Running from the life that was.

Chapter Fifteen

Mia jolted awake from yet another nightmare around 2 AM, her heart raced as she recalled Lane, in her dream, screaming at her in a courtroom. "You little bitch, you're a liar!" he had yelled, and she woke up just as he lunged at her.

Groaning quietly into her hands, she felt a wave of frustration wash over her. At least she could talk to her therapist now—that was a positive. But the thought of therapy made her feel embarrassed. 'What a loser,' she scolded herself before pulling back her bedcovers and making her way to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Mia poured herself a glass of water, took some painkillers for the dull ache in her head, and settled onto the couch. She scrolled through her phone for a little while, but soon her exhaustion caught up with her, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep on the couch.

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Maya and Carina woke up at the same time the next morning—Maya due to her early morning run and Carina because her shift was starting early. It was around 5:30 AM when they left their bedroom. They tried to be quiet, not wanting to wake Mia. However, as Carina moved to have her coffee on the couch, she spotted the blonde teenager fast asleep, curled up in a ball right where she had gone to sit.

Carina quietly moved back to Maya. "Mia's asleep on the couch," she whispered.

"What? Really?" Maya replied, surprised.

Carina nodded. "I don't think she's been sleeping well. I found her in the kitchen yesterday morning too, before I left."

"She has been looking exceptionally tired lately," Maya said, concern etched on her face.

"Si, I agree," Carina said, sharing the same worry.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a whimper coming from the couch. They quickly moved over to check on Mia, who was now shaking and still whimpering in her sleep. "No, don't. Stop. I want to stop," she mumbled.

"I think she's having a nightmare," Maya said softly. "Do we wake her?"

Before they could answer their own question, Mia's body jolted upright, her breathing heavy and her expression confused and scared.

Maya quickly knelt in front of Mia, placing her hands on her knees. "Hey, Mia, it's okay. You're okay. I think you were having a nightmare," Maya said soothingly.

Mia looked up at Maya and then at Carina, trying to take in her surroundings and regain her bearings.

"Um... um, I'm fine," she said, but her voice betrayed her.

Maya and Carina exchanged concerned glances.

"Bella, has this been happening often?" Carina asked gently.

Mia looked down at her hands, feeling weak for allowing these nightmares to affect her. They were just nightmares, and now she felt exposed. However, she still nodded, confirming Carina's suspicions.

"Mia, you should have told us," Maya said softly.

Mia shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "They are just nightmares; they're not real. Besides, only weak people react to nightmares," she said, her voice firm but shaky.

Maya felt a surge of concern at the word "weak," knowing it was something their father used regularly, meaning his voice was obviously loud in Mias head at the moment.

"That's not true, bella. Nightmares can be disturbing, and it's completely normal to feel scared from them," Carina reassured her.

"I'm not scared of them!" Mia suddenly exclaimed, though that wasn't entirely true. She had started feeling anxious every time she closed her eyes, worrying about what might invade her dreams that night.