Haylee’s POV
The flight home from New York had been exhausting and rather terrifying, as there had been quite a bit of turbulence. Glad to be back at home, I flopped down on the couch and sighed happily. “I’m never leaving this couch!” I cried, burying my face into the pillow. Dan chuckled and wandered over, his hands tickling my sides until I sat up. He sat down and pulled me onto his lap. I turned my head away from him, still feeling like I didn’t belong with someone as incredible as him.
“What’s wrong, angel?” Dan asked, gently turning my head back to face him. I adverted my gaze to the floor.
“I feel like I’m not good for you, Dan…” I whispered.
“Hey. Hey! Don’t think like that, okay? You are perfect and don’t ever think that you’re not.” He replied, kissing me softly. I smiled, still not feeling completely better.
“Thanks Dan. I just need some sleep, okay?” I replied. He nodded and let me go to go get ready for bed. I showered and dressed quickly, opting to borrow a pair of Dan’s sweats again. I curled up on his bed and fell asleep rather quickly, not caring about anything at all.
Dan’s POV
I was extremely worried about Haylee. She’d been trying so much to get better, but I knew that it was a slow road for her and as much as I wanted to help her, I could only do what she would allow me to do. It was stressful and the worst part was her thinking that I didn’t want her. I wasn’t like that. I didn’t judge. She is everything to me and I would do anything in my power to fix her. “Phil… I need one of our late night deep talks…” I sighed, leaning on his door frame.
“Sure. Meet you in the lounge in five.” He replied, shutting off his laptop. I nodded and headed out to the lounge. A few minutes later, Phil appeared, two mugs of tea in his hands. “What’s troubling you?” He asked, sitting down across from me.
“Haylee.” I stated. “I’m just at a loss… I don’t know what to do, Phil. I love her and I feel like she’s shutting me out.”
“She needs time, Dan. It took Chassidy a while to get to where she is with me now, and that’s what Haylee needs. I know the situations are different, but in a way, they are very similar.” Phil explained.
“How so?” I asked.
“Haylee has insecurities that are plaguing her. She thinks that everyone hates her and that she’s no good. You have to let her know that she’s not useless. Chassidy felt that I was going to hurt her. It took time for me to prove that I wasn’t. Nathan messed her up and I wish she’d never had to go through that… but if she hadn’t, we never would have met.” He replied.
“I see your point,” I sighed, running a finger around the edge of the mug lazily. “I’m just not sure what to do anymore. I need her and I want her so much more than words can ever say.”
Phil got up. “Dan, you’ll know what to do when the moment is right. I’m going to bed. Night.”
“Night.” I replied, watching him disappear up the stairs. I sighed and flopped back on the couch, thoughts running rampant in my head.
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“Dan!” I shot up, looking for the source of the voice. It was Haylee. “Dan!” She called again.
“Haylee?” I stood and started running, only to realize that I wasn’t getting anywhere. Walls blocked my way every time I turned around. I was stuck and I couldn’t reach her. Suddenly, a window appeared and I could see her. I shook my head. This wasn’t right… Haylee stood still in the middle of the room, dressed in all white, with white angel wings behind her. Suddenly, blood dripped down the wings. Tattered bandages hung from her arms, coated in blood. She held a knife in her hand and my eyes went wide. Slowly and shakily, she brought the knife to her chest and forced it in, falling to the floor. A door opened and I ran in, falling upon my knees by her side. Her eyes opened and in them I saw the stars and the love she had for me. “Haylee…” Tears ran down my cheeks as I held her close to me. With a bloody hand, she reached up and brushed my cheek.
“I love you…” She whispered as her eyes closed. I pulled her close to me and suddenly it changed again. I looked down and all that was left was the blood-soaked fabric. I stood up and saw a bottle of poison sitting on a pedestal. I walked towards it with a shaky hand and grabbed it. It was the only thing I had… Unscrewing the cap, I took it all in a single drink and downed it. Instantly, I couldn’t breathe. The room began to spin and I stumble back, falling again. Flat on my back, I watched as memories of Haylee, Phil and Chassidy spun in front of my eyes. Everything grew cold and I began to fade into the blackness.
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I awoke with a start, sweat beading on my forehead and my heart racing. Looking around, I realized I’d fallen asleep on the couch. My mind setting back into panic mode, I jumped up and raced down the hallway to my room where Haylee was. “Haylee?!” I cried, running to the bed. She awoke as I shook her gently.
“Dan, what’s going on?! Why did you wake me up?!” She asked. She spotted the tears fresh on my face and instantly her mood changed. “Dan, what’s wrong?” I couldn’t speak, so I just wrapped my arms around her and cried against her.
“Nightmare!” I finally choked out. Haylee rubbed small circles on my back gently.
“It’s alright, Dan. I’m here.” She soothed. I climbed into the bed next to her and pulled her close. The sheets tangled around us as we lay in perfect silence. Her leg draped across mine; my arm wrapped around her waist. Everything about this moment was perfect and I knew right then that it was all going to be okay someday.
