Crimson Mist ✔️

53: I love you.

It's dark and cold, and my eyelids are so heavy, it's a struggle to keep them open. I slowly let them drift shut, as I keep focusing my hearing on his heartbeat. The steady rhythm is in sync with mine, and I let my head hang, just for a moment, as I try my hardest not to fall asleep.

I slept for a few hours last night, unwillingly, but tonight I told myself I'd stay awake, just in case something happens.

The warmth of Gail's blanket feels so cozy, and I keep pulling it closer and closer, around myself, so I won't feel cold. The low temperature is supposed to help Jeremy's blood and body want to heal his injuries, but it's making my nose runny, so I've kept it under the blanket for a few hours now.

The whole house is silent. It's the middle of the night, at least a couple of hours after sunset, and Jeremy's been laying in this bed, barely moving, for over thirty hours. Not that I'm counting, or anything..

I roll my eyes behind my closed lids. Of course I'm counting. It hurts to just smell him in the same room, and not be able to do anything about his condition. It's a new, innovative form of torture that I never thought I'd ever experience. Since I never thought I'd have anyone to care for like this.

The scary part is that I have several people I care about like this now. I'd be equally invested in the wellbeing of Michael, Tyler, Tristan, Petra or Jean, too. It would be so easy for anyone to get to me now, as opposed to how I used to be. Alone, on my own... lonely. I didn't know how lonely I actually was until I realized I loved all these people, and our little pack.

I hum with contentment at the thought, and I can feel myself slip away into the dark abyss that is sleep. It's definitely needed, but I keep fighting for a few more seconds, until I no longer feel my consciousness, feeling comfort in my mate's steady heartbeat.

•

Slowly, I'm being pulled back awake, as I hear a soft cough. It sounds like it's miles away, but once inhale a deep breath and feel my body awaken, I realize it's coming from the bed in front of me.

I'm suddenly wide awake, and I throw the blanket off of me, before looking straight at Jeremy, who's sitting upright in the bed, with his pillow behind his back and neck, coughing. I spring to my feet, and run around the bed as fast as I can to pour some water into a glass, from the mug Tristan put there for me before he went to bed. It's still dark out, so I can't have been sleeping for more than an hour or so, but I feel so awake. Maybe not rested, but definitely awake.

I rush over to his side, and hand him the glass of water. His green eyes look up at me as he takes it, and he closes his eyes and gulps it all down.

"Thank you," he wheezes, his voice sounding damaged.

"Don't mention it," I whisper back, and take the empty glass from him.

I place it on the bedside table, before looking at him again. He looks so beautiful, and he's awake. That last bit might be the reason why my cheeks are suddenly getting wet all over again from tears, and I feel so overwhelmed as my lungs finally take bigger and deeper breaths than they have in over thirty hours.

"Sorry," he whispers, and looks up at me. "For waking you, I mean. It calmed me down a lot to watch you sleep."

"Calmed you down?" I question, before I sink to my knees next to his bed.

My mouth feels kind of dry, as I look into his darkened eyes. Their usual emerald color has changed into a darker shade of green, more similar to the pine trees outside. My eyes flicker between his, and I swallow, trying to hide my insecurities and not show how ecstatic I am that he's finally awake.