Racing and the Ruins

s e v e n

"No, please stop" I beg to the unknown man as he drags a knife along my skin. He stays quiet and continues the torture, only speaking when he asks a question about my father. 

The knife goes plunging into my arm and the man walks back to the table, more cries escape me as the pain wracks through my body. He returns this time with a gun, aiming it in between my eyes.

"Last chance princess" He growls, I shake my head and await my fate. I deserve this. Then he pulls the trigger.

I shoot up and look around, my eyes land on a pair of brown ones. My fear eases as I rub the spot in between my eyes. My body is soaking in sweat, but it was merely a dream. It wasn't real, I'm safe, I'm protected.

Ryker reaches out for me but I push him away and get off the bed, I can't think straight. And I can and will do something irrational if he gets close. I pull the blanket off the bed, wrap it around my body and sit on the floor, rocking back and forth. I hear Ryker sit next to me, but not say a word.

Part of me was expecting him to make fun of me and call me weak, yet he wasn't instead he just sat next to me. My head fell onto his shoulder as tears threatened to leave my eyes.

"I won't let them get to you" Ryker whispers, I hum and let myself fall back asleep.

***

The sun beamed through the room as I woke up on the bed, my eyes fell on the empty couch then onto the floor. Ryker is leaning up against the night stand asleep, which is strange. But the memories of my dream wash over me, I tense up and look around the room. Everything is in place and no one but me and Ryker are in here. 

I climb out of bed, making sure to not step on Ryker's legs as I get up and go take a shower. The hot water soothes the tension lacing my body some, but I still feel on edge.

Ryker is fully dressed and shoving my stuff in the backpack when I leave the bathroom. I smile at him and pull on my shoes.

"Do you want to get breakfast before we get back on the road?" I shake my head 'no' and grab my bag from him, he nods and walks out of the room with me following close behind. Something still feels off so I met Ryker's pace and hold his arm for dear life. I feel his eyes look down at me, but I continue to look straight ahead.

We walk out to the car after Ryker checked us out of the hotel, then he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road. My body sinks into the seat until I'm basically a puddle and unseen by anyone who looks through the window. 

Ryker must have picked up on my mood because all normal comments and banter are no where to be seen, just comfortable silence. 

"You know they won't get to you, right?" Ryker finally breaks the silence, I look up from my lap and meet his gaze, I sigh and leave his question unanswered.

"I know this a lot to handle and I'm basically a stranger, but I need you to trust me and stop running away. If something would have happened on the roof last night, I wouldn't have been able to stop it. So for the love of fucking god Braylon trust me and listen to me" I nod in response, he sighs and focuses back on the road. 

"I had a dream last night that someone tortured me and killed me" I blurt out, Ryker sighs again and his hand finds mine, intertwining our fingers.

"I should have never told you about that" I watch his jaw tic as his face contorts in guilt.

"A little to late for that don't you think?"

"And there is it" Ryker smiles, I furrow my brows and wait for him to explain.

"You lasted 45 minutes without one rude remark" He laughs I roll my eyes and look out the window. My eyes wonder down to our interlocked hands, his thumb rubbing small circles into my hand. Ryker is trying really hard to be nice and comforting, which I appreciate but I don't him trust him quite yet.