Take Me Away | ✔️

28. TREMORS

"WAKE UP!"

          I coughed, heaved, and opened my eyes. The rope around my right hand, locking me to the metal headboard of the bed, was itching and too tight for me to handle but that wasn't that I was fretting about, it was the water that they threw at me. It almost choked me.

          Max stood in front of me, a red bucket in his hand. He bent down, hands around my face. "It's okay, shh, shh. You wouldn't take a bath so I decided to take control as I've always did. It seems like a good dream, you were having. Tell it to me."

          The will to shake my head and said no was already in my head but I couldn't take it anymore. The burning sensations in each wounds were taking over me, having the pain just control me. "I was—I was dreaming of Travis. He—"

          —was holding my hand tightly, like he was afraid I would let go. We were sitting at this small restaurant he used to go to when he was a kid with Elizabeth. Jada's. We sat down and I let him order for me which was vanilla milkshakes and steak and eggs.

           "You okay?" He asked, staring at me while taking a sip out of the straw of strawberry milkshake. One that I didn't know that he loved. "You've been quiet the whole day. You haven't insulted me or anything. I'm beginning to think that something's wrong."

           My brows furrowed at him, smirking. "You're an idiot."

           He laughed—oh, and what a good laugh it was. I remember missing it. "There she is! So, I have something to tell you."

           "What?"

           "I love you."

          Then I was awake.

          "My," he smiled, those dark brown eyes staring at me. "You still dream of him. I can't fault you for having your dreams, but you know that you belong to me now?"

          No. I will never.

          He got mad when I didn't answer. He always got mad. His hands were around my neck, almost choking me, but a way to get me in place as he freed his other hand from holding me in order to take off the flimsy robe he decided to cover me with.

          Then, he did everything he wanted to me all over again, and no matter how much I screamed and tried to resist, all I was to him and to myself was a powerless girl who couldn't do anything, and who didn't power over the situation.

          All I could do was dream again.

          "You look very upset," Sean commented as soon as he saw me. He was sitting on the couch, Pride and Prejudice in his hands, wearing his reading glasses, and just observing my face. "You alright? Was the date that bad?"

           I shook my head. "Nothing. Actually, it's not nothing. He just said that he loved me."

           His eyes widened. "What? Hold on, uh—well, what the hell did you say?"

           As I plumped down next to him, my hands covered my face from the embarrassment I felt. "Nothing. I just drank my milkshake and ate my steak. Jesus, what was I supposed to say? I can't say it back! It's too soon and it's not the right time."

           Sean's brows furrowed. "Why isn't it the right time?"

           I could only stare at him. Unable to speak, to at least tell him that by the time he woke up, I would be long gone, or for him to search for me, or at least cry about me because he didn't deserve what I would be doing to him.