Broken

Part 9

Four Days Later

Angel's Point of View

It was the fifth night in a row where Sophia's screaming in the middle of the night brought me out of a deep sleep. I groaned as I sat up on the couch and ran a hand through my hair.

EZ had told me about the four nights she stayed with him in the trailer. The nightmares plagued her, haunted her, and the only thing he could do was sit by her side, run a hand gently through her hair, and let her know that he was there. EZ mentioned that some times just hearing a calm voice calmed her down and she fell right back to sleep.

Up until three days ago, sitting with her or laying down with her wasn't anything that bothered me, but now with the road that EZ and Sophia are headed down, that was territory I didn't want to tread into. Now I was more concerned with crossing some sort of invisible line than trying to comfort her and let her know that no one was going to hurt her.

I rolled my eyes as I quickly picked up my cell phone and stared at EZ's number in my contacts. I felt like a little school boy who didn't know how to act around girls. It was pathetic, really.

I threw the phone on the couch and with a hesitant sigh I got up and made my way into the bedroom. All I knew was that she needed comfort and I was her friend.

By that time, her screaming had turned to crying and thrashing and it tore me up inside. I hated seeing her go through this. After so many years of seeing her and hanging around her at the clubhouse, I understood that she was never one to ask for help or say she needed someone, even if deep down she knew she did.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her small body engulfed in my favorite black t-shirt. I had offered it to her as she didn't have much when she moved in with me. I placed my hand gently above her chest, right below her neck to feel her heart beat and then lifted my other hand to run it slowly through her jet black hair.

"Shh, Soph, it's ok. You're safe now."

After a little while the thrashing and her whimpering finally stopped. Her breathing slowed down as she rolled over on her side facing me. She was absolutely stunning. The sweat glistened on her olive colored skin and her hair was splayed out behind her on the pillow. Her long eyelashes brushed against her upper cheeks as her eyes fluttered in her sleep.

Sophia was no longer that annoying little teenaged girl that harbored the fiercest of crushes on me. I was pretty sure that up until EZ came into the picture she still felt a little something towards me. It was endearing, and it felt good, but I knew I would be treading into dangerous territory if I made a move now. It was an unspoken rule that you didn't mess with your brother's girl, even if she had feelings for me first. You just never pulled that shit.

Fuck. Get a grip.

I sucked in a breath of air and tried to get my feelings in check. I looked down at Sophia, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully again, and then I wiped away the tears from the side of her face. As I went to pull my hand away, Sophia grabbed it and held it against her cheek as she rolled onto her back and looked up at me.

"Please don't go, Angel," she whispered, "The nightmares feel so real and I don't want to be alone. Please stay...just until I fall asleep?"

"Sophie, hearing you scream like that is a little distressing," I mumbled as I ran my hand over her cheek and looked into her sad eyes, "I wish I could take away your pain, somehow..."

"Stay with me?"

I rolled my eyes playfully and smirked at her. If I was being completely honest, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. She smiled up at me and slid over slightly to give me some room. I piled the pillows up against the wall and leaned back, Sophia cuddling up against me, laying her head against my chest.