love that heals

chapter fourteen: in disguise

Aria was discharged from the hospital two long weeks after the accident. Having signed the final paperwork, she went to have dinner with her friends and parents, where they began to plan a small costume party that would be held on Saturday evening.

After dinner, Keon went over to Aria's house to spend the night with her, as she had told him she didn't want to sleep alone.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" he laid down on her bed and wrapped his arms around her body.

"To be completely honest, I still feel some pain in my broken ribs, especially the bottom left rib," she grimaced. "But other than that, I feel totally fine."

"I'm glad to hear that, love," he kissed her forehead. "You do know it's a miracle that you survived and made a speedy recovery, right?

"I do. Dad told me how severe the accident was, and..." she sighed. "It's a miracle that I'm alive. I'll be forever grateful to God and the doctors for saving my life out there."

"I'm grateful too. I feel more than lucky to get to spend this time of my life with you," he caressed her face.

"Likewise," she held his hand.

After chatting about random topics for hours, they fell asleep in each other's arms. They slept peacefully until three in the morning, when Keon awoke to find Aria trembling. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately looked at her, noticing a lone tear fall from the corner of her right eye.

"Angel, wake up," he gently nudged her, trying to arouse her from what seemed to be a nightmare. Three minutes went by before she opened her eyes suddenly.

"Fuck!" Aria rolled onto her back. "Hunter..." she whimpered. "No."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Keon embraced Aria's body, nuzzling her neck and giving her small pecks. "Angel, listen to me," he caressed her cheek. "It was just a nightmare. Just breathe, love. Breathe in, and breathe out. Let's do it together."

He had her mimic his breathing pattern until she regained her composure.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah," she sniffled. "Thank you, bear." She sighed sharply and looked at the ceiling in exhaustion. "It's horrible. I had a nightmare where the accident occurred, except that Hunter was with me. I survived, but I practically watched him die in the act. It felt as if I had lost him once again."

"That's horrible. I'm glad it was just a nightmare."

"So am I," Aria gently squeezed his hand. "But I feel a lot better now, thanks to you."

"Perfect," Keon smiled tenderly. "Let's try to get some sleep now."

"What if I get another nightmare?" she looked at him in fear.

"I'll still be here to make you feel better."

"Thank you... can we cuddle?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," he pulled her body close to him.

"I love you."

"I love you more, angel," he kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

"You too, bear," she giggled softly before closing her eyes.

The first thing Keon saw in the morning was Aria in a deep sleep, still in the same position she was in after he comforted her a few hours earlier. He carefully brushed her hair away from her face, admiring her gorgeous features. I could get used to having you be the first thing I see each morning, he chuckled silently. He continued to run his fingers through her hair while watching her sleep, until she woke up a few minutes later.