presidential affair

Nightmares

emma pov

It's been two weeks since I started back at the White House. It has consisted of late nights and early mornings. Some night I think I got maybe 45 minutes of sleep, if I was lucky. Hard to sleep when you are trying to help run the country. Is this how the president feels? I forgot what this could do to your body. Ever since I steadily started back I started having nightmares again. Noah was starting to worry but I had to assure him it would be fine. It was just my body readjusting to this lifestyle.

flashback

It was a week and a half after the accident. I had known Noah for two months but tonight was the first night he spent the night. It was also the first time I started having the terrors. I had been asleep for around two hours. Noah was just finally drifting off to sleep when he heard me let out a light noise. It was loud enough to startle him. He turned over towards me and just looked at me for a second. That's when I started trashing in bed and letting out louder screams and forming sentences.

"No, don't die on me."
"Emma. Emma honey wake up it's a dream," I could feel him shaking me but I couldn't get out of it.
"Not today. I said I hated him but..."
"EMMA" he was shaking me harder now. Trying to revive me from this trance I was in. That is when I finally snapped out of it. I looked at him confused. then I realized who he was and what just happened.
I started sobbing. It felt so real. I really thought I was there and he was actually going to die this time.
"Shhh you're okay it was just a dream, Emma," he pulled me into his chest and let me cry.
"I thought he was dead. I thought he was going to die on me."
"He's fine Emma. He's alive, awake, and well." I know this panicked him, but he just had to continue to be there for me.

He knew who I was talking about. He knew who I worked for. He knew I saw the accident happen. He just didn't know that this would have happened.

end flashback

We were in bed and I quickly fell asleep, I was hoping for once to get a decent amount of sleep. He stayed up to finish some work. I started crying in my sleep. It had came back. The nightmares were back. I let out what was supposed to be a scream but I couldn't yell I couldn't move. I was stuck and there he was dying. I felt Noah try to shake me out of it. I just watched him bleed out in front of me but there was nothing I could do. I was finally shaken awake.
"I'm sorry," I said with tears threatening to spill over. Noah pulled me into his chest.
"Don't apologize. It's okay. You'll be okay, it was just a dream. He fine, he's alive and not going anywhere."

This became a cycle. Over the next week and a half. I would come home from work. Then go to bed almost right away. Every night I had the same nightmare. Nearing the two week mark of this cycle Noah stopped me before going to bed.

"Hey," he grabbed my hand lightly. "Can we talk real quick before you go to bed? I feel like I've barely seen you."
"Yeah, my body just isn't quite used to this schedule yet."
"Yeah. You know what else has been happening. Every night"
"What?"
"Your nightmares Emma. They went away about a week after they started when you weren't working there. Now that you are back at the White House they are back. I just don't think this is healthy."
"It's just my body. Don't worry about it. I saw him almost die and now I see him alive every day. Of course, it's going to bring up some memories."
"Is that all Emma? Nothing else you want to say."
"What do you want me to say, Noah?"
"Just don't lie to me anymore!"
"What the hell, I'm not lying. What would I even be lying to you about? Please, Noah. Please explain to me why you think I'm lying."
"God Emma. I can see it. You are away from him you're fine. You don't care if he died. You go back and you have these nightmares. There's something there and you know it."
"That is crazy and absurd to even think that! You know that I have worked for him and the first lady for years. We have become friends. He is my friend! She is my friend! Jesus Noah, sleep on the couch or get out. I don't care. I'm done with the conversation."
"Fine whatever. Good luck."

I heard the door slam after I had turned around. I made my way to the shower to rinse off and I went to bed. I wasn't mad at him. He had a point. It's like I went back and a flip was switched. But I was also right nothing was happening. Sure I loved him and he loved me but nothing could happen until he was divorced. That night I could shake myself out of it. And slowly they disappeared.