More weeks. More nightmares.
I jolted awake brushing my body off once more. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I roughly wiped them away. Why couldn't he stay away? Why couldn't these nightmares just stop already?
I was so sick and tired of it. In my dreams I fought back but always end up failing. I see a gun. I see a knife. But I don't go for it. I don't know why when he was...
I saw Ryder in my dreams. He either couldn't do anything because he was either...killed or strapped down or he had his back turned to me, uncaring for what was happening. When I saw him in my dreams and he did nothing, I was angry. I felt betrayed. It...broke me.
I pressed the ball of my wrists on my eyes and took deep slow breaths. My body shook and my head throbbed. I blindly reached over to the table next to the bed and ate some medicine. I leaned up against the headboard and brought my knees in close. "No more," I said placing my forehead on my knees.
I took a quick nap before heading off to work. Which, work, felt like forever. So many customers. Too many eyes. But I continued on, pushing myself to my limit and to far exhaustion. "Uh, excuse me," someone stopped me before I could enter the kitchen to put the dirty dishes away.
I looked up the person to find a man who was just as tall as Ryder. Almost the same build since this man was much slimmer. "It is you."
"Excuse me?" I ask as I shuffled the bin in my arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Caesar Daviid. I saw you at King's Hotel this one time."
I kept staring at him. "Okay?" I drawled out and was about to walk away when he stopped me again. "I've really been meaning to meet you again."
I sighed. "Sorry to say but I'm already spoken for." Which was half true and half a lie. "Now if you'll please excuse me. I have a job to finish." I pushed past him and entered the kitchen.
Molly, Kiki and May came rushing up to me with stern excited faces. Kiki, being the more stern one. "What did he want from you?" She hissed.
I shrugged. "Something about wanting to meet me again." I put the dishes into the sink and rinsed my bin, wiping it clean before heading out again.
Kiki blocked my way. "Again? What the fuck is that suppose to mean? Huh?" She shoved me back, making me hit the sink hard. May pushed her away. "Fuck off Kiki! Just because the prince ain't got eyes for your whore ass don't mean you can take it out on everyone else alright?"
Prince? You have got to be kidding me...
"Prince Caesar is suppose to be mine! Not that rugged up bitch."
"Ey!" Molly blocked me protectively from her. "Back the fuck off before I break your face. And FYI, no body told you to cheat on him in the first place."
So Kiki and Caesar were a thing. That makes sense to why she's so uptight. "Look, I already told him I'm spoken for."
"It don't fucking matter hoe, he still got his eyes set on your ratchet ass." Kiki shoved Molly away only for Molly to put in her an arm lock, pressed her against the table across from me and clutched her hair. Kiki cried out painfully.
"This is your last fucking warnin', Kiki. Stay the fuck away from her or I'll make sure I slice up every bit of that clown face of yours."
"Okay!" Kiki cried. "Let me go!"
Molly pushed her away towards the door as I breathed. Kiki stormed out, holding her head where Molly pulled at. "Is it my fault?" I asked.
Molly rolled her eyes. "Girl, don't worry about that hoe. She just mad 'cause she and Caesar ain't nothing no mo."
May nodded and rubber my arm in comfort. "Don't worry. Kiki has always been like that since she first came here. Come on, we should get back to work."
Finally when work ended, I exited through the back and breathed in fresh air. "Bye, girl," Molly called out lighting up a cigarette. I gave both her and May a wave as they walked away in a different direction.
Upon getting onto the busy sidewalk, I bumped into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry," I apologized.
When I looked up, it was none other than Leo. "It's fi-...Scarlett?" He looked at me shocked. He looked around us. "You've been working here the whole time?" Leo pointed to the diner as I hesitated to answer. "But...then why did Landon see you at that hotel?" He mumbled.
I've been living at the hotel but still working around the same part of the city I had always been for years. I couldn't leave just yet. It was my home. My own familiar surrounding. I couldn't just leave it all behind.
"I'm just going to go," I said quickly and left. I tried to hail down a taxi when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.
"Why are you still running?" Leo pried. "I know it all looks bad but you have to give Ryder a chance."
I looked up at him. "A chance at what? How can I be with him when I know what he does? How can I be around any of you guys knowing what you guys do?" I tugged my arm back and held it close to my chest.
