I woke the next morning unable to breathe, my face sticky and wet and something wet and soft wiping at my cheek. I opened my eyes and was met by a tounge.
I shreaked and tried to sit up but the massive body that matched the tounge stopped me.
"Colt! Get off of me!" I shouted, shoving at the chest of the massive Gray Great Dane that was ontop of me.
I sighed, rolling over when he collapsed at the bttom f my queen sized bed, barely fitting as his feet and tail hung off either end.
Lanie was next to me, her head hanging halfway off the bed, the ends of her hair dangling in a trash can that held puke.
I scrunched my nose up and rolled over, seeing that Zach was on a blow up mattress in the floor and it was still dark. I looked at my phone.
It was four a. m.
I sighed and grabbed my pillow, rawling onto the floor and shaking Zach awake.
He groaned before opening his eyes.
"What?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"I can't sleep." I said, putting my pillow next to his.
"Roll over." He said.
I rolled over and faced away from him and he pulled my t shirt up, exposing my back. He began drawing on my back with his fingers like he always did when I couldn't sleep. I closed my eyes as he traced the inkbetween my shoulder blades, making a second dream catcher on my back.
"Don't cry babe.I'll be here." He said in a hushed tone. I thought back, remembering thefirst time I ever told Zach I couldn't sleep. It ws a month after we met. We were at Lauren's house after one of her movie nights. I was on the air matress in the floor and he was on the couch. It had been a really bad day and I couldn't sleep. We were texting so we didn't wake anyone up and he got on the mattress with me when I said I couldn't sleep. He told me to roll over and pulled up my shirt and began to trace things on my back, just as he ws doing now.
" Don't cry babe. I'll be here ." Those words had came out of his mouth quite a few nights after that. He was my best friend, there was no doubt. Closer than friends. Closer than some of my blood. he ws my big brother, my protector in many ways that no one knew.
I thought forward a bit from the memory to one of the many times he had protected me.
"Get up lazy ass." Joshua said, pushing at my shoulder as I layed on Lauren's couch.
I opened my eyes. It was still dark outside.
"What?" I asked, rolling over onto my side and facing away from him.
Next thing I know he was trying to kiss me.
I had made it pretty clear to Joshua that I didn't want him like that and now he was pushing himself on me. It was just me and him down stairs, I had gone to sleep early and most people were out back on her small patio. I put my hands on his chest and pushed, trying to move his body off of me. My heart was racing, not in a good way, but it was racing. I was scared and I felt hot tears start to pour down my face as I tried to fight against him.
One second he was ontop of me, trying to unbutton my pants and ignoring my endless pleads not to, and the next the weight was lifted from my body and I could breath, nothing pressing on me anymore and I wasn't getting forced.
I sat up, the tears clearing from my eyes and I could see.
Zach had Joshua in a head lock accross the room on the wall. He released him and after Joshua ran, blood pouring violently rom his face as i began to cry again, this time harder.
Zach was at my side in an instant, his arms around me as pulled me into his chest and hugged me.
I couldn't stop crying and thanking him. That was one of the many times he had been my protecter.
And now here we were, on an air matress together with him tracing my tattoos and breathing heavily. The sound always calmed me.
I sighed as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
