Alexei And Grace

27 | Scare Tactics

Alexei | Grace

IT TOOK AN AGE UNTIL I heard Grace's breathing deepen. She wasn't fooling anyone with her half closed eyes and occasional sighing, I knew her pretending to be asleep was a show of childishness meant to punish me.

         Sometimes it felt as though I knew Grace better than I knew anyone else.

         After a long hour of waiting, she finally caved into sleep and I crept off the bed quietly to scoop her up in my arms. She must have been a heavy sleeper because she hardly stirred when I lifted her onto the bed. She should have known I'd never let her sleep on the floor, but we were both stubborn in equal measure, I supposed.

         "What am I going to do with you?" I mumbled into her hair as I cradled her head down onto the pillow. The smell of her coconut shampoo filled my nostrils and I breathed deeply. It was a scent I should never have let myself get close enough to know—not only know, but like.

         In her sleep Grace's brows pulled down into a crease. Her arms wrapped around mine tighter. "Legko, tigrenok," I soothed, smoothing our the line on her forehead. "I'm here."

          (Easy, little tiger)

          I wanted to be a big enough man to sleep on the floor. I knew it was what I should do, but with her small hands gripping my shirtsleeves I couldn't summon the will to leave Grace. Instead I carefully manoeuvred myself so that I was laying beside her, resting on my elbow so I could watch her sleep. There was no way I'd have that same luxury tonight. Insomnia had plagued me since I was a boy; not all vices leave us when we grow up.

         It was a good five hours before Grace stirred again. She let out a little mewl like she was some lost animal, then her breathing picked up. I could tell from the way her eyelids fluttered she was having a bad dream.

         "Grace," I whispered, stroking her cheek with my thumb. Another whimper parted her lips and I rolled my eyes at how innocent she managed to sound while having a nightmare. "Grace," I repeated, louder this time, until her eyes snapped open with a start.

         "Alex," she gasped, staring back at me wide eyed and panting. She looked both relieved and sceptical as she sat up and pushed the damp hair off her forehead.

         "You were having a bad dream."

         "You..." she cleared her throat then seemed to think better of whatever she was going to say. "I know. Sorry."

         "What are you apologising for?"

         Grace ignored my question and continued staring at me. I wondered what her dream had been about, to make her look at me like that. Like she was relieved. Almost like she was glad to see me. She should be looking terrified. Yet a small, quiet part of myself was glad that she didn't look at all scared.

         "I haven't had a nightmare since I was a kid," Grace said, leaning back against the headboard and drawing her knees up to her chest. "Not since I was nine or ten years old."

         This surprised me. Although she hadn't opened up too much about her parents' car accident, I knew it happened when Grace was around sixteen. Events like that usually caused some form of trauma in dreams.

         "You look confused," Grace observed.

         "Sorry." It was usually my reflex habit to keep emotions hidden.

         "I can guess why."

         Our eyes locked. "You don't have to talk about it."