"Why are you denying it all?"
I stared at him confused. "Denying what?"
"That you miss Ryder. That you miss home. Your work place. The people who cares about you. Everything and everyone." Leo was starting to get angry as he had raised his voice at the end. "Did you even know that Ryder got into a car accident?"
"What?" I whispered.
"Kamier had put him on house arrest because he was becoming reckless. All because of you."
I clenched my hands. "Me? What did I ever do?! Nobody told anybody to lie to me. I have always given everyone the honest truth! You don't think I want to come back? I do. But I'm so terrified that if others hurt me unintentionally, Ryder was going to beat them up or even kill them. What would you have me do then? Just watch and feel nothing? I'm a human being!"
I threw my hands in the air as everyone would look at us weirdly. "I want to but I don't because I know if I do, more people are just going to die. I don't want that."
Or in other words...Ryder was going to get seriously hurt because of me. Because of my past.
My head throbbed painfully as I closed my eyes and held my head. "What if I can guarantee that that won't happen again?" He asked as he held my hands. I looked straight into his eyes as he stared back with determination.
"You can't guarantee that," I brushed his hands off me. "It's who they are. Did you not tell me that if he had let Teddy go, that Ryder will considered as a joke in your world? I see him as a killer but I..." I took a deep slow breath. "I still care about him too."
Leo saddened. Then that was when he really looked me over. "You've gotten skinnier." I down at myself and I couldn't help but agree. I have been ignoring my own health. "Do you not get enough sleep?"
I bit my lip and looked up to Leo. The sting of tears stung my nose. "No," I mumbled. "Look, I have to go."
I turned around and hailed down a taxi. Waiting for it to approach Leo pulled me back and stepped in front of me. "What's wrong? Is someone bothering you?" His voice came out strong and protective. He stared at me with the most intense gaze making me squirm. "No, it's just-"
"Don't lie," he hissed. Leo stood up straighter, towering over me. "Tell me."
When I didn't talk, he roughly grabbed me and dragged me to his car. "Leo stop," I pleaded. "I don't want to-"
"Shut up!" He growled. I coward away. "No one. I mean, no one...touches or threatens a princess of the Quantum family and gets away with it." Leo shoved me into his car and put the child's lock on. When he got in, he screeched off.
The muscles in his arm protruded and jerked, making me feel even more uncomfortable. We stayed silent the rest of the way to wherever. "I'm sorry," Leo finally spoke. "For becoming upset and scaring you like that." Leo glanced over to me then back to the road. "But everything that is happening right now at the big house is getting on my nerves."
We finally stopped in front of a secluded beach. Leo exited the car and came over to my side and ushered me out. "There's only two of us," Leo said. "I want to know everything and anything that happened ever since you left that night."
We took a stroll alongside the crooked sidewalk. It was quiet for the longest time until I was able to gather up all my thoughts, troubles and wordings. I ended up telling Leo about my past and the horrible dreams that just seemed to worsen each day. "I..." I paused as I took a deep shaky breath. "I felt so betrayed by him..." I wiped away my tears and sniffled. "Why didn't he help me?"
Leo stopped me and then brought me into a hug. "Sh. It's okay princess. It was only a dream okay? You know damn well Ryder will protect you. Hell," Leo scoffed and pulled away. "He got into a damn car accident when Landon found out where you were staying. Ryder dumbass was in a drunken rush to get to you so Kamier had no choice but to put him on house arrest."
My frown deepened.
Leo cupped my face and sighed. "He's alright. Just a cut in his head. Nothing too serious. I promise."
He kept staring at me so I couldn't help but cry all over again. "I'm terrified of everything right now. I don't even know what I want to do."
"Come home." Leo wiped my tears. "Home where you will know, there will always be people who will protect you. Me. Louie. Landon. Kamier. Ryder. Everyone. Home where I can guarantee that your nightmares about your brother will disappear. Home where you belong." His eyes held plea. "Yeah?"
"I don't know..." I looked away. "Leo. I...I'm..."
Leo brought me back into a hug. I relaxed and hugged him back. "I'm taking you home," he said with a voice that left no arguments. "I may not be of your blood but I want to be there for you like a brother should be. You're part of this family now whether you like it or not. I'll be your big brother and you'll be my baby sister. And no one, harms my baby sister."
