Beautiful Heist

22. This Is What Happens When I Get An Adrenaline Rush

Twenty-Two

This Is What Happens When I Get An Adrenaline Rush

We didn't leave Violet and Miles' house for another four days. Luckily, though, Elena had thought to get our bags shipped from Florence since we hadn't made it back after the break-in. I didn't have to wear the same t-shirt and shorts anymore and could change into my own clothes.

John pretty much put me on house arrest and barely let me out of my room. I didn't even get the privilege of having Elena or Violet visiting either. Elena had flown back to London two days after I woke up. They needed her at the Brotherhood's meeting and Violet was on call at the hospital those days also. Lacey was there, though, so it wasn't completely quiet. But even then, John didn't let her keep me company much, telling her I was still hurt and needed more rest, even after being out for as long as I was.

So after two days of sitting in the bed, watching Italian soap operas all day, I pretty much forced my way past John so I could at least do something. He fought back, of course, but I won in the end. I was able to go downstairs and outside into the garden behind the house, though he was right there behind me, making sure I didn't fall or hurt myself.

As for my shoulder, it was healing a lot quicker than anyone had anticipated. Maybe all the sleep I'd gotten really did pay off. I was able to move a lot more than I had before, my muscles only a little stiff. The day before we left, Violet even took my stitches out, leaving behind the pink, puckered skin where two scars would be for the rest of my life.

There was something else left behind by Juliet also, something I'd experienced the second night after I woke up.

Though I wouldn't have minded if he decided not to, John said he was going to sleep in the room designated to him. Sure, it was just across the hallway from mine, but still. We'd been sleeping in the same room every night for the past few weeks. I wasn't used to being by myself...and I definitely didn't like it.

My dreams didn't like it either. No matter what, every time I closed my eyes, they turned into nightmares.

I would run through the alleyways of Florence, chased before the bullet Ryan fired brought me down again. Then Juliet would appear in front of me, digging her fingers into the wound until I couldn't see straight from the pain radiating through me.

And when did I wake up? When the dream Juliet would take one step back, grab the gun from Ryan, and aim a bullet right between my eyes. The sound of the gun going off would make me shoot up, the beads of sweat rolling down my skin.

The first time it happened, John was there not a moment after. Maybe it was the scream that left my lips before I shut myself up, realizing I was awake and alive. He burst into my room, panic clear in his eyes, before he sat down on the bed beside me and wrapped me in his arms. I thought telling him what happened would help it go away.

"It's not going to," John had said softly when I mumbled about not wanting it to happen as tears started gathering in my eyes. "You know I wouldn't let it."

"I know. You promised nothing would happen to me again," I whispered, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat before looking up at him. "But promises can be broken without ever meaning for them to be. What happens if we...?"

He pulled me against him again, kissing my forehead as I closed my eyes. "Em, it was just a dream."

But even I could hear in his voice – the fear of knowing what I said had gotten to him. Promises could be broken without ever meaning them to be. It was a part of this crazy thing we called life. Things could happen without us wanting them to. Nothing was ever set in stone.