*****
Josh
Laura almost instantly fell asleep around 1:3o in the morning. 15 minutes after she passed out I walked downstairs to where Derek was.
"We need to talk". I said standing Infront of him.
"Look I don't know what yo-", but I cut him off.
"Thank you. Thank you for being there when...I couldn't". It killed me. Killed me that Derek found her. But I was so relieved that she was safe I was electing to ignore that minor(not really) detail.
"I looked for her all night. I thought she was taken. So thank you". I said again. He should soak up my gratitude because Id never thanked anyone before. But I was indebted to him. He saved the life of the girl I loved.
Loved. I loved her. I smiled at the thought.
"Do you know what Damon was doing?" Derek asked his voice laced with venom.
"He was forcing himself on her Josh. He was going to rape her." I froze. My heart rate spiked as I looked at him.
Damon was a dead man. I didn't care what happened to me, or the consequences I would face from Rothfort. Damon was touching my girl and Rothfort knew the whole time. I gritted my teeth.
"Did you see anyone else at the restaurant?" I asked sitting on the couch across from him.
"No I don't think so...wait there was this one other guy who came out not long after sweet cheeks-" I clenched my fists at his nickname for her.
"It was a guy with a jagged scar on his left arm. He was talking on the phone with someone and I swear I heard him say Laura." I ran my hands through my hair as I breathed in.
This was all my fault. I got involved with her, I pulled her into this world. And now? Now I signed her death sentence.
When Damon sets his eyes on someone he never lets go. I know that all too well, after all he's the reason I have no family. He manipulated me and I...I did unspeakable things. He wouldn't let me go and I turned into this monster, I wouldn't let the same happen to Laura.
Wasn't there a saying 'if you love something let it go'?
"Don't concern yourself with any of those people. They're dangerous and futile." He scoffed.
"If you can't remember correctly I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself and those around me." I glared at him.
"Look you have a thing for my girl. I get it she's perfect, who wouldn't want her, but she's taken. Get over her." He narrowed his eyes.
"Get over your girl? Well Josh do you even know anything about your girl. Did you know when she sleeps she wakes up screaming every 3 hours, did you know when she's mad her eyebrows scrunch up in anger? Did you know in the 6th grade she stood up for her friend Milo because he was being bullied. Did you know when she graduates she wants to go to Julliard. Did you even know that she plays? Josh you know nothing about Laura. You've known her less than a year. I've known her practically her whole life. I'm the safer choice between the two of us. With me she won't ever be in the kind of danger she was in tonight, I don't know what went down but I know it had something to do with you". He said pointing an accusing finger in my direction.
I growled, as I stalked towards him. "I may not know much about her, but I know that I l-", but then I heard the most blood curdling scream and I ran for Laura.
I burst through Dereks door and kneeled on the bed. Why was she screaming? A nightmare? With the agony in her voice I knew this was no normal nightmare. I touched her cheek and lightly shook her.
"Munchkin wake up, munchkin wake up it's ok." But it wasn't working. She wasn't waking up or responding to me. I tried to shake her again, but her body moved away from me as if my touch was lethal.
"Munchkin WAKE UP", I yelled desperate for her to escape her nightmare. Suddenly I was thrown out of the way by Derek as he knelt beside her.
I was so going to punch him in his god damn face for doing that. There was no way she was going to wake up if he tried.
But I was wrong.
As soon as Derek touched Laura's face the screaming stopped and she jolted awake. My heart sank.
I rushed to the other side of the bed but instead of turning to me, she turned to Derek. Her hands were shaking as she reached for him.
"D-Derek...I...c-can't sl-sleep...st-stay with m-me". She cried between sobs. Her eyes were watering as she grabbed onto his shirt for dear life. Derek climbed into the bed with her and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He caressed her head and she fell back asleep.
This time she didn't wake up screaming.
