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If Only Tonight - By Andene, Chapter 11, Romance

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If Only Tonight - By Andene, Chapter 11, Romance Empty If Only Tonight - By Andene, Chapter 11, Romance

Post  Andene Tue May 08, 2012 2:43 pm

Into The Storm

Chapter Eleven: Nightmares


"Come on Mia, it's just a bit of fun." Jason's menacing face hovered over her. Mia recoiled; her face couldn't mask her repulsion.

"Please stop! Leave me alone!" Mia saw his smile grow wider. She was helpless. Jason snickered; he could see how feeble she was.

"Oliver isn't here to help you, and neither is little Matty. Oh come on Mia, I know you want me. Why fight it?" He sneered, his face coming closer to hers.

Mia screamed as he pinned her against the wall.

-----

Matthew awoke with a jolt. The scream had pierced through his sleep. Confused, he looked over to Mia's bed. He could hear her thrashing. Matthew blindly moved over in the direction of her high pitched screams. No sooner had he gotten to her bedside, light flooded in to the room. Oliver, the one person who could sleep through anything, had also been awakened. He rushed to the other side of Mia's bed. Her eyes were still closed, and she was tangled in her blanket. Matthew tried to nudge her, hoping she would snap out of it. She was trying to fight off someone in her sleep. Matthew had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

"Mia! It's okay! You're dreaming." Oliver said to her, shaking her gently.

"Let go!" She screamed, still trapped in her sleep. Her hands pushing Oliver away. Tears were streaming from her closed eyes.

"Mia, come on. Wake up!" Matthew said, trying to untangle her from her blanket.

"Mia, please open your eyes. You're okay." Oliver told her, this time holding her arms so she wouldn't hit Matthew accidentally.

Finally, Mia's eyes opened; fear prominent in them. She was shaking like a leaf. The tears started to flow harder. As Matthew finally got the blanket away from her, he saw that her shirt was damp. There she was shaking, and covered in a cold sweat, something washed over him, a feeling he couldn't name.

She looks so fragile, Matthew thought, sitting beside her bed while Oliver held Mia. She sobbed while trying to speak, her words incomprehensible. He couldn't help but feel partly responsible for what had happened to her. It was his fault Jason had taken any notice of her, or so he thought.

"Shh, Mia. You're alright. Jason can't hurt you." Matthew heard Oliver tell her.

Matthew glanced at the clock, trying to avert his attention from the blubbering mess that had become Mia.

It was 3:45 in the morning. Stifling a yawn, Matthew looked over to the older boy. Oliver had practice in the morning. Practice that Matthew would be skipping, considering that he only had two games left on his ban.

It was when Mia got up, that Matthew's attention returned to the task at hand. Someone would need to watch over her and Oliver needed to sleep. Lucky, lucky me, Matthew thought sarcastically.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked her with concern.

"Washing up…I don't want to sleep. Don't worry I'll sit on the couch and work on my laptop." She told him. "Thanks…" She told them both, before walking out of the room.

Oliver looked like he was about to say something when Matthew interrupted with a sigh.

"Go to sleep, you have practice early in the morning…I'll take care of it…" He told Oliver, hoping it would reassure the older boy.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked.

"Yea…unfortunately…" Matthew said, to his own displeasure.

"That's not exactly reassuring." Oliver muttered.

"I'll be good. I promise I won't bite." Matthew told him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Alright…" Oliver said hesitantly.

Matthew got up and headed out of the room having grabbed a change of clothes. His mind had many things to contemplate. He shoved them to the back. Right now he needed to make sure that Mia was alright.

-----

Having changed from her night clothes in to a dress and pants, Mia took a look at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her mind was still replaying the dream. It had been so realistic. Mia felt the terror course through her. Her hands cold and clammy. Forcing her mind to stop, Mia analyzed herself. How am I going to sleep? She wondered. Her green eyes looked weary, and her pale skin looked even paler. How is that possible? She asked herself. Her lips were chapped. Mia looked in her drawer of the bathroom cabinet. Rummaging for a lip gloss, she found a cherry flavoured one. She put on her ring, it was a silver band with an emerald, remembering her promise to herself. It could very well have been broken, if it weren't for Matthew showing up. The thought made Mia feel a little helpless. She shook the thoughts out of her head.

Checking her appearance once more, Mia turned the handle of the door and left the bathroom. She was surprised to find Matthew waiting outside; clothes were slung over his shoulder. He didn't say anything to her, just walked past Mia and in to the bathroom.

Mia settled on the couch, having gotten her laptop from the other room. Turning it on, she contemplated what the day would be like. Her lack of sleep wasn't going to help her in any way. She felt bad for having woken up the other two. He's never going to let me live this down, Mia thought in regard to Matthew. It seemed quite likely he wouldn't be going back to sleep. Oddly, the thought comforted her a little. She didn't want to be alone.

I don't get it…Mia thought. She had slept just fine last night, the night it had happened. Her mind should have been at peace, having spoken to Felix and knowing that Jason wouldn't be any where near her. Yet there it was; the events of the night before replaying in her mind. What if Matthew hadn't come when he did? What if Oliver had gone out with them? Mia shivered at the thoughts. She needed to change something. She hated feeling so helpless.

"Stop thinking." She mumbled to herself. It wasn't doing her any good.

Upon hearing the bathroom door open, Mia turned expectantly to see Matthew. He was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants. It was clear he was going to be supervising her while Oliver slept.

As he walked over to the couch, Mia mustered up the courage to send him back to the room. Surely, he needed his sleep.

"You know, you don't have to watch me. I'll be fine. You should sleep." She told him, knowing she couldn't lie to save her life.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, but Oliver would rather you have company." He told her curtly.

