A Love Lost

Sebastian

After I hung up on Gabriel, I decided it would be best for me to sleep. I didn't have a peaceful sleep. Images of Ana and Gabriel together infiltrated my dreams. Turned peacefulness into nightmares. One woke me up. I dreamed I was at their wedding. I dreamed I was standing in the middle of the ceremony and beating Gabriel to a pulp. The dream Ana began to cry. Then, he fought back. I jolted awake.

As I became aware I was no longer in the dream, I heard screams from the deck. They were blood-curdling. I quickly ran down the hall, following them. When I found the source, I saw it was Ana. She was twitching on the lounge. She mumbled something in her sleep. Then a fear-inducing, blood-curdling scream escaped her lips.

"No!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

She was having a nightmare. I shook her gently. She didn't wake up. She turned to her side I grabbed her shoulder and shook her harder. This woke her up. She kicked her legs out, hit right at my knee, then fell off of the lounger. As she tried to get up, she slipped on the edge of the stairs that led to the lower deck and fell down the stairs. She hit the bottom head first. I raced after.

"Ana!" I shouted. I needed to make sure she was okay. Even though I was mad at her. Seeing her possibly injured made my anger dwindle.

"Get away from me." she slid further away from me.

For every step I took closer to her, she moved three away. I had taken three steps towards her when she backed up, unaware of her proximity to the pool, and fell in. Once she surfaced, I reached my hand out to help her.

"Get away from me," she repeated before swimming away.

"Can't you just accept help?" I asked, smirking. I was concerned but also amused. She was being very stubborn.

"Can't you just ignore me? You don't want me here. So, stop trying to be nice to me." She was getting mean again. Her voice was ice cold. I had done it. I made her mad. I had hurt her.

"Ana, I heard you screaming. I was just making sure you were okay." I explained my presence on the deck.

"I'm fine. Now. Go. Away!" she sounded each syllable out clearly. Each became more and more harsh.

I said nothing and retreated inside.

The next morning, I woke up. Surprisingly happy. Then, as I went to the kitchen, I saw her on the lounger on the deck. She fell back asleep. All down the left side of her body were dark purple bruises. I ignored the breakfast Martin had made for us and walked out to the deck. When I reached her lounger, I saw the full extent of last night's injuries. Some were not from her falling and tumbling down the stairs. Around her neck was a red mark. She had bruises on her face from when she fell face-first down the stairs. She had done more damage to herself because of me than to me.

I heard her groan and stretch out her arms. Her eyes opened.

"What the hell!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"

"I came to see if you were up. Martin made us breakfast." It was partially the truth. "Pancakes and toast."

"I'm good. I'll just make myself a smoothie." She had barely eaten all twenty-four hours we were together. I had never seen her eat much.

As she stood up, the towel she was wearing dropped and I saw her. I saw her ribs pressing against the thin layer of skin. She was incredibly thin. When she noticed I was looking, she quickly replaced her towel and walked off.

I needed to know what was going on. It would be the last thing I asked her. I looked out and saw we were about to dock in Almeria. I turned around and went back inside for breakfast.