We're Not Brothers

Chapter 6

Charlie's POV

I stretch my body out on the bed, groaning softly.

"Morning, Goose." I murmur. I turn over to look at Cameron, but his side of the bed is empty. I frown at the cold bed.

"Cammie?" I call, sitting up, looking around the room. The room is empty. I check the closet, ripping the door open. He's not there.

I walk to the ensuite bathroom, and knock on the door, opening it slowly. "Cam?" No answer. I open the door and whip the shower curtain back, looking for him.

Oh no. It was a dream. He's not here. "Cameron?" I call louder, walking back into my room. I'm hoping against everything that it wasn't a dream.

I open my bedroom door, feeling the world crash down on me. "Cameron?!" I scream down the hallway. I can't breathe. I stumble against the wall. I'm frantically looking down the hallway, trying to figure out where he could be.

"Shit." I hear Evie's voice murmur as she catches me. "It's okay, I've got you Charlie."

"Evie, I can't - I can't breathe!" I gasp, clinging to her tightly.

"It's alright." She says softly, rubbing my arm. "Take a breath for me."

"I can't!" I gasp, tears streaming down my face. "I can't breathe!" I clutch onto her arms. "Evie." I sob.

"It's okay." She says, as we sit down on the floor. "It's okay."

"He's - he's not - he's not h-here." I sob into her chest as she holds me.

"He's here, Charlie." She whispers, stroking my hair. "It's okay. He's here."

"No! He's not!" I sob uncontrollably. "It's like every other time!"

"No it's not, Charlie." She says soothingly. "He's actually here. Hang on." She covers my ear before yelling. "CAMERON! GET YOUR ASS UP HERE!"

"I'm coming!" I hear him shout back. "God!" His feet stomp up the stairs. "What, woman?!" He asks, annoyed. Then his voice softens. "Oh, shit. Charlie." I feel him sit next to us on the floor, and he gently pries me away from Evie. "I got this, E. Thanks." He picks me up from the floor and carries me back to the bedroom. "I'm here, Charlie."

"It's not real." I whisper, not wanting this dream to leave me. "It's not real, but I don't want to wake up."

"Sweetheart." He whispers, stroking my hair. "I'm right here." He lays me softly on the bed.

I can't help my sobs, as I curl into myself on the bed. "Cammie, come back to me." I sob heavily. "Please, Cameron. Please come back." I sob into the pillow, eventually passing out.

Sometime later, I wake up hearing someone talking above me. I keep my eyes closed out of utter exhaustion.

"How often did this happen?" Cameron asks softly, trying not to wake me up.

"At least once a month." Evie's sad voice answers. "It's been really hard on him."

"I see that." Cameron's voice is sad as well. But I can also hear some worry.

"This is actually one of the milder ones." Evie says softly.

"This is mild?!" Cameron whisper-shouts.

Evie is silent for a moment. "The worst ones, he tears apart the entire house looking for you. And it's only after he's torn apart every single room that we're able to get him back into bed and he passes out."

"Oh, Charlie." I hear Cameron whisper softly as his finger brushes hair off my face. "I'm so sorry."

"I know it was hard on you too, though, Cam." Evie says softly.