He sat down on the far end of the couch, taking the TV remote from the coffee table. Mia couldn't help but look at him. Here he was, the guy who would have given her hell if he had it his way. Yet there was something about Matthew, something Mia didn't understand. He was the most unfriendliest person she had ever met, but he was there when she needed him. Why? She asked herself. There was something about him…something familiar that she couldn't put her finger on. Of course there was another thing bothering Mia, Matthew knew more about Jason then he was letting on. All three of them, Matthew, Oliver, and Nathaniel, they all knew something about Jason that she didn't.

The television turned on, Mia watched as Matthew flipped through the channels with the volume lowered. She turned to face her laptop. Tired, but unwilling to sleep; Mia checked her email. Her father had emailed her. Mia didn't open it. She would deal with her family later. Closing her laptop Mia watched the television screen. Matthew had changed the channel to some history channel. A documentary of Ettore Majorana, the brilliant physicist who had disappeared, was playing.

"Can I ask you something?" Mia spoke at last.

She watched as Matthew glanced at her before returning to the program.

"Depends…" He told her.

"I just wanted to know…if Jason pulled something like this before? You and Oliver look like you know how he's like…" She asked, hesitantly.

The look on Matthew's face made it clear. He wasn't about to say anything to her. Mia sighed. It had been pointless to ask him. Mia turned back and watched TV. After a while, Matthew got up and left to the other room.

Touchy…Mia thought. She wished she hadn't said anything; at least she wouldn't be alone.

No sooner had she thought that, Matthew returned. In his arms were a blanket and pillow. He handed it to her.

"Thanks…but I'm not sleepy." She said, awkwardly.

Matthew shrugged, not saying anything. Mia settled on to the couch, the pillow in her hands and the blanket covering her. It was a while before she heard him speak.

"I don't know if Jason's done this to the rest of the women on the staff." He told her.

"But has he ever done anything similar?" She asked him, hoping he'd answer her.

"Not that I know of…"

Silence settled over them. Mia tried to stifle a yawn, but failed.

"I thought you weren't sleepy?" He sounded as though he was making fun of her.

"I'm not!" She told him stubbornly.

"You should sleep."

"I know…but I don't want to."

"Why not?" This time, Mia could hear a change in his voice. He sounded gentle, to her surprise.

-----

"Why not?"

Matthew watched as Mia turned to look at him. She looked miserable. He knew if she wasn't tired, she would have pushed on to find out more about Jason. It was true that he didn't have any knowledge if Jason had done anything similar before. But Matthew knew about something else. What Jason had done to him…Matthew shoved away the thoughts as he watched Mia try to find an answer.

"I don't want to dream…"

He was taken a back as he heard this. She was scared to dream…she didn't want the nightmare to come back. Matthew sighed…what would Oliver do? He thought. He would ask her what she dreamed…that requires being nice…Matthew wanted to kick himself. He wouldn't be in this position had they been on good terms from the beginning.

Contemplating his choices, he knew there was one way out. I'll be good just until this game ban is over, he decided. Not having any choice in the matter. He knew his garish ways were not the way to go at the moment. Biting his tongue, he got up. Mia looked as surprised as he felt. Matthew took a seat next to her.

"You saw Jason in your sleep?" He asked her, trying to act normal.

Not saying another word, perhaps out of astonishment that he was trying to understand her, she nodded. Matthew sucked in a sharp breath. Jason that son of a- He halted his thoughts; there was something more important at hand.

"This time none of you come to get rid of him…"

Her quiet voice didn't startle him as much as what she had told him. It was like she had confessed her greatest fear…them not being able to get to her in time. Matthew looked up at her; she was wiping her eyes silently. What if things had gone that way? Matthew swallowed the thoughts…he couldn't bear to think about it. He had dealt with the aftermath twice before…

"That's never going to happen." Matthew told her, trying to reassure her. How could he be so sure? Matthew didn't know.

"You don't know that." She told him.

"Trust me…I do." He told her. She eyed him; he knew she was trying to figure out what made him so sure about it. It took a few moments, but Matthew saw her resign; finally accepting what he had told her.

"Fine…I'll go to sleep…" Mia said at last.

Watching her put the pillow under her head; Matthew sincerely hoped she wouldn't dream of Jason again. He watched over her as she fell asleep while watching TV. It wasn't long before he felt his own exhaustion kick in. It was almost 5:30 in the morning.

Resting his head against the soft plush of the sofa, Matthew relaxed as he switched channels. His eyes slowly drooped to a close, as Matthew finally let sleep take over him.

-----

The sunlight poured in from the windows near kitchen. Just five more minutes, she thought; as Mia unwillingly opened her eyes. She was on the couch and the television was still on. Her head was resting on Matthew's shoulder, while his cheek rested against the top of her head. Mia tried to lift her hand, only to find it entwined with Matthew's, Mia couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

She glanced over at him; he hadn't taken any of her blanket. How does he manage to sleep like that? Mia wondered. Didn't he get cold?

What was going on? She wondered, as she carefully untangled her hand from his. Part of her didn't want to let him go, but she chose to ignore it. It was better to get up before he woke up. Mia carefully moved away, trying her best from jolting him awake.

As she got up from the sofa, he still hadn't stirred. He must have been really tired, Mia thought with guilt. He had been up the night before and tonight, and it had been because of her.

The light had spread in to the room; lighting up Matthew's face. It was surprising how soft his features were in the light. He didn't look so aggravating while he was asleep. Mia forced herself to stop staring.

Before leaving the room, Mia took her blanket and spread it over him. Looking at him one last time, she headed to the bathroom to wash up.
Andene
Andene

Posts : 27
Contribution : 4508
Join date : 2012-02-18
Location : Toronto, Ontario

https://www.facebook.com/AndeneTheWriter

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