When Aiden starts to drift off, Luke's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "You should eat too. You need to recover too, Cassie."
I look at my dinner prepared on the rolling food tray and sigh before pulling it closer to me. As he said, I need to recharge my energy too.
When I quietly finish my meal, the sudden pain in my head attacks me again, and I feel like throwing up.
Oh, God. Not again.
I choke on the food, and Luke rushes to me. He holds my shoulder and pats my back lightly. "Are you alright?"
Quickly, I nod. I don't want to cause another unnecessary drama, because Luke already looks very worried.
Nevertheless, the pain in my head is so powerful that I can't help but wince, touching it.
???
"She's dying. Call an ambulance!"
I heard people shouting madly. I tried to move my shaking fingers, but I couldn't do that even just to lift one.
Frantic whispers and gasps surrounded me. A tear slowly rolled down my cheek. Was I going to die?
What about him? What if he didn't make it?
Please, save him.
"No!" I abruptly sit up on my bed, panting, my chest rapidly heaving up and down.
I stare at the wall of my room. The clock shows that it has passed midnight. I remember getting back here after having the headache in Aiden's room.
"Cassie." Luke's voice makes me snap my head toward the side of my bed, and again, I find him holding my hand firmly, sitting beside me. Panic skates all over his face. "What's the matter? Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare again?"
My lips tremble, and I nod. Luke quickly gets up and sits on my bed, pulling me into a tight hug, making me freeze.
I don't think he can hold back anymore after seeing how traumatized I am. And I let him hug me—I don't push him away like I thought I would.
"Don't worry," Luke urges, tightening his hold on me. "It wasn't real. It doesn’t matter anymore. You're safe here, Cassie. With me."
I feel like crying from hearing his sentence, like it's the only thing I need to hear. When we pull away, he stares into my eyes, trying to search for what's bothering me.
"Why are you here?" I whisper even though I don't want to make him leave. "Aren't you supposed to stay with Aiden?"
Luke shakes his head.
"Langston is watching over him. I'm worried about you. You acted strange back there. I knew that something was up," he says, concern laced in his voice. "You're shaking."
I am. I can't control my body. The nightmare felt so real, and it still frightens me to the core even though I'm already out of it.
"I—" I stutter, not knowing how to explain to him. I'm still afraid that I'm going to be pulled into the same darkness again, just like what happened in my nightmare.
I've never felt an agony so painful. It seems like everyone dear to me was taken away from me.
"I just—" I can't finish my sentence, my voice hoarse.
Luke turns to my nightstand to give me some water, but the jug is empty. My throat feels dry, and I might be dehydrated, my body covered in sweat.
"Let me get some water for you." Luke stands up, but I pull his hand, not wanting him to go.
"Stay," I stutter. I don't want him to leave me even for just a second. I still very much feel like I'm in my nightmare, where there was no one left for me, nothing left for me but death.
