Between You & Me || Luke & Jai Brooks

Chapter XIV - Nightmare

I wake up in my own bed, alone. It's quiet, and it's dark, and I reach over for my phone to check the time. On my phone is a message, unread. It's from Luke. I open it.

To: Meghan
From: Lukey boo
Message: I know this will be hard to get through and it's hard for me to get it out, but I think we should end what we have. With me in LA and you in Melbourne, I really don't think it's working. It can't work, a long distance relationship like that. I hope we can still be friends. Luke

My phone clatters to the floor, the sound splitting the silence. I take a shuddering breath and I feel tears start rolling numbly down my face. Then I scream. And I just keep screaming.

* * * *

I wake up screaming, drenched in sweat, with Luke by my side, shaking my shoulders.

"You're fine, Meghan, you're safe. It was just a nightmare!" He speaks softly into my ear, his hands caressing my face, thumbs wiping away my tears. I feel my body shuddering and I fight to relax my muscles. "I'm right here with you, you're in your own bed, in your own house. You're safe, calm down."

The nightmare is fresh in my mind and I can't get the feeling from my body. I'm shivering and my teeth are chattering. It scares me to realize how dependent I am on Luke. What would happen to me without him? I don't really want to consider it. I've always considered myself an independent person, I've never needed to rely on a boy. I loved knowing Jai would be there for me, but I always made sure I was prepared to survive with no help from anyone else. Now I don't really know anymore.

I'm in my room, like in my dream, and Luke has pulled up my desk chair beside my bed. He has his backpack on one shoulder, he was clearly about to leave. My clock tells me it's 6am. I'm exhausted. Luke must be too.

"I'm okay Luke. I really am." He doesn't look like he believes me. "Luke, go home and sleep for a bit, you look shocking. I'll sleep a little more if I can, then I'll come over and we can relax a bit, okay?"

He bites his lip ring and pulls it between his teeth, before reluctantly nodding. "I guess." He agrees. He leans over carefully to give me a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I love you. Make sure you come over, but be safe. Don't get up if you don't feel 100%."

I nod, smiling at his cuteness. "I'm seriously feeling alright. I just have a major headache."

He nods and smiles sympathetically.

"I'm so, so sorry, Luke. About last night. I never even considered-" My breath hitches forcing me to stop, and I feel like the waterworks are about to start. Luke hastily leans over to gently wipe my eyes and give me a sweet kiss.

"Babygirl, don't freak out. I forgive you. It was a mistake, and you won't make it again. I love you so much, okay, now stop worrying and calm down. Get some sleep, and come over after that."

He kisses me again, longer this time, then he gets up and walks through the doorway, closing the door gently behind him. I roll over and close my eyes, dropping straight back into restless sleep.

I wake again at 7, then twice in the half an hour after that. On the second one, I finally decide that I'm not going to get much more sleep and should probably just get up. So I do, and I get dressed in leggings and a loose top to go for a run. If I run to Luke's house, that'll give him an extra half an hour or so to sleep.

Running helps take my mind of things. It feels good to be out doing something. I haven't been going to all my gymnastics training sessions lately because it hasn't been my top priority. Running makes me feel like I'm not going to become completely unfit. And I know I have to go back to gym more often, so that I still have a life. But really, Luke is my life now.

*author's note*

This was a short chapter soz but the next one's longer and it's the start of an important stage...

xx