Only for me | Draco Malfoy

12.

I tried to sleep.

I truly did.

I wanted to sleep. I was exhausted. I hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours, and that had only been for a few hours.

The problem was that every time I closed my eyes, I was extremely aware that it would only take a second for someone to approach me and I would be completely unaware. Exactly like the other night.

I attempted to conceive countermeasures. I crept across the room to close the open door, locking it and twisting the door knob just in case the boys were asleep, based on the sounds of their shallow breathing. I tried to form a barrier around myself with my pillow and blanket, just to make it harder for someone to sneak up on me. Just to give myself a few seconds to respond.

But even when I closed my eyes, the panic remained. As a result, I eventually gave up hope. I sat up against the wall, hugging my legs to my chest. And I waited for the sun to rise in agony.

I didn't think Ryder would be foolish enough to try to approach me in a room full of witnesses. I also didn't think Draco, Finn, or Elijah would try to do the same thing Ryder did. Not that it matters much; I never expected Ryder to either.

So I sat for hours, numb. I didn't give it much thought. Except for how exhausted I was. When the sun finally appeared in the sky and I heard the boys wake up, I quickly adjusted my blankets and lay back down on my back. I closed my eyes as I heard Elijah leap from the top bunk, skipping the small ladder entirely. He didn't seem to be suspicious of anything. When Finn awoke, I repeated the process. This far, so good.

I laid there staring at the ceiling, waiting for Draco to wake up and leave the room. I couldn't wait to get out of there. I hoped that once we were out of here, once I was back in my room, in my own bed, I would feel better. At the very least, I could sleep. There would be no reminders once we were gone. As they say, out of sight, out of mind. Life would continue. Everything would be normal again.

"Morning." Draco said unexpectedly.

He had a habit of sneaking up on me just as I let down my guard.

"Morning." I returned his greeting.

He was seated in the bottom bed across from me, facing me.

"How was your sleep?" He questioned politely.

I was growing tired of the way Draco looked at me when he spoke to me, as if he could see through all my lies.

"Fine." I said, returning my gaze to the ceiling.

"I'm glad. I hate these beds. You know how Elijah always lets you have the master bedroom when we come up here? I'd always wondered why he'd willingly give up that bed." He chuckled and then paused, as if expecting me to say something.

He continued because I didn't.

"If you want to come, I believe everyone is eating breakfast."

"When are we going to leave?" I asked, barely allowing him to finish his sentence.

I assumed Draco would set the time for us to leave because he drove us there.

Draco cocked his head and looked at me, but his face said nothing about what he was thinking.

"I'm not sure yet. Why? Is there a time you need to leave by?"

"No. I was just curious. I'm going to start packing." I muttered quickly before leaping to my feet and exiting the room.

This time, I only paused for a second at the room's door. I had mentally prepared myself for this moment. As I quickly gathered my belongings, I didn't look at the bed. I grabbed the first outfit I saw and yanked it onto my body. A jean shorts and a pink crop top outfit. It would have to be enough.