Lydia White
October 22nd
I woke up with Harry's head resting on my tummy.
I went to bed before he did, so he must have come in and fallen asleep in that position afterwards.
The past two days, we've been focusing on trying to get our well-being back on track.
When we came back to my apartment from the hospital, Harry sat me down and walked through the process of my nightmares with me.
He asked me to explain to him what happens in explicit detail. Then, when I went to sleep, he stayed awake next to me so he could be alert in case I do have a nightmare—which I did.
It was something along the lines of Cody coming back from the dead and trying to kill Harry and I.
But there was something different about this particular dream. First of all, it was way more vivid...nearly tangible. It was almost like I could feel what was happening to us. But secondly, there was another person in the dream. Actually, more like a 'being' rather than a physical human. It was a being I didn't recognize, yet it felt like I had such a connection to them. It was like I had a responsibility to protect this thing, whatever it was.
The next day, Harry spent the morning researching my dreams and trying to figure out a solution we could use to either make them less intense or stop them from happening all together.
Of course I was grateful for his adamant help, but I didn't want him to stress over me.
That same day, I was sitting on my bathroom counter getting ready until he barged in with three printed out sheets of research in his hands. All of them had different information about dreaming, sleep, sleeping patterns, etcetera.
"Parasomnia." he stated, pointing at a blurb of writing. "Sleep disorder involving abnormal movements or behaviour."
I looked at him with an arched brow. "I don't move around when I have nightmares." I opposed.
"Okay." he pointed to another blurb. "Then what about this? Nightmare disorder."
I squinted down at the paper where his finger was and read aloud. "A sleep disorder characterized by frequent nightmares." I mumbled.
"Nightmares that often portray an individual in situations that may jeopardize or threaten their safety." Harry continued reading. "Lyds, this is exactly what's going on with you." he spoke in realization.
With this new found knowledge of what might be happening with me, Harry suggested we see a psychologist.
I immediately declined. He wasn't thinking it through. If we saw a professional, they'd ask me about the past trauma that has seeped its way into my dreams. I'd have to tell them about everything that's happened in the past, meaning all of Harry's secrets will get out about the gang.
It was too risky.
So instead, Harry's been doing everything—and I mean everything—he can to make sure I sleep peacefully.
He makes sure I fall asleep first. He stays up and just sits next to me until I get into a deep enough sleep, and only then will he let himself get some rest.
And that's what happened today. He fell asleep resting his head and his hand on my stomach. He was out like a light, so exhausted by making sure I had a decent sleep.
I gently comb through his bouncy brown curls with my fingers, admiring how perfectly they sat on his head even when they were messy and untamed.
I know he's tired, so I slowly slip myself out from underneath him and walk out of the bedroom as quietly as possible so he could keep sleeping.
It was early morning, and the sun was barely beginning to rise. It was still fairly dark outside.
I freshen up in the bathroom and then walk out into the main area, but stop in my tracks when I realize something that made my stomach drop.
The front door was open.
I slowly walk towards it with the air temporarily robbed from my lungs. I poke my head out the doorway and look down the hallway.
Empty.
I could have sworn we locked the door last night. We've been trying to be really persistent with that.
I felt sick, knowing there could have been someone in here when Harry and I were asleep.
I was about to go back to our bedroom to wake Harry up, but I'm stopped by a sudden bang on my window.
Nervous butterflies fill my stomach and my heart beat accelerates.
I creep to my window, but stand to the side so I remain unseen. I tilt my head a little bit so I could look down at where the bang came from.
I peak down at the slightly lit back alley that my window faced.
There was the culprit, standing and looking up and my window in a black leather jacket and a ski mask.
I felt my heart stop beating in one swift moment. I step back in fear before my instincts kick in and I bolt to the door, shutting it and locking it immediately.
My breathing became uneven to the point where I couldn't even speak. I was terrified.
"Babe?" Harry's voice spoke from the hallway where our bedroom was.
I whip my head in his direction and run to him. He immediately grips my arms tightly and scans my face with worried eyes.
