Roommate Roulette

23 | Just for tonight

"Mhm." He hummed tiredly, his hand brushing out my hair. I hate how much I love this.

"Nightmare?"

He nodded and whispered. "It's always the same one."

Light flashed outside and his grip on me tightened. "Do they happen often?" I tried to distract him by tracing the ridges and dips on his stomach. His sharp inhale filled the room and his muscles tightened under my touch.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Here or there, but more frequent a few years ago."

"A few years as in..?"

"Eight years." He could probably sense my shock. "The same nightmare for eight years. But it changed since Gabby was born and it became even more realistic."

I yawned into my palm, forcing myself to stay awake for the sake of him. "What is it about?" I rolled onto my side and he pulled the blanket over us.

He took his time to find the wording, "It always starts with Gabby propped on my hip and I'm carrying her down the stairs. I heard yelling the closer I got to the kitchen and it was my mom and David fighting. It's more physical than any actual arguments they have. David's yelling at her and he had her by her hair."

"Oh, Gray..." I breathed, squeezing my eyes shut, not removing the disturbing image.

He shook his head, gazing distractedly at my messy hair. "It's okay."

Grayson continued, "Gabby was there and she was seeing everything. It always hurts, Eve. I know what's happening, but it always hurts. David's drunk and my mom's face was ruined. In the dream, I don't move or anything and I watched Gabby see what David does. She's so young, seeing something she should never witness in her life. I never wanted something like this to traumatise her.

"I put her down and I managed to get David off her after yelling at him. Then he storms out of the house when I call the police for an ambulance since Ma was out cold. I heard the sirens, and Gabby crying, and... and Ma's bloody face..." He trailed off and ended in a shrug. "That's normally the point where I wake up."

Water filled my eyes as my voice cracked. "That's horrible." I know he isn't looking for an I'm sorry  right now. I tilted my head up at him and more tears were falling from his face.

I gaped and sat up to clasp each side of his face. I swiped them away with my thumb and he smiled sadly. "I miss them." He whispered, his voice shaking with the effort to keep it even. "I'm scared he's going to do something to them when I'm not there." He dropped his back onto the mattress and tugged the comforter even higher.

I scooted away from him to give him some space, but he only drew me closer with an arm over me. "Gray—"

"Just for tonight, mi alma." He convinced me with five words. Effortlessly. "Just for tonight." He echoed.

I wiped away his tears as more fell. "Don't cry, Gray. He doesn't deserve your tears. You'll see them soon."

"Sometimes..." His eyelids fluttered close and he inches closer to me, my ears straining to listen. "I love my friends. I do. Truly. But I care about them too much to want to be a burden to them." I feel you. "I'm so close to drowning, Eve. I'm in an ocean with my head above water. No one sees me." His words were mutters, drifting into sleep.

"No, Gray." I murmured, tucking him closer to my chest. "It's okay. I see you. I see you and I'm not taking my eyes off you." The response I get is a sigh and his soft snores.

Quietly, I brushed a kiss on his forehead as the thunder was growing more distant. His body fit into mine, the warmth he was radiating slowly lulled me to sleep.

[-Grayson-]

No one can disagree that Saturday afternoons are the best. Especially when it's a good day out too. Also especially when you wake up to the most beautiful woman in your bed.

I stretched my arms and snippets of last night came rushing back at me, freezing my movements. My gaze landed on the angel laying beside me, her back turned.

I cursed myself for being too vulnerable around her. I gave information that I haven't told anyone in my whole life, I share something that I never would have. But... I trusted her. I might trust her more than anyone else.

My mind was a bit hazy at the time, but I still caught onto what she said. It's okay. I see you. I see you and I'm not taking my eyes off you.

My stomach somersaulted and I rubbed my eyes. Her words hit me like a truck and my heartrate picked up from thinking about it. 

No. Not thinking about that. 

I slipped a sweater on and padded my way into the kitchen. I ate my breakfast and my thoughts were interrupted by wandering to the girl sleeping in my  bed. My room. I separated her portion on her plate and put it to the side. 

I cleaned up her room floor from all the water. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged at all due to the tarp placed for her artwork.

A knock sounded at the door and I opened it to a man standing there, a box tucked under his arm with a glass on a stand on his other side. "Evelyn Amherst here?" He asked, checking the room number.

"She's in my room. Her's is over there." I pointed at the door and the man nodded, hauling the glass on its wheels that it rested on.

Part of me wished this guy wouldn't fix her window so she could stay in my room for a while longer. I've had the best sleep I've gotten despite waking up at night. Eve put me at peace faster than I could myself and the storm last night made the situation difficult to. 

There isn't an explanation for why I don't like them. It's just a childhood fear that I never got over. The yelling of my parents, the nights where I couldn't sleep due to the crashes of vases and glass. 

I sighed to myself. I wished I hadn't listened to Ma when she always ordered me to stay in my room. No matter the circumstances.

I waited for half an hour until he was done. "Thank you." I said as he exited the room.

He chuckled. "No problem. We still have to catch the culprit."

I locked it once he left and exhaled through my mouth. I approached Eve and she was in the same position she was in the last time I saw her. I plucked a book off my shelf and slid in next to her.

Not much time had passed when she yawned, stretching. She flipped onto her side and squinted to the immediate sunlight. "Good morning." She said, wrapping herself into my comforter even tighter, smiling.

"Good morning, mi alma. How was your sleep?"

 She rubbed her eyes awake. "Great. Your bed's so warm." She complimented, snuggling even deeper into the mattress to prove her point.

I laughed, conveying my attention from my book to her. "Are you ready to get up?"

She made a noise of disagreement from the back of her throat. "When did you have glasses?" She asked.

I pushed them higher on the bridge of my nose. "Reading glasses, really. I don't use them much."

"They good on you." She sounded like she wasn't sure if those words came out of her mouth. "Did I say that out loud?"

I smirked. "Yeah."

She hit my arm, turning around again. "Good night." She muttered.

"I made breakfast." I reasoned.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Nevermind." She rolled out of bed, slowly falling at the foot of the bed. "Give me a few minutes." I grinned and she glared at me from the doorway, her hair tangled with a desperate need to be brushed. "You're getting too much fun out of this."

I snickered, holding up my hands. "I won't deny it."

"Go back to reading. Idiot." She said jokingly.

"Yes, ma'am."