My Angel

CHAPTER 25: PEACE WITHOUT PAIN

Alessio's pov~

I was just about to the turn off the lights when I heard a light knock on the door.

My forehead creased in confusion as I stood up straight and stared at the door. I heard the tap again.

It was late. Who could it be?
I waited for the knock again, but it didn't
come. Instead, I heard something rustling against the door.

Quickly walking toward it, I grabbed the knob and opened the door wide.
Before I could blink or see who it was,
someone tumbled forward into my arms.

My eyes widened. Ayla.
She was trembling from head to toe, her
whole body shaking so violently that she could barely keep herself up.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her to my body.
Her fingers grasped my shirt in a death
grip, her nails digging into my skin. She was crying. Her body shook with her sobs and she buried her face in chest.

My mind was filled with confusion and
unanswered questions as I held her limp body in my arms. She gasped and choked on her cries.

"Make..it..stop. Please. I can't take it" she cried into my chest.
I froze and my heart stuttered.

"Make it stop."

"Ayla?" When I started to push away so
could see her face, she cried harder and
gripped my shirt tighter, refusing to budge.

"Please. Please. Make it stop. I can't... can' t. breathe. I can't..take..it..anymore."

"Ayla, what are you talking about?" She
wasn't making any sense and I didn't know how to react to this.

What was she talking about? I never would'lve expected her to come to me this way.

She released her hold on my shirt and went completely limp in my arms. Her legs gave out, and if it hadn't been for my arnms around her, she would have fallen on the floor.

"Shit." I lifted her into my arms, cradling her to my chest. I carried her to my bed and placed her on the mattress.

Kneeling in front of her, I took her chin in my hand and made her look at me. Ayla refused to open her eyes.

She whimpered and brought her hands to her chest, curling into herself. She was panting for air and covered in sweat.

Her hair was sticking to her forehead and her cheeks were wet with tears.
She trembled, and when my fingers
tightened on her chin, she cowered backward and let out a sharp cry.

My eyes widened in shock and I quickly
released her. "Fuck. I'm not going to hurt you." She whimpered in response.

"Ayla, talk to me. What's going on?" I
coaxed. She brought her hands up to her head and twisted her fingers around her hair, then shook her head multiple times and started crying again.

"It hurts. It hurts so much. Please."
She kept repeating over and over again.
Did she have a nightmare?

"Ayla-"
Her eyes snapped open, wide with panic
and fright, and she heaved forward.

Her eyes were filled with so much pain. My heart constricted at the sight.

Ayla looked down at her arms and her face scrunched up in panic. "No. No. No," she mumbled under her breath.

She started rocking back and forth and her fingers were scratching at her arms, turning the skin bright red with her nails.

They left long red lines, and if she continued that way, she would draw blood.