You may now kill the Bride

Shadows of the past

Lexi jolted awake, her heart pounding, the echoes of screams still ringing in her ears. It was the same dream, the same flash of twisted metal and her mother's terrified face. But this time, there was something more. A voice, whispering a haunting refrain in her ear.

"It's your fault. If only you'd been there, they'd still be alive."

Lexi sat up, gasping for breath, her sheets drenched with sweat. It was just a dream, she told herself. But the guilt, the crushing weight of it, felt so real.

As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, a hand closed over her shoulder. "Lexi, what's wrong?" Reg's voice was rough with sleep, but there was a warmth in it that made her chest ache.

She tried to shake her head, to push him away, but he was already pulling her into his arms. "You were screaming," he murmured, his lips against her hair. "What happened?"

Lexi tried to form words, but they caught in her throat. No one knew about the nightmares, about the guilt that still haunted her. But as she looked up at Reg, she saw something in his eyes. A flicker of understanding, of shared pain.

"They died because of me," she whispered, the words ripping from her throat. "I should have been in the car. I could have stopped it."

Reg pulled her closer, holding her like a child. "That's not true," he murmured, his voice a soothing rumble. "You can't blame yourself for tragedy."

But Lexi just shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "You don't understand. I see them every time I close my eyes. I hear my mother screaming."

Reg didn't try to offer empty words of comfort. Instead, he just held her, his arms a solid wall around her. And as she sobbed against his chest, she felt a weight shift inside her. This was the first time she'd let anyone in, the first time she'd shown this broken part of herself. And as she looked up at Reg, she saw a reflection of her own pain in his eyes.

In that moment, Lexi felt a connection forge between them, a bond born of shared vulnerability. And as Reg's lips brushed against her forehead, she realized she was falling for him. Not the charming suitor, but this man, with his own scars and his quiet strength.

As the night wore on, Lexi drifted off to sleep, lulled by the steady beat of Reg's heart. And for the first time in years, the nightmares didn't come. Because for the first time, she didn't feel alone.

As she stirred the next morning, Reg was still beside her, his eyes watchful. "Better?" he asked, his voice soft.

Lexi nodded, feeling a fragile sense of peace. "Yeah. Thanks for...last night."

He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Anytime, Alexandra. I'm here for you."

And as Lexi looked into his eyes, she realized she was starting to believe him. Starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, she'd found a man who could see her, broken pieces and all, and still want her. And that was a dangerous thing.

Because as she leaned in, pressing her lips to his, she knew she was in too deep. She was falling for the enemy, and she wasn't sure if she had the strength to stop.