Forever and Always

Chapter 3: His night terrors

She awoke late into the night to the sound of a man screaming, angry, pain-filled screaming. She was startled indeed. She wondered out into the dark hall, only to hear the screaming was coming for his room. Was he alright? Had he hurt himself? She walked slowly to his bedroom door, stopping to think. 'Should I go in? He told me off limits. I don't want him to be even more angry with me.' She thought, but her mind was made up when she heard another scream. She would just go in to check if he was alright. She slowly and quietly opened the door, stepped in, and left the door open. Only to find he was asleep and still yelling. He was having a night terror. She slowly approached the side of his large bed, his body lying on its stomach and wrapped in fine red silk sheets. She carefully sat on his bed side, flinching when he would scream.

"Mr. Knight, wake up please." She spoke loudly enough he was surely to hear, but delicately enough so he would be calm when he awoke. Yet, no change. She gently placed her hand on his back, that was covered with a grey colored t-shirt.

"Mr. Knight, please wake up, please." She pleaded. For some reason it had hurt her heart to see him that way. And with that, all was silent, and his eyes slowly opened. It reminded her very much of the silence after a storm.

"Miss. Drake, why are you waking me, and why are you in my bedroom?" He spoke drowsily, he was holding something back, and she was sure it was the dream.

"Sir, you were screaming. I woke you to make sure you were okay. You had frightened me." She spoke. His eyes widened at her words.

"I am terribly sorry, Miss. Drake. I often frighten myself sometimes." He spoke. Her head tilted slightly.

"Why, what do you mean?" She asked.

"Nothing, cara. Go to sleep." He spoke closing his eyes.

"I won't." She spoke. His right eye opened slightly to look at her.

"You won't?" He spoke. She shook her head.

"You know, Miss. Drake, you really know how to test my patience..." He trailed off.

"I just want to help. There isn't anything wrong with helping. You know, Mr. Knight, I don't like you angry, especially at me.." She trailed off. It was only the third day and she had felt this strange connection to him, something she had with no other person.

"Is that so?" He spoke with a smirk. She laughed a small, short laugh.

"It is." She smiled.

"And why is that?" He questioned.

"Oh don't change the subject. Won't you please tell me? I want to help you." She spoke quietly with a reassuring smile.

"Well my problems Cara Mia, are beyond your help." He spoke softly.

"Have you ever talked about them with anyone?" She asked.

"Cara, don't make me answer the question, just so I can tell you anyway." He spoke.

"So you haven't." She spoke looking him in his eyes that were now open.

"Ah. You are looking me in the eyes!" He spoke with a smile.

"Oh, hush you. You are the one who was just screaming, scaring the begeezus out of your staff. Will you tell me? I promise I will never speak if it again. I just want you to feel better.." She trailed off, looking sadly into his eyes.

"Alright. But close the door, and I will only tell you some." He spoke giving into her eyes that he longed to look into. She got up slowly, not wanting to move the bed too much, and walked to the door, closing it. She made her way back to him as he held up the covers for her.

"You want me to get in bed with you?" She questioned, shocked. He laughed.

"Well yes, it's freezing. And I am telling you my scary stories, surly you wouldn't mind?" He spoke. She thought it was quite strange he called them 'scary stories'. However, she slipped into bed next to him and held her head upon the palm of her hand.

"Alright, where do I start?" He asked, she was unsure if he was talking mostly to himself, or to her, and so she responded anyway.

"How about when it all started?"

"Well cara Mia, I am afraid that would mean I tell you a lot more than I wanted to.." He trailed off.

"Well, you can talk to me about anything. I am a good listener, a good friend." She spoke.

"Alright. I will simply start off with why I scream during the night, and if you want to hear more about my issues, you may come back tomorrow night, that way I know I can trust you, and make sure you're not frightened, feeling that I am a mad man." He spoke quietly with a laugh. She smiled softly.

"Alright." She spoke.

"When I was a child, I always had constant night terrors. My parents were never home to help me cope with them, I could never go over to another persons home to stay overnight because of them. I was always a depressed child, in fear that my mother and father never cared for me, that's often why they left me alone. I still have these night terrors, obviously. They used to be about monsters, and stupid childish things, but now, its about being alone. That's often why I don't sleep, because I am alone, and that same small troubled boy, is still there." He spoke quietly, and immediately her heart went to him. She could never imagine how it would feel as a child to have no one, let alone now, as a grown person with no one. He was alone.

"But you're a billionaire, you can have anyone you want. You don't have to be alone." She spoke.

"Ah, but that's the issue Cara Mia, I am a billionaire, these women, all around New York could care less about me the person, because they want me the billionaire. The one with all the money, the one without the problems." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for it all, I am. But I would like you for you. And not saying I like you, or even am attracted to you. I'm not saying any of that, so don't think I am. But I would. I would because even in the past two days I have been here, you have made me angry, and made me feel for you, and even made me think that you were a sweet man, without anything wrong. And now you tell me this. I'm almost a perfect stranger to you, and I know I would fall for a man like you. Because you don't have anything to be ashamed of, and you can trust a good person to trust." She whispered. And he smiled a small smile.

"Oh but Miss. Drake, you are saying that. You do like me." He spoke with a playful smirk. Damn, was this man good at reading people.

"No. I am not. I am saying I respect your character, and a lot of other women will too." She spoke smiling softly.

"Ah, or so you think now.." He trailed off, and her expression changed.

"You know, Mr. Knight, you really know how to test my patients.." She trailed off with a smile, remembering he had said the same to her only moments before. He laughed. She then got up and walked to the door.

"Cara!" He called, and she turned as she opened the door. "Thank you." He spoke tiredly.

"You're welcome sir, goodnight." She spoke before leaving his room and walking to hers.

The entire night she spent wondering if she was truly falling for the man. Fighting with herself. She had only known him almost three days, and she was determined not to fall for him, she couldn't. They were two different people. Two different people that didn't belong. They could be friends. Just friends. But she wouldn't fall for him. She couldn't. She was nothing more than his maid.