Her Rock

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Declan's POV:

I wake up to the sheets moving restlessly. My eyes slowly squint open, trying to adjust in the darkness. After I blink a couple of times, then do I see Ella is moving uncomfortably.

She lets out many soft sniffles, her face wet with tears. Her eyes are squeezed closed and her hands are clenching the sheets. A pained expression is set upon her normally soft features. My sweet little Ellie must be having a bad dream.

"Lil' one, wake up." I murmur softly, not wanting to scare her.

Her body stills for a second, stirring, but then gets all tense again. She looks so scared, her beautiful face is all scrunched up in a way that even scares me.

Oh, Ellie, what are you doing to me?

"Ellie." I coo, grasping her little arm, giving it a small shake. "Wake up."

Still, she's stuck in that horrible dream. Under her breath, she keeps mumbling "no" along with other incoherent things I can't make out. I need to wake her up, and now.

Running my hand along her face, I gently remove the hair that is sticking to her milky, slick skin. My fingers trace her features soothingly as I murmur her name. "Ellie, open your eyes." I murmur. "I'm here, open those eyes for me."

Her face begins to soften as my fingers circle her skin. Her pink lips part as her eyes begin to flutter. A couple of seconds later, her blue eyes settle in on me as my body hovers over her in concern.

"D-Declan?" She mumbles shakily.

"Shh, I'm here, it was just a bad dream," I say.

She pulls the blankets tighter against her body like they will keep her safe. I take her trembling body into my arms and begin to rub small comforting circles on her back. She feels so small and fragile in my arms. I'm afraid if I hug her too tight, she will break. All I want to do is make her feel better. She looked so scared.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." She mumbles, leaning into me.

"Stop, you have nothing to be sorry for," I assure her.

I hate it when she apologizes. She can't control it if she has bad dreams or not. It's not her fault. I would rather her wake me up then be stuck in one alone.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask.

Ellie shakes her head no, so I keep my arms around her so she knows she's not alone. She snuggles her head into my chest, closing her puffy eyes.

Moments later, her breathing falls even, she is already back to sleep. I watch her for a while longer, wanting to make sure she's going to be alright.

Her features soften, her lips a gentle pink, and her nose slightly scrunched. A smile captures my lips as I watch this girl sleep. She is stunning.

Soon enough, my eyes begin to feel heavy, and as I let them shut, I fall asleep with the picture of Ellie in my mind.

*

Morning light sneaks through the windows, waking me up. Ellie lays cuddled in my arms, still sleeping soundly. Her wavy blonde hair lays untamed, framing her face with her long lashes curled up.

I swear, I've never met someone so perfect.

I cover her up with the blankets, then carefully climb out of bed, not wanting to wake her. After taking one last glance back, I head to the bathroom to take a shower.

Wes and I were at the park last night, throwing a football back and forth. When I need to release tension, we go to the park and pass the football quite forcefully. Wes is the one who suggests we go there. He likes to make sure I don't use violence to calm myself down.