Criminal ~ Shoey

Chapter 23 - Nightmares

* Shane's POV *

"You've no idea how much I adore you," Joey said, speaking softly. Tears instantly filled my eyes as they swept over Joey's glorious features. My eyes left his face to rake over our surroundings. Last I remembered was the hospital. We were in the hotel's dining room... in Rome. On my third day with Joey. Was this real? Was everything else that happened simply a hallucination?

I was about to reply but our scenery abruptly changed. We were in a jail cell. And Joey's vibrant aura was turning grey, matching the cell's walls. "J-Joey?" I stuttered out as his hair started turning grey, as well as his clothes. His eyes met mine, flashing me a brilliant glimpse of green before it faded to the familiar dull grey. "Shane? Shane, I love you..I love you, please save me! Save me, I'm dying in here!" He shouted, reaching for me. I swallowed hard, crawling towards him. But the closer I got, the bigger the room grew, and the farther away I faded from him. And as the room grew bigger, so did my fear and despair. "Shane! Don't leave me! I love you, Please stay!" He was completely grey now, easily blending with the wall. I squinted to see him, noticing that he was now fading from me. "Shane, can you hear me? I love you!"

"Joey! I love you too!" I finally shouted back, but he was gone. I was talking to the wall.

I opened my eyes, my gaze raking over the hospital room. I must've fallen asleep. My mom was flipping through a magazine. I chewed on my lip, trying to remember the reason I woke up so abruptly. Then I remembered...

Joey, in jail...turning grey, losing his color...fading away from me. The tears came quick and easy, and I let them stream down my face. I felt like screaming... And so I acted on my impulse. I was just so angry and hurt and broken. I felt alone, I felt like something was missing...and something was. Grabbing my pillow, I buried my face in it, letting out a shallow whine. "Joey!" I moaned (not sexually) into the pillow, my tears staining the fabric. I felt arms wrap around me in an instant and I knew it was my mom. "I need you! I won't leave you, I'm there! I'm there, I love you! Please hear me, I love you!" I shouted into the pillow, all the things I should've said in that dream, the yells sounding muffled and weird. "Shhh," my mom cooed as she kissed my head, burying her face in my hair. "He'll be okay, baby. He'll be okay." But maybe he wouldn't.

* Joey's POV *

One second I was in the jail cell like I've grown accustom to and then I was in a bright, elegant dining room seated across from Shane. Just like when we first got to Rome. Was this some twisted nightmare to cope with jail? To cope with not having Shane? It felt all too real. Maybe if i say what I did that day, I can live here forever. "You've no idea how much I adore you," I said as a look of disbelief crossed Shane's face. That definitely didn't happen... Was the real Shane experiencing this too?

And then, our surroundings shifted. And we were back in my jail cell. "J-joey?" Shane stuttered out. He was scared... I could tell. He felt exactly as I did coming in for the first time. Scared, alone, misplaced. Wait... What if Shane was here to help me? "Shane? Shane, I love you..I love you, please save me! Save me, I'm dying in here!" I shouted, reaching a hand out for him, waiting for him to take my hand or even say something, anything, to let me know he was seeing this too. He started crawling towards me, until the room started expanding, carrying Shane farther and farther away from me. "Shane! Don't leave me! I love you, Please stay!" I shouted again, feeling hopeless. If Shane was here, really here, why couldn't he help me? Why wasn't he talking? He stopped crawling and the room stopped growing. I heaved a sigh of relief. Shane was squinting, as if he couldn't see me. I hadn't moved anymore than I had ten seconds ago...what was wrong?

Then I started to feel helpless. Shane was here! He could help me! Why wasn't he?! Did he not want to save me? "Joey! I love you too!"

And then I woke up.

"Joooeeeeeey?" I heard and then a laugh, pulling me out of my dream. It all felt so real.... I could still hear Shane's words as if he had spoken them from right next to me. I shuddered.

"Hello? I've been talking to you for hours and I..." I blinked, seeing the ceiling. Had I laid down? Or had I fallen asleep and taken on the sleeping position? Once I realized how irrelevant that was, I sat up, my eyes raking over Sawyer. He was laying on his side, his head propped up on his fist, eyeing me skeptically. "Did you fall asleep?! And all this time I thought you were listening." He shook his head at me, as if to scold me. His tone was facetious and it irked me after the whack-ass dream I had. I laughed bitterly, my first sound in nearly three days, but I couldn't help myself. "Bite me," I growled; Sawyer hiding his shock of my speaking all too well except for the slight widening of his eyes.

"I will. Gladly." He said, seductively biting his lip. I felt repulsed. Hook up with Sawyer? No freaking thank-you. Was I still dreaming? Sawyer should know I'd never give in to him, not anymore. I shook my head, as if to shake this whole scene from my mind. When I looked back to Sawyer, It wasn't him who I saw. It was Shane.

"S-shane?" I stuttered, blinking. I didn't know if I expected our surroundings to change again or what, but they didn't. But it didn't matter...Shane was here! I still wasn't sure if I should trust my delusional mind but if it was giving me Shane then why not? "Uhh...? Sure?" Shane said, looking confused, but nevertheless: It was him! I stood up and rushed to his side, engulfing him in a smothering hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!" I said, breathing in his scent. He hugged me back, and I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, "But Joey I've been here the entire time.. You just couldn't see."

I laughed, tears springing to my eyes, as I released him from my embrace and let my eyes trail over his gorgeous features that I missed so much. "How are you here?" I asked, my tone tinged with disbelief. "I don't know...but let's enjoy it." He barely had time to finish his sentence since I filled the gap between our faces and pressed our lips together.

Little did I know that I was making a huge mistake, and that I shouldn't have trusted what my eyes were seeing; I wasn't seeing what was really there, I was seeing what I wanted.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Sorry for that last sentence: I hate foreshadowing because its kinda confusing for the reader but it will all make sense in the next chapter.

Thanks for Reading & Voting; May the odds be ever in your favor, goodbye! c;

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••