Illusion

Chapter: 19

*FLASHBACK*

"Buddy?" I shot up from bed. My cheeks were wet. I was crying from a bad dream. I haven't had that dream in a long time.

"Babe? What's wrong?" Grayson sat up in bed. He rubbed his sleepy eyes. He looked at me and noticed in was crying. "What happened?"

"J-just a nightmare." I stuttered. After I said that, a few more tears fell from my eyes.

"Baby? Are you okay? What was it about?" He rubbed my back, comforting me.

"It was about Buddy. I told you and Ethan about him tonight and I had a nightmare." I hiccuped.

"What was it about? Like what happened?"

"It was vivid and so real. It was a dream of the day we put him down. It was like I had to relive that pain all over again." I sniffled. I've had this happen to me one other time. And it happened when I talked about Buddy before.

"C'mere." He wrapped his arm around me and we laid down on the bed, my head on his chest. "It's okay. He's still with you everyday. He's your guardian angel. I know he is by the stories you told E and I. He's always watching over you. You'll see him again one day."

"I know. I just miss my best friend." I cried. "The hole in my heart will never be filled. That place in my heart was just for him. No one or nothing will ever replace it or him."

"You'll get days where you get sad and miss him. But the days you do, those are the days where he's closest to you. When you miss him the most, he'll be right by your side watching over you and protecting you. He loves you Ashlea. He always will."

"I know. It's just hard once in a while. When I would be sick, he would stay right by my side. When I was upset, he knew when I was and he would come over to me and lick my face and try and cheer me up. He always wanted me to be happy. But since he's gone, on the days when I miss him, it's sometimes hard for me to be happy. I try but it's just not the same all the time without him. I know it's been almost 3 years but god damn, it just feels like yesterday I lost my best friend."

"Baby," he said. "It's okay to be sad about it. Like I said, that will stick with you forever. It's okay to be sad. It just shows you're only human. So don't ever feel bad when you are sad and missing him. And don't be scared if you ever wanna talk abut him because e I'm always open ears." He ran his thumb along my arm for comfort.

"Thank you Gray." I sniffled.

"You're welcome." He kissed the top of my head.

*PRESENT*

I woke up to an empty bed. I turned to my back and I reached for my phone on the table next to the bed.

12pm.

Holy shit. It was already noon but I didn't care. I yawned and I went to my Facebook. I had a notification from my sister. She had tagged me in a post. I clicked on it and my heart dropped when I saw it.