First

Chapter 29

I slept fitfully, aware that Jace was beside me. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, holding me to him. I didn't want to move for fear of waking him up. It had only taken seconds for him to pass out. But when I finally dozed off it was only a brief reprieve. I was jolted awake by someone thrashing in bed; it took me a few seconds to get my bearings and grasp what was happening. I sat bolt upright in a panic when I realized it was Jace who was tossing.

"No!" he cried out, "Stop! Stop, please!"

"Jace," I whispered loudly, trying to wake him up, yet trying not to wake up my parents. But it was safe to say if anyone was going to wake them up it was going to be Jace. "Hey, Jace," I said louder. I started shaking him but it was too hard to do without getting hit by the flailing arms. "Jace, stop!" I yelled, crawling onto his hips and holding down his arms.

"Kadence, what's going on?" my mom cried, rushing into the room followed closely by my dad, aunt and Levi.

Fuck, I thought. I didn't want them to see Jace like this; he would be mortified if he knew.

"What's wrong with him?" my aunt asked.

"He's having a nightmare. Jason, wake up. Come on!" I cried, shaking him harder.

Finally, Jace's eyes flew open as he sat up, his back ramrod straight. "Oh god!" Jace cried as he wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my neck, silent tears dripping onto my neck. "Kade."

"Sh, it's okay. You're okay, everything is going to be okay," I soothed, rubbing his back, trying to calm him down.

"Do you have everything under control?" my dad asked, giving me a knowing look that I wasn't too sure what to make of.

I nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Thanks, you guys can go back to bed. Sorry for waking you," I reassured them, glancing down at Jace who was still wrapped around me like a vine, paying no attention to anyone or anything else around us.

They nodded and slowly filed out of my room, my aunt closing the door on her way out.

"Are you okay?" I kissed his head once we were alone.

"I don't know what that was. I just remember my dad..." Jace admitted, trailing off.

"You don't have to talk about it, you're okay and you're safe. You're here with me," I soothed.

Jace pulled back a little so he could look me in the eyes. "All I wanted was you; you were the only thing I could think about; I knew that if I could get back to you everything would be okay. I was so scared. Maybe you're right," he moaned.

"About what, baby?" I asked, kissing his neck and burying my face in his shoulder.

"Turning him in."

I sat, stunned. I knew that this was a breakthrough but I wasn't ready to push him on it; especially after the nightmare he just had. He needed time to think on everything that had happened because no matter what decision he made it would have long lasting ramifications that neither one of us was equipped to think about at the moment. "J, it's late, we can talk about this in the morning, okay?"

Jace nodded, "Yeah, I guess that's probably a good idea. What time is it anyway?"

I turned and looked at my alarm clock, the green numbers lighting up my room, "4:30am." I slid off of Jace and lay down beside him. "Come on, lay down."

Jace put his head on the pillow and pressed his lips into my chest. "Don't leave me."

"J..." I didn't know what to say or where this had come from. "I'm not ever going to leave you, you know that. What would make you think I ever would? Baby...? Answer me." I pressed my face into his hair and ran it through my fingers.

"It's just... when I was having my nightmare, I was all alone," Jace said, his voice muffled by my chest. He pulled away and looked up at me through his dark, long lashes. "You weren't there. And... And when I woke up, I was so scared you wouldn't be there. But when I opened my eyes and I saw you, it was like this calm spread over me. You are the one thing in my entire life that keeps me sane through all this craziness. I need you. Please don't leave me," Jace pleaded, his voice breaking.

"Oh baby, please don't worry about that. I'm not going anywhere; I never will. Just sleep, Jace, please, just sleep," I soothed, holding him close and rubbing his back.

Soon his breathing became slow and steady. I breathed a silent sigh of relief. Today had been one hell of a day; Jace was exhausted, he deserved some rest. A tear slowly slid down my cheek. I wished there was some way I could protect him. I had never seen him so utterly destroyed like this before. And that nightmare... Jace had nightmares, just like everyone else—I'd seen enough of that when he dozed off on my couch or bed after work—but they normally only consisted of moaning and sweating. But this thrashing and yelling was all new to me. It scared me. And his sudden need to not be alone was disconcerting. Jace was never one to be needy; he wanted to be independent.

But this encounter with his dad today had thrown him into chaos. His entire demeanor today was completely out of character for him. Normally he was so calm and composed; I could only hope that some sleep was what he needed right now. If it wasn't, I didn't know what I was going to do. Could all of this be his dad's doing? Or had it all just been building and building and after everything it had blown?

Idrifted off to sleep letting questions like this slip through my brain. Jacewas sound asleep beside me; I let his breaths calm and soothe me. I was soscared for Jace. That was the overwhelming theme running through my mind; myfear for him. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed dreams of Jace, hisbeautiful face and body marred by blood.