𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐣𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. [2] HIATUS

08

CHAPTER EIGHT
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
WARNING: SEXUAL THEMES
∘∘∘

THE NIGHTMARES ARE BACK. The past couple of nights went without incident, but not tonight.

Sloane wakes up screaming but no one is there to hold her this time. Her mother is in Greendale, visiting an old friend.

She lays there in bed, covers askew and moonlight shining through the window onto her sweaty face. Her hair is tangled and she wipes it off her face as she sits up. The horror from the nightmare is still flooding her veins. Sloane feels like she might die from fear.

She reaches for her phone on the side table. Sloane tries to steady her breathing as she scrolls through her contacts, hesitating before tapping on a name. She raises the phone to her ear, hearing it ring seemingly forever.

Finally, it picks up. "Hello?" A groggy voice answers.

Sloane takes a deep breath. "You wanted to make it up to me?"

∘

Inviting Archie Andrews into her bedroom at two o'clock in the morning is not something that Sloane imagined she would ever do again. But here he is, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room in a t-shirt and sweatpants.

Sloane sits on the bed, still looking as unkempt as before. "I know it's a weird and invasive request." She mutters. "But I don't know who else to ask."

Archie raises an eyebrow. "You want me to make it up to you by cuddling with you?"

Sloane groans. "Don't say it like that. I know it's stupid—"

"No, it's fine." He chuckles. "It's just . . . not what I expected." He walks over and Sloane scoots closer to the wall as he slides under the covers with her.

Archie opens his arms to her and Sloane curls into his chest. The embrace isn't romantic. Laying with him like this, Sloane doesn't feel for him what she used to. It's a platonic love now.

His big arms wrapped around her are still as comforting as they used to be. He's warm and running a hand through her hair, gently untangling the waves. He quietly hums one of his tunes in her ear.

Sloane soon finds herself falling asleep, the fear from before finally drifting away.

∘

Until her mom gets back, Sloane has decided to ask Reggie to spend nights with her, since having Archie over would look pretty bad to Veronica. She offered to pay him if that's what he wanted. But knowing Reggie . . . he had a difference price.

So as you can imagine, Sloane has been busy these past few days.

It's been about a week since Archie stayed with her and Sloane had no nightmares when he was there. So far, Reggie has produced the same result. If you find a solution to a haunting issue, use it. Unless it's bad, like drugs. Don't do that. In this instance, company works for Sloane. The sex is just a bonus, if she's being honest.

Skipping school to lay in bed and occasionally let hands wander and watch Game of Thrones is beyond liberating. Sloane and Reggie make it through almost the whole morning before they're interrupted.