In The Name Of Family

Ch 16- Nightmare

Author

Cold sweat had begun to drain from her body as she felt unable to breathe.

Unconsciously started to crawl across the bed as if looking for a way to escape, even though her eyes were closed and she saw only darkness. Tremors also engulfed Aiden's body as he felt her hands gripping his shirt tightly. He opened his eyes to see the dark figure of Andreas gather near him. She tried to squeeze her hands on him even harder, muttering a few words that were hard to be heard.

Although he did not want to admit it because of his ego, he was now very worried.
He approached her and started shaking her lightly, but she could not open her eyes. As he got ready to wet her with a few drops of water on her face she began to whisper a few words that reflected whatever she was experiencing.

“Please do not take it from me. It's mine.” Aiden  frowned in surprise as she still had her body in her arms. Her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes were wet.
He wanted to know what could take her in this state.

“It’s the only thing left to me please,” she kept muttering and crying in her sleep as Aiden started watering her face.

Feeling the water all over her face she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, like it was the first time she was breathing. Her gaze fell into his face.

“Are you ok? “ he asked, concern all over his face.

Her face was pale, she seemed to be lost somewhere else as he touched her cheeks with his hands and approached her into a hug.
Leaning on his chest and listening to the beats coming from his heart, she seemed to begin to understand what was happening and finally some words came from her lips.

“I ....I I’m sorry! I don’t....It was a nightmare.” She muttered, her body continued to tremble and he released her from the hug, looking in her eyes. They had lost all the shining they had before. Before, when she was his Andrea.
He had let all the hate to grow a curtain in his eyes, and he didn't realise that she had long lost her shining. She had lost it since he saw her again, at the wedding.

“Hey stop. It’s ok you are safe now,” he softly spoke as she nodded. She felt safe.
"If you want to talk, I can listen about your nightmare. Does that makes you feel good?” he continued.

“No. I just want to sleep, but I’m scared to close my eyes.“

Aiden got even close than he was and he leaned her on the bed as he on the other hand leaned on her. He hugged her placing his head in her hair. That soft hair, that smelled like strawberries. He loved that smelled, he always did.

Her scent seemed to be intoxicating and he reached out to caress her hair. Her heart started beating like crazy, not understanding what is happening.

“Sleep little bunny, tonight we don’t hate each other. Consider me as a pillow and close your eyes. I won’t let them take it.” He said, thinking of whatever “it” was.

As he spoke, the words coming from his mouth seemed like a lullaby to Andrea because now she was long gone asleep. She didn't hate him now.
Dhe felt home and safe.
Aiden was her home.
 

♤♤♤

The night seemed to be long and yet again her eyes refused to open to greet the light which had already entered the room. After a few protests they finally opened up and she glanced across the bed to find no one there.

After looking around the room, she decided to get up going to the bathroom, but he was not there either and her mind started to wonder where she could have gone.
As her thoughts parted from Aiden, the night that passed came to her mind and a feeling of fear described her body as she remembered the words she might have said. Then her mind  started calling the memory of that hug, which seemed to her to still have his arms around her body.

After a few minutes, now ready to go to work, she started going downstairs and heading to the kitchen even though her heart wanted to go to Miles she thought that he might still be asleep.

When she was near the kitchen door, a sound of laughter began to echoed through the kitchen as she decided to take a closer look without making a noise.

Her heart melted from the scene she had before. Aiden cooking and Miles waiting with the plate placed before for the food to come to him. Miles eyes shone like pieces of crystal as Aiden spoke for God knows what about football.

Miles has never had such a thing so close to being called family, all he has had in life is Andrea and her endless love for him.

“Andrea you know that spying is a bad habit right?” The voice that came from Miles brought her back as she gathered herself from being a step close to cry.

“I wasn’t spying. I was coming to greet you. Good morning!” she said as she kissed Miles in the forehead and Aiden eyes turned on her.

“Andrea can you tell your husband that Liverpool is better than Real Madrid?” Miles said.

“Liver....what?” Andrea said as Aiden interrupted her:-

“That’s not true and beside that she doesn’t even know sport, of course she will take your side.”

“That’s not true she knows, she’s a journalist right?” Miles waited for Andrea to say something , but what she could say she didn’t even know their names.

“Boys, can you shut up! I just want to eat. I don’t even know their names. I don’t do sports I’m just an investigative journalist. “ she said as she took a plate and placed it before her, sitting herself close to Miles.

“You are no fun.” They both said as they look at each other and giggled.

“I don’t want to be fun. I just want to be in time for work.”

“What are you going to do today Miles?” she asked as she turned after a while to him.

“Me and him are going shopping and then play videogames since today it’s Saturday, he doesn’t have school. “ Aiden spoke immediately and something startet to gather inside Andrea. Again she was afraid.

She didn’t want them to bond together for some reason, but she couldn’t say anything as she gives them a small smile.

After a few minutes as she had finished eating and realizing that the clock had flown, she hurried off to go to work.

"Don't you think you're forgetting something small, but very important?" A voice spoke from behind as she was about to open the door to go out. Then she turned her head at the voice facing Aiden that was holding a phone in his hand as she realised it was hers.

“Thank you!” she said as she took the phone from him and again turned the other side to the door.

“Don’t worry about Miles.” He spoke taking her again by surprise as he continued.

“I won’t drag him in this world. I promise. I just want him to have a normal life with you and people who care about him.”

“Thank you for keeping the promise of bringing Miles to me, but I don’t really have much trust on you Aiden.”

“You and I know that the desire to stay away from this world alone is not enough. It keeps dragging you little by little until the light is far away to be seen. Let along to be touched. “ she said as her determined eyes were fixed on his.

Deep down he knew this was the truth of their lives, but again he could not give up he wanted to create a better world for that guy. Still without knowing well something inside him felt familiar and in his heart a room had already been created for him.

Although he did not say a word, deep inside he decided he would keep that promise as Andera gave him a sad look before closing the door to leave.