𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 |𝟏𝟖+ (#𝟏)

𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙴 |*

09
AMBER JACKSON
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They advise getting eight hours of sleep in order to have a productive day. But what if you weren't able to? What if life didn't provide you eight hours to allow your body to recover from the rigors of everyday chores like job and lingering trauma? What if you embraced an insomniac's lifestyle and couldn't even think about sleeping at night? What if you started having nightmares?

Sleep should be something you don't think about and shouldn't be afraid of. I loved to sleep my worries away. Maybe that's why I felt so at ease waking up in a bed that wasn't mine. It smelt familiar, but I wasn't even conscious enough to comprehend what 2+2 added up to if asked. So, rather than being startled by the unfamiliarity, I welcomed it by cuddling even closer to the heat. I even went so far as to put my leg over it.

Maybe it was the skin-on-skin contact or the sensation of a firm, unyielding body against mine, but my eyes eventually opened to see what the hell was going on. Taking in my surroundings, I notice significant changes from my own bedroom. Like the Texas King bed draped in dark gray linens and a comforter so soft it felt like I was floating on a cloud, or the defined spaces that distinguished the master bath and walk-in closet. This was not the cramped two-bedroom apartment I had with Jade. Is this how Sleeping Beauty felt when she woke up from her sleep induced coma to a king kissing her lips? Or was this the Brother Grimm feature?

I didn't have many wealthy friends - I just had one, and he wasn't the wealthy type to purchase anything like this, a true minimalist at heart. So that left one person, Alessandro.

The scent made a lot more sense to me now. Damn, I could wake up like this often.

My hand encircled his body, my face nestled deeper into his side. Bold of you. I assumed he was sleeping, but given my active motions, I shouldn't have been shocked when his palm dropped down on my hips, holding me closer to him. "You're awake." I give him a nod against his chest. "How long have I been asleep?" I ask in a scratchy tone that forces me to clear my throat.

"Not long. Maybe an hour and a half. You really did exhaust yourself."

"Yeah I'm sorry about that. I don't usually react that way." Which is true. I've developed an odd unaffected attitude about men who treat me like an owned commodity. It's terrifying. I'll take a few hours to grieve my displeasure before returning to my usual routine. It's almost as if I'm a ghost of myself. My strength was suppressing painful memories, but when the pipes broke, no one could grasp the spectrum of emotions I experienced. Tonight was nothing more than a leak - a fracture in the foundation. I need to go back to therapy. Why did I stop. 

"You don't need to apologize to me. You shouldn't be expected to always keep your composure after being hurt and pushed pass your limits." I ignore him because I don't want to remember anything. But considering that I haven't actually sat back and analyzed anything, it's unavoidable. "Have you been awake this whole time?" I ask, lifting my head to look at him and take in the sculpt of his reaction.

I know laying beside a man isn't the usual reaction after you've been sexually assaulted, but my hyper vigilance with men was only a factor when I couldn't trust them. The list was short, Liam. But with how comfortable I am laying in bed with Alessandro, maybe he could be number two.

Maybe I was searching for a diversion, or maybe he was just the most handsome man I'd ever seen, but the glasses that framed his eyes sparked a fire in my core. "With your glasses on, you look really sexy. You should wear them more often." I interrupted him as he answered my previous inquiry with a yes. He grins. "I'll wear them for you while you're around. They're not practical for the work I do." I smile.