HAUNTINGLY | 18+

2 | Sweet Tooth

"Jason, please slow down!" I shouted desperately as my brother swerved between cars, the adrenaline pumping through my veins. "You're going to kill us!"

My words fell on deaf ears; he seemed lost in a reckless trance. He was too far gone.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I hastily brushed them away with the sleeve of my sweater.

Desperate, I turned towards him, my voice trembling, "Jason, I'm begging you, just stop the car."

No response.

"I'm scared," I finally managed to cry out, my heart racing at an alarming pace.

He was driving too fast. His speed surpassed reason, outpacing even the guardian angel watching over us. I turned to face my brother again, but before I knew it I saw blinding headlights hurtling towards us.

"JASON–"

I jolted awake, my body drenched in sweat, and a scream trapped in my throat. Another haunting nightmare had consumed my sleep, a relentless cycle that showed no signs of ending.

I grabbed my phone to check the time. 3:56 p.m.

I slowly sat up and realized I had slept on my couch last night. I took in a few deep breaths trying to calm my heart down.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Repeat.

I grabbed a napkin from the coffee table and wiped the small beads of sweat covering my forehead.

Throwing the napkin on the table, I took the blanket off and stood on my feet. My gaze drifted down to the hoodie I was wearing, immediately remembering the events from the previous night.

Gunshots.

Anxiety attack.

Xavier.

Great. As if my mind hadn't already been plagued by enough haunting memories, now I had fresh ones to deal with.

Navigating my way to the bedroom, I removed the hoodie, gently placing it on the bed. Discarding the rest of my clothes, I grabbed a new pair of black lace underwear and an oversized t-shirt.

Once I had what I needed, I headed straight for the bathroom. I desperately needed to take a long shower to wash away the events of last night and this morning.

After spending almost an hour showering, I got dressed in nothing but my underwear and t-shirt and headed back to my room. I stopped in front of my mirror and took in my appearance.

My gaze locked onto my mesmerizing green eyes, framed by a cascade of black hair that extended almost to the length of my back. I always liked my straight hair, made it easier for me to get ready in the mornings.

Surveying my sun-kissed complexion, rosy lips, and dark eyelashes, I shifted my focus downward, taking in the contours of my body. Embracing my natural curves had always been a source of confidence and pride.

I let out an audible sigh, realizing that I resembled my mother in every way. She possessed a breathtaking beauty that I had inherited. The only trait I could attribute to my father was his perfectly straight teeth, though I had no complaints about that either.

I miss them.

Stepping away from the mirror, I grabbed my phone and layed down on my bed. I glanced at the screen, only to be greeted by a staggering number of missed calls from Olivia—ten in total.