Sleep Paralysis - Josh Franchesci, You Me At Six AU (COMPLETED)

2.3

A/N: sorry for the lack of update - I had a bit of writer's block with this one. Enjoy!

R O S E ' S  P O V

It wasn't long until I lost track of days. I'd watch in awe as the sun greeted the sky and once more as it hid behind the ocean line, but I found myself unable to count how many days it had been since my life sentence began. And I didn't dare to ask him.

We hardly spoke to each other, despite how hard he tried to interact with me. His attempts would almost always be blocked off by me and we'd end up turning to our own ventures. He often chose to allocate himself in the office and his actions would be unknown to me. I read books, explored the island, did all possible leisurely activities. And we finished our nights the same way - joined together for dinner and go to sleep with minimal conversation. I avoided all eye contact and refused to use his name. Despite my promises to him, I couldn't help but loathe his presence and want to isolate myself from him. And I knew that my actions were taking a toll on him, as he gradually grew colder towards me.

As I sat upon the main windowsill of the bedroom, I observed the sunrise, admiring how the light turned the ocean into a pool of sapphires and the glossy leaves into crowds of emeralds. The ombré of colours along the sky mesmerised me and I let the moment sink in as I did every other morning. Satisfied with the image, I flickered my eyes to him.

His body was tangled in the sheets, his dark hair called a mess of curls contrasting against the blankness. I watched his exposed back rise and fall rhythmically as the peach sunlight highlighted it.

Being married to him had been, appropriately described, a nightmare. I felt like the paralysed, innocent girl who he would visit each night once again. The fear of being vulnerable ate me up. We still hadn't been intimate, even with his wandering hands and eager lips. I wasn't ready to place myself in that position and give him the last of my dignity, and he didn't want to force me. But his growing frustration placed me on edge.

I quietly stepped off the windowsill and made my way into the ensuite, closing the door behind me.

The bathroom was quite large for an ensuite, and overall a general bathroom, likely in name of the ginormous in-ground bathtub. If you could even call it an actual bath. I turned on the water and watched as multiple faucets filled up space, gently dipping my hand in to check the temperature. After it had reached an acceptable capacity, I turned off the water and prepared to undress. I suddenly felt a warm, moist breath against the back of my neck and jumped in surprise.

"Good morning, baby," he whispered in my ear as his ice-cold hand crept onto my exposed upper arm, grazing his fingers against my skin. His lips gently kissed my neck and I straightened my back in response.

"Please leave," I asked quietly as my heart rate picked up. He only chuckled in response as his free hand played with the zipper of my nightie teasingly.

"It's like the good old days, isn't it, Rose? You're terrified of me - I can feel it running down your spine. You haven't called me by my name ever since the day we got married. You only refer to me as he or him," he lowly recounted, slowly pulling the zipper down as my body trembled. "It's quite depressing, you know. All I want is to have a happy marriage with the woman I love, but she won't give me love in return," he murmured, the zipper reaching the end. His lips grazed my neck softly, his warm breath making my heart pound even heavier.

"Don't call me that. Use my name." I stood silent in shock as he wrapped his arms around my waist, squeezing my sides tenderly. He still reads my thoughts? "Rose..." Josh warned, confirming my suspicions. I felt anger swell within in place of my anxiety.