I wake up in tears. Coughing up blood. The night sky is still out and I groan quietly, as to not awaken Ally. My sheets are back to a blood red color so I strip my bed and throw them in the hamper. I put on a low cut tank and some comfy shorts and sit back out on the roof of the shed.
This was the one night I had a different nightmare. I saw Dinah. She was screaming as a man stood over her. Take it, he had snarled. She sat there. Letting it happen. Blood pooling on the floor. But she made no sound.
She saw me though. She reached out. Long slim elegant fingers. I grasped her hand. My heart aching for the girl who murdered Camila. But as if slippery wet with water, her hand fell from my gasp. She landed in a labyrinth. I landed on the other end.
This time you could hear the screams. And Im not sure whos they were. Mine or hers.
It terrifyed me. The nightmares haunted me. Dinah had been the hirl in my nightmares. Now she was here. Making a deal with the dead.
"Beautiful night."
"Ah!" I twisted away from the roof but managed to fall off the edge. Almost.
Dinahs strong arms encased me. Trapping me with her warm body. I was laying on top of her. She has just stopped me from falling. Appearntly I need her to stop me from a lot of things, such as cars and falling off sheds at 4 am.
"What the hell?" I asked.
"Hmm?"
"Your making a deal with a nonexsisten dead girl. And you think you can win my heat within three days? Im not some freaking prize to be won."
She nods. "I understand. But I need Camilas help."
"And if you cant get me to fall for you?"
"Then I think Im doomed. And you as well. But whatever ya know."
I take a deep breath and turn to her. It sucks that shes so beautiful. It sucks that shes so perfect and has amazing lips and big beautiful brown eyes and curves in all the right places. It sucks that she murdered a girl that isnt a girl. It sucks I believe her. And it sucks falling.
Amazing how you can feel it. That drop in your stomach or tingle in your fingers. The ache of touching them everywhere. I want nothing more than to trace my fingers along her jawline and memorize every dip and cruve that makes her athletic build.
"Dam." I whisper.
Dinah raises an eyebrow at me. A small smirk on her face. I realise Im still on top of her. She watches me closely. Her eyes dating from my eyes to my lips. She bites her own lip and grins. I sigh.
"You want something?"
"I never thought it would hurt this much. Falling for a murderer."
"She was a deamon. Im a deamon hunter. You heard her. And you believe it."
"I do." I say because its the truth.
"You know what I would love?"
"A kiss?"
She rolls her eyes. "Yes."
I lean down, inches from her mouth. Her breath is hot and I can smell the honeysuckle and smoke. Only this night its mixed with the smell of blood. Fresh blood. I take her hand and I can feel water. Not sweat. Its not sticky or warm. Its cold. Ice cold.
Her hands snaps back and I grin. "Change your mind?"
Dinah hisses. "I know what your doing."
I dont protest. Instead I lean down and take her soft lips. They taste of blood from biting her lip so hard. Something Ive wanted since day one. And it didnt matter that I saw her murder someone. I still fell. And I fell hard. I never thought it would hurt so much though.
Without permission, I shove my tongue into her mouth and she moans, arching her back into me, trying to get as close as possible. I smile into her lips and slip my hand around her back. All I needed was that. I come up for air and take back my hand. Looking down at Dinah.
Her breathing is ragged and she looks unreadable. I gasp when I realise my hand is covered in blood.
"Dinah." I say slowly.
"Yes?"
"Can you sit with your back to me?"
"Laur-"
But I give her an intense stare and she sits up. Turning around and moving her hair off her back so I could get a look at her bloodstained shirt. Without asking I lifted up her shirt. Expousing her black bra and a back of blood. She shivered as my cold hands ran the length of her back.
Gently, I traced each scare. Thinking about the nightmare. Thinking about her screams and it brought tears to my eyes. I loved her. I had fallen hard and it happened when I first laid eyes on her. She killed a deamon. She didnt murder anyone. But she was going through her own pain.
"Who did this to you?" I asked.
"Laur-"
"Who did this to you?" I asked more forcefully.
Dinah sighed and I traced another scar. The blood had stopped gushing and I could tell it wasnt ordinary blood. Blood of the Endarkened. Deep red and coal black mixed to a very ugly yet beautiful color.
"This isnt for me to answer." Dinah said softly. "Your going to have to ask Ally."
"Ally? She did this?"
"No. Your mom knows who. And thats why shes dead. That wasnt a car accident. She knew too much and its why shes dead."
I swallow hard. Dinah pulls down her tshirt and wraps her arms around me. I still wear her jacket. It makes me feel safe. She plays with the pendant on my throat and runs her fingers through my hair.
"No one will hurt you Lo. I promise."
Promise. So many promises have been made yet broken. My moms last words still echo in my head. She had been smiling. Laughing. But I knew that the night before that she took out the little box. The silver one with the initials A.L.S. She cried over it like she does every September first.
It'll be okay Lauren. I promise I'll be back in ten minutes.
She didnt come back. In fact after twenty minutes I got the phonecall. She whispered the word promise every night she took out the box. Every time I asked she said it was my dead brother. I knew she was lying. She had never been a good liar.
Dinah rubbed my back. "Just talk to her." Dinah says softly. "Promise?"
"Promise." But I knew well that some promises werent kept.
