Yours, now and forever.

Chapter 8

*Pan's pov

I stayed there with her for a while longer, stroking her hair and letting her know it was all gonna be ok. Once she had stopped shaking I pulled away from our embrace, looking deep into her beautiful brown eyes. They were red with silent tears of fear, that still hung on her eyelashes. A single last one fell down her cheek. I wiped it away softly with my thumb and stood up. I held my hand out and helped her to her feet. She held it tight, not letting go until we had walked back down the the beach, and she wasn't going to fall anymore.

"Bella?" I said calmly, sitting us both down on the sand, facing the sea.

"Yes?" She finally broke her silence.

"Why weren't you asleep?" I knew she probably wouldn't trust me, but I wanted to at least see if she would, maybe she saw the good in me? But you're not good, you're evil. You're just going to hurt her!

She paused, still looking out to the sea. "I um...I have nightmares when I sleep, so I try not to I guess." She rushed, in an almost questioning tone.

"Oh...what about?" She paused again. Coming back at me with the same questioning and unsure tone.

"My mum mostly. Sometimes my brother and my dad too. Twisted versions of what I've seen." She turned towards me and carried on. "But when I have them, I tend to scream a lot, and I don't like to wake people so I don't really sleep. And I find it difficult to sleep regardless so."

"So it was you that night...." I mumbled, a little too loudly apparently.

"Oh, you heard me?" I smiled the sort of smile you show to a stranger in the street. She looked down at her feet and began fiddling with the laces of her boots.

"It's ok, I don't think anyone else did, they sleep like the babies." I joked. She smiled a little. A sympathetic smile, like she new that was all I wanted from her, a smile. "What was your brother like?" I wondered.

"I wouldn't know, I never really knew him." She looked off to the water again in deep thought. "My dad never told me about him, not even his name, but my mum used to say that his nickname was Noddy or something." She sighed out a sad laugh. Noddy? Where have I heard that before?

"Well, what's your mum and dad like?" I shuffled closer to her. Her smile faded away as she looked down towards her knees.

"My mum isn't around anymore...." She struggled to say the words, "she died when I was 10. A heart attack. And my dad..." I watched her eyes roam for anything to save her from telling me. "He's not a good person, he is a little, angry sometimes." I frowned in confusion, although I already knew exactly what she meant. She looked at my confused face and sighed deeply. She slowly undid two buttons on her dress, revealing just her stomach.

It was covered in bruises and cuts. Bulging and red. They looked sore. I looked a little closer, seeing a singular scar leading across the bottom of her rib cage. I didn't want to think about, let alone know what caused that jagged scar. She buttoned her dress back up and shuffled closer to me. Why was my heart beating so fast? I looked at her again. Waiting to see what she was going to do.

"Peter?" I nodded and waited again. Wait she's calling me Peter? How long has she- "if I fall asleep, will you stay with me? You can leave after a bit, but I'm so tired, and maybe if I don't go to sleep alone, the nightmares will go away?" I thought about it for a second, then silently nodded at her, snapping my head to look away again.

I felt her head slowly rest on my shoulder, and I could already hear her soft breaths in and out. She was fast asleep. Wow, she really must have been tired. I carefully took off my top shirt layer, unwrapping it from my chest and laying it over her. That didn't mean I cared right? It was only because I was too warm anyway, and if she was cold she would be a pest.

The sun slowly crept above the surface of the water after a while. Shining light into Bella's face. I felt it shine through my eyes as I realised I had been resting my own head on Bella's, not asleep, just sitting. The sunbeams shone straight onto her, making her hair shimmer slightly and every beautiful feature on her face stand out even more. The tide would start to come in soon. I slid one arm around her back, with the other, I hooked her arm around my neck and then moved it under her knees. I lifted her up so that she was lying bridal style in my arms, being careful not to wake her, and transported us back to the tents.

I walked, with her still in my arms, over to where her tent was, laying her down on her bed. I took my shirt from her, replacing it with the blanket that had been tossed off of the bed. I wrapped my shirt back around myself, securing it with my belt. I knelt down beside her, she looked so peaceful, like nothing in the world could ever disturb her. She really is so pretty isn't she. Go on, just one won't hurt Pan,  she'll never know. I gave in to my temptations. Brushing back her hair and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Then, I finally left her.

Coming face to face with Felix as I emerged from her tent. His arms were crossed, and he looked frustrated. "What were you doing in there Pan?" He said. Who does he think he is?

"Nothing." I said angrily. "And besides, who are you to ask? Have you forgotten your status here Felix?" I marched towards him, anger and defence bubbling in my veins. He simply glared through me with warning.

"Pan. If you fall for her, it won't end well." I looked him up and down in disgust.

"Fall for her? Are you delusional?" He stepped towards me, trying to intimidate me no doubt. It would never work.

"I think, in this case, it's you who's delusional Pan." I let one eyebrow raise, the other curving down. "I see the way you stare at her, you are so close to the edge." I scoffed and started to walk away from him. "Don't forget Wendy Peter...." The name stabbed at my heart. It felt like it had been ripped out and torn apart. My face obviously showed it as I turned back to face him. "Now you realise don't you."

"This is nothing like that. She wandered off, so I brought her back. That's it." Felix's face twisted into a devilish smile.

"If she broke a rule," he lowered his voice, "and you aren't falling for her," he took a dramatic pause, breathing out an evil laugh. "You'll punish her like the rest of us." He walked away. He's really got some nerve today. But I knew he was right. I needed to find a punishment for her. I needed to get away from her. I couldn't fall for this girl.