"Woah, woah, what's going on?" he says.
"T-there's a man outside the window." I tremble.
His eyes widen and he lets go of me, slowly walking towards the window in cautious steps.
"Don't let him see you." I whisper and bite down on my nails, watching Harry in aching nervousness.
He looks down outside the window, then back at me with furrowed brows.
"Lyds, there's no one out there." he says softly, with confusion in his voice.
"What? No." I rush over to his side and look out the window. He was right. No one. "H-he must have ran away. He threw a rock, Harry. I swear-"
"Ok, ok." he gently grabs my shoulders. "Just relax, baby."
He guides us to the couch and sits down with me, breathing in and out with me so I didn't panic again.
He puts his hand on my thigh and rubs it softly, allowing me to come back down from my extreme state of worry.
"The door was open, Harry. He was in here."
Harry knits his brows together and looks ahead at the door. "It was open?"
I nod.
"I thought I locked it." his voice trails off.
"He was gonna try to hurt us." I mumble.
His eyes flick back to mine and he shakes his head. "No Lyds, he wasn't. If he was gonna hurt us he would have. He was just trying to scare us." he explains calmly. I knew he was worried too, but he didn't want to freak me out anymore.
"But why?" I shake my head in discontent.
"Because that's what they do. They like to keep us on our toes and then not do anything for months afterwards. I've dealt with it far longer than you have...I know how they operate."
I'm assuming 'they' were the Phantoms.
"We just have to make sure we lock the door nightly. Maybe even install a new lock on it just to be safe." he says.
"Do you think they're gonna try to get in again?"
He bites his lip, trying to hide his real thoughts from me. "No. They got a reaction out of you. And, if they do try, I'll be ready for them."
I sigh and flop back against the couch in defeat.
I'm so sick of being scared.
"Lyds." Harry speaks.
"Mhm." I mumble.
"There's something I've been hiding from you." he says, making me sit up and furrow my brows.
"What is it?"
He sighs. "Okay, keep in mind I only didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be freaked out." he starts.
I tilt my head. "You're making me nervous."
He looks down at his rings, then back past my shoulder, taking his bottom lip between his fingers and clenching his jaw.
"Well." he pulls on his lip. "I-I think people are being paid to find me." he says.
I sit up straight and shake my head. "W-what?"
He exhales out of his mouth sharply. "Before I killed Cody, he said something about a large amount of cash that was offered to him if he brought me to 'them' alive." he explains with air quotations.
I widen my eyes. "What the hell! Why didn't you say anything to me?" I raise my voice in concern slightly.
"Because I didn't want you to be scared!"
"Yeah well too late! I cant believe that there's people who will literally pay to have you captured and you didn't tell me." I scoff.
"Lydia, listen to me." He grabs my hand. "I didn't want to stress you out more than you already are. And besides, I have the gang on top of everything. They're all digging into everything they can to try and stop whoever is doing this...even though I think I already know who it is."
"Xavier." I mumble.
He nods, confirming my assumption and looking to the ground.
I'd do anything to know why Xavier has such a resentment towards Harry. It's like he's made it his soul purpose to make Harry's life a living hell.
I've never met him. I hope I never do. He raised Alexander, who is literally one of the most twisted human beings to walk this earth...so I can't even imagine how Xavier would be.
The thought of him getting his hands on Harry like he is seemingly planning on makes my stomach turn. I didn't even want to think about it.
I remember when Alexander kidnapped him, and how formidable Alexander was that night, holding so much power over all of us.
I remember how spine-chilling it was waking up without him beside me.
I can't go through that again. And with Xavier, it would be on a much bigger scale.
"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you." I say, causing a paradoxical forlorn smile to appear on his face.
"Me neither, baby." he says, pulling me close into his body and holding me tight.
I mean it when I say that I'd do anything I could to protect him. He's done it for me. He's stared death straight in the face on numerous occasions for me.
I hope he knows that it goes both ways. I want him to be safe and happy...and I'd do anything to keep him that way.
//
here you go, another chapter for you because i love you ❤️
thank you for reading !! :)