Against The Odds: Guarded

45

4am in the morning right now. And im tired. I have school

LUCAS POV

I shot up out of my sleep with my heart racing. This is the third time this week that I’ve killed him in my dream and the image makes me feel like I’m going to be sick. I searched around the dark room to be sure that I’m in my house, in my bed and not a police station somewhere in downtown London. They’re getting too realistic now and that bothers me more than having them. Maya is sleeping next to me peacefully. She makes it look so easy. I don’t want to wake her up but she told me to if it ever happens like this again. I shake her shoulder gently and she moves but doesn’t open her eyes. She curls herself tighter into my side and it causes my nerves to settle and my breathing to slow once again to a normal rate. I don’t have to wake her, as long as she’s here it calms me down.

I climb out of bed away from my mess of covers, pillows and sleeping beauty next to me when I feel myself become overheated. While heading down the stairs I'm sure to skip over the steps that I know make the floorboards creek, no one should be started awake at this ungodly hour. I grab a glass and fill it with ice cubes and water then grab my bottle of aripiprazole and pop two of the pills before I take a sip and allow the chilled liquid to cool me off. I’m thankful that my mum seems to trust me more again seeing as how she used to have a lock on the medicine cabinet at night after I over dosed. I put the pills back before I head back upstairs and look at the clock on the microwave. It’s only five-thirty, I’ve been asleep for five hours and twenty minutes, but it’s the longest rest I’ve gotten this week so far.

When I get back to my room, I can see that Maya's eyes are open. I take another sip of my water and then set the glass down on my dresser before I get back in the bed facing her. She runs her hand through my hair and then moves it down and rests it down on my cheek and I grab her hand off my face and kiss her fingertips before I speak.

“Why are you awake?”

“I was going to ask you the same question. Did you have another bad dream?”

I open my mouth to answer her, but as soon as I do, the image in my nightmare flashes through my head. I close my eyes momentarily and then open them but all I can do is nod my head to tell her and convince myself that they will go away soon. At least I know why I'm having them this time.

“Was it the same one as before?”

No.

“Yeah, I’m okay though. I’ll be okay.” Her eyes search my face with a worried expression.

"Lucas-"

"Maya I'm fine. I'm fine just leave it. It was the same one as last time. I've told you about it before." I try to sound convincing but I know she's still skeptical.

“Will you be able to go back to sleep?” I widen my eyes and roll them. Here’s Maya's inner annoying therapist.

“I should be able to if you stop asking me so many questions.”

She rolls her eyes at me so hard that I can see it clearly in the dark and gets ready to turn her back to my front but I grab her side so she can’t.

“What are you doing now Lucas? Let me go, I know I can go back to sleep.”

“Smart ass! You always have something smart to say. That was mean. Just stay here like this. Maybe I want to try and fall asleep to your pretty little face... If I’m honest, that’s not the only thing I want to do to your face.”

“Lucas!” Maya halfway shouted and then lowered her voice when she realized what time it was. I laughed and pulled her closer to me because even though I’m laughing my nerves are still somewhat on edge.