Eva giggles, the sound light despite the weight of our passion.
“You okay?” Zander asks Eva his hand sliding over her back.
She nods, smiling sleepily. “Yeah.”
“Maybe we should actually shower now?” I suggest, grinning.
Zander chuckles, shaking his head.
“Does my Eva want to cuddle too?”
Her cheeks flush pink.
She mutters, “Yes. Right in the middle.”
They both look at me, waiting for my response.
I shrug, grabbing a towel.
“Not denying cuddling with Moonflower for anything.”
Showering is a fun experience of tangled limbs, curses, and scalding hot water courtesy of Moonflower’s preference for hot water that surely can burn us straight into hell, but by the end of it, we’re clean and sufficient in the needs department.
I can actually think straight.
The three of us dry off, slipping into bed, our limbs tangling as we find comfort in each other. The early morning light seeps into the room, but it does nothing to stop the pull of exhaustion.
The world outside might be chaos, but here, in this moment, we’re safe.
At least for now…until I have to deliver the bad news.
6
FRACTURED MEMORIES OF A EVENTFUL PAST
~GEMINI~
I'm snuggled in warm arms, drifting between consciousness and dreams as I listen to the low inhales and exhales that have calmed me since the nightmare began to fade.
The steady rhythm of breathing beside me feels like an anchor, keeping me from being swept away by the tides of panic that had threatened to overwhelm me moments ago.
Relief washes over me that I didn't wake up screaming, didn't disturb anyone with the fragments of terror that had chased me through sleep.
All I can remember now is a white rabbit with red eyes, its fur gradually staining crimson as it bled out, abandoned and dying before me. The image lingers at the edges of my consciousness, leaving a level of dread running through my veins that's hard to shake off completely.
Just a dream.
I have to remind myself so my nerves will remain at bay.
Just another twisted creation of my subconscious.
But something about this particular nightmare feels different — more significant, morerealsomehow, as though it's not merely a dream but a memory trying to surface.
A warning my mind is desperately attempting to communicate.
Deciding that lingering in this half-awake state will only prolong my unease, I slowly open my eyes, expecting to find myself sandwiched between Zander and Ren after our intimate morning together.
Their combined warmth and presence would be the perfect remedy for the lingering chill of my nightmare.
