Something In The Way-SYLUS X MC X ZAYNE

Chapter 9 "Cold Embrace"

As I collapsed against him, the weight of everything finally broke through, and I found myself sobbing into Zayne's chest. His arms tightened around me, his hand stroking my hair with gentle, comforting strokes. I was unraveling, letting the anguish and confusion spill out, and he simply held me, steady and calm, as if he had always known how to catch me when I fell.

Eventually, my tears slowed, and exhaustion took over. I felt my body growing heavy, my eyelids fluttering shut. Zayne whispered something I couldn't quite make out, and I drifted off in his arms, safe in his warmth.

The next thing I knew, I was half-awake, curled up in the backseat of his car, my cheek pressed against the cool leather. The world outside was a blur of lights and shadows as we drove through the empty streets. I looked up, catching a glimpse of him in the driver's seat, his face focused, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

My gaze fell to his hands, tracing the faint scars etched across his knuckles. I'd seen them a hundred times before, but now, in this drowsy state, I realized I had never asked him how he'd gotten them. I wondered if those scars held stories, ones he had kept hidden, just as I had kept parts of myself hidden from him.

He was so close, yet it felt like he was a world away. I'd just let myself fall apart in his arms, but I still didn't know what he kept locked inside. And then, just hours ago, I'd been with Sylus, his lips against mine, and now here I was with Zayne, feeling torn in two directions. A wave of guilt washed over me. I felt selfish, conflicted, and frustrated with myself for being so vulnerable.

But then I looked back at his hands. There was something grounding in them, something that made me want to break down every wall between us. I made a quiet vow to myself: I'd do whatever it took to understand him, to break through that stoic facade, to get closer to the man who, even now, was carrying me to safety.

I let the hum of the engine lull me back to sleep, and when I opened my eyes again, we had arrived. Zayne was helping me out of the car, his hand on my back as we made our way into his apartment building. The night air was cool, and I shivered, pulling his jacket tighter around my shoulders.

"I brought you here to make sure you'd be safe," he said, his voice soft as he unlocked the door. "I don't sleep much, so I'll be able to keep watch."

I looked up at him, seeing a flicker of vulnerability in his usually guarded eyes. "You didn't have to explain yourself," I replied. "I'm... glad you're here with me."

For a brief moment, a faint smile broke through his stoic facade, and I couldn't help but feel a warmth spread through me. Inside, he led me to the living room, where he grabbed a towel and a spare T-shirt and sweatpants from a drawer. "Take these. You can use the bathroom to clean up," he offered. "You should take the bed. I'll stay on the couch."

I nodded, trying to hide the excitement bubbling in me. I'd been in his apartment before, but this was different. Tonight, I was staying here. In his space. It felt intimate, in a way that made my pulse quicken.

After a hot shower, I slipped into the clothes he'd given me and crawled into his bed, letting the scent of him lingering in the sheets calm me. I closed my eyes, trying to settle, but it wasn't long before the nightmares came.

I was in a dark, endless void, my hands covered in blood. A monstrous figure loomed above me, a dagger lodged in its heart, and then everything changed, the cold wrapping around me, a voice whispering, "It's not your fault." I struggled to breathe, my chest tight with fear.

I gasped, jerking awake to find Zayne sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand on my shoulder, his eyes filled with worry. "Shh it's okay," he murmured, his voice gentle. "It's okay. It was just a dream."