was being called.

"What were you dreaming? You were calling my name out."

I looked at Rafael, who was now cradling me like a baby.

"What?" I asked, no recollection of dreaming.

His eyes, however, were glued to something else, not my face. My arms? I looked down. My arms were cut up, blood everywhere, all over Rafael and I both, on my sheets. I suddenly was able to feel the pain from them, and I started whimpering softly, leaning into Rafael as he panicked. 

My vampire heeling wasn't kicking in, and I was exhaling and inhaling trying to get my body to relax.

"Where is it?" Rafael asked.

"Where's what?" I asked, looking up at him, but instead there was a lady with a black veil and looked dead. 

I screamed, trying to get away but her arms, her boney, cold arms, kept me in place. I screamed some more, calling for Rafael, screaming that I wanted Roman.

—

"Sh, shhh, shhh, it's okay, it's okay."

I jolted again, this time in panic.

Rafael was holding me like in the dream, the deja vu felt chilling. Tears were already on my face, and I realized I was crying in my sleep. I gripped onto Rafael's shirt, which was already tear-stained, trying to pull my own body closer to his warm chest even though my hair was sticking to the sweat apparent on my forehead.

"I gotchu, I gotchu," he said, rubbing my back, sounding panicked. "Maybe this was a bad idea, and we should go get some of that witch brew tea Dr. Saltz talked about."

I looked down at my arms frantically, rubbing them both up and down, the feeling of them bleeding a little all too real.

"Hey, hey," he said, grabbing my hands. "You're okay. You're fine. Lilah, breath."

He got off the bed, pulling me as he went.

"C'mon, let's get that witch brew tea. C'mon."