she's mine.

80

Eli POV

"Eli! Eli please!" she begged for me to save her as the black hands wrapped around her pulling her from me. My body was frozen in place and I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

I woke in a sweat with my sheets crumpled around me. I quickly pulled out my phone. It's three in the morning, but I cant help myself. I call her.

"Eli?" her sleepy voice calms every nerve in my body instantaneously. "Eli? Is everything okay?" I could hear the worry in Raina's voice as she became more and more awake from fear.

"Yeah," I breath. "Yeah, everything is fine," my voice betrayed me and came out shaky despite my best efforts.

"Nightmare?" she whispered. I nod even though she can't see me.

She seemed to understand with my silence because she ignores the lack of a true answer. I closed my eyes and relaxed as she chose to not ask about the dream.

"Want to hear a story?" her voice is thick with sleep again, but I can also hear the smile on her mouth.

I nod once more before realizing again that she can't see me. "Please," I asked for the distraction and my tone surprised even me. It seemed to happen a lot lately. I had never known I could treat something with such a gentle approach. My thoughts go to what I will become after she leaves me, but I push them away and focus on her voice.

She begins to tell me stories of her childhood, of her father and Jonny teaching her to throw a baseball. The way her mother taught her to cook and the time they baked green cookies because she was bound determined she needed them with her green eggs and ham costume. I laughed at her admitting the embarrassment of having green teeth for a week because she added more dye when he mother wasn't looking.

I listened to her mumble as she became more and more sleepy. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep so I focused on her breathing.

I wasn't sure what it was about the night, but she was different when the sun slipped out of sight. She was always soft and sweet, but it's different when she let's her guard down, more vulnerable and raw. She touches and talks to me more openly with a thick tenderness. She doesn't know how hard it was for me to leave her the night she stayed the night, but I didn't want her to feel like I was taking advantage of her vulnerable state.

She rambled for a while before coming in and out of her sleep.

"Eli?"

"Hm?" I know she barely knew what she was saying.

"I just really, really like you," she mumbled and I couldn't help but chuckle. She told me she loved me tonight, but somehow these words seem to do more for me than anything in this moment. Maybe I'm tired too. "Like you're just so great. You take care of me, and you are so sweet."

"Not all the time," I tell her.

"To me you are. You scratch my back and feed me," I wondered how embarrassed she'd be if she knew what she was saying. I give her an 'mhm' to keep her going. "You are honest, so honest," she giggled and I knew she was think about my brutally honest ways. "You are funny and just great. I couldn't have picked a better person to give my heart to.." her last words are drifted and I know she is sleeping moments later when her breathing becomes deeper.

I listen to her soft breathing and let it calm me. I love this girl more than anything. I could never hurt her.

So, I decide not to.

Rai's POV

I woke up to my alarm, and realize a little too late that I had hit snooze way too many times. I only have a little less than thirty minutes to be ready before Eli is here.