I was nervous. I was scared. I was excited. I was...utterly confused about how I was feeling. Leo shuffled my hair making me scowl at him. He gave me a warm smile and continued to drive. I fixed my hair and then started playing with my knuckles. "What should I say?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "Don't have to say nothing at all."
I bit my lip. "Will-"
"Yes they will. You're our princess," Leo quickly said. I looked up at him as he smirked. "And Ryder's woman."
I slumped in my seat. "You make it sound so disgusting."
Leo chuckled loudly. "Sorry. It was suppose to come out in a good way."
We finally made it to the magnificent home of the Quantum family. I took deep slow breaths as my nerves skyrocketed. "I can't do this," I mumbled. I covered my face as Leo patted my arm.
"You'll be fine. I'll be there with you."
Leo got out and came over to my side. I hesitated to step out so I just shook my head and clicked my seatbelt back on. "No. I'm too-"
Leo crossed his arms. "Would you rather have Ryder come and get you?"
I pouted. "That's unfair."
He smiled. "Then come on baby sis." Leo extended his hand to me as I pouted even more. I closed my eyes in defeat. When I opened them back up, he was still staring at me. "A promise?" I asked.
"Promise."
"And you guarantee?" I whispered.
His eyes saddened and softened. "I will be your very own personal bodyguard. I told you. No one messes with my baby sister."
I took his hand. "I don't think Ryder will like that," I mumbled.
"I know," he whispered then kissed my head.
"Scarlett!" Ang shrieked. "Oh my god you're okay!" Ang came barreling at me and caught me in a hug. "Oh thank the heavens they kept you safe." She backed away and cupped my face in her motherly way. "You must have been terrified," she quietly said as all I could do was nod.
"Oh," Ang cooed and hugged me again. "Well, you're home now and I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
Ang hooked her arm with me and led us inside. "Leo, your mama called and wants you home asap. Something about a psycho girl."
I stared up at him. Leo smiled. "I'll stay until bedtime. Okay?"
"That's not good enough," I mumbled.
Leo bent down and kissed my head, whispering in my ear. "You'll be fine."
"Scarlett."
I started to feel really tired all of a sudden. Maybe it was all of that crying. Or because of my lack of sleep. I did get off work too...
"Kamier," I greeted with an exhausted smile.
He brought me into a hug. "Leo did say one way or another."
I grunted making him softly chuckle. Kamier rubbed my back and backed off. When I looked up at him he suddenly turned to worry. "You look exhausted."
"I uh..." I looked away. "Didn't get enough sleep. I had work today and bumped into Leo right after work ended."
"Oh," Kamier nodded. "Well, I'll have Miss Paula clean a room for you. Miss Paula!" Kamier yelled up to the air. Then an elderly woman came trotting into the room. "Please prepare a room immediately on a different level than my sons."
"Yessir." She hastily moved up the stairs and disappeared.
I looked back at Leo confused. He rubbed the back of his neck and nervously smiled. "Landon's also in trouble."
"For what?"
"For what happened that night and every night afterwards," Ang sighed. "I swear, sometimes I just want to chop them up and feed them their own meat!"
Ang threw her hands in the air, quite irritated about it also. "It's that bad?" I asked both men who nodded.
Kamier patted my head, "If it wasn't for Landon, things would not have turned out this way my dear." He sighed. "Why don't you go on up. Leo, check on those two."
"Of course," Leo said. He placed a hand on the small of my back and pushed me towards the stairs.
"Oh and Scarlett," Kamier called. We stopped and turned to look at him. He gave me a soft smile. "I'm glad you're okay."
I gave him a smile and a nod then proceeded up the stairs. Once we got up there, I was breaking into a sweat. I stopped Leo and heavily breathed. "Sis? Are you okay?" He looked me over as I shook my head.
"Those stairs really knocked a lot of energy out of me," I whispered.
"Let me carry you okay?" Without another word, Leo carried me all the way to the room where I was going to sleep in. He gently set me down and kissed my forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll keep you as a surprise until tomorrow."
I just nodded and relaxed into the bed. Soon as I know it, I feel into darkness.