AllFreeNovel
Share Us
13
Sky
The low droneof the TV pulls me back to consciousness, and I shift against the strong chest of the man holding me. Dylan’s asleep too, arms loosely wound around my waist, head resting against mine.
The early sun filters through a gap in the long blinds opposite. My chest and stomach ache from the release of my emotions; Dylan’s presence comforting and worrying at the same time.
Sitting forward, I pick up the TV remote and flick to find the time.
“What time is it?” asks Dylan’s sleepy voice.
“Six.”
He groans and I turn to look at him. He’s bleary-eyed; his expression confused. “That’s still the night before.”
“For some of us.”
“Are you okay?” he asks, placing a hand on my arm.
“A little better. Thanks for listening.”
Dylan cups my chin. ”I meant what I said, Sky. Whatever happens between us, I’ll always be here for you. However far you fall, I’ll catch you.”
I nod because I don’t want to respond and trigger my tears again.
“You look exhausted, maybe go to bed?” he suggests, smoothing my tangled hair.
“I don’t think I could sleep, my mind is already planning the day. You get some rest.”
“That’s the best sleep I’ve had in months,” he says quietly.
“On the sofa?”
“I’m not sleeping well; I guess I’ve found the answer to my insomnia.”
I pull my brows together and he leans toward me, placing his lips on mine in a gentle kiss before drawing back again. “You in my arms.”
The stupid, annoying tears return and Dylan holds my face, wiping them with his thumb. “You’ve cried enough without me bringing more.”
I want to tell him how many times I’ve cried over the loss of my Dylan from the sea, the one replaced by the rapist who walked away rather than explain. I want to share the way my chest hurt, as if my heart was ripped from me and taken with him when he left, and how an emptiness I’d never noticed before had consumed the void where my heart had been.
“I’ll shower and change,” I say, aware from his gaze he’s about to kiss me.
Dylan drops his hand and kisses my forehead. “When you’re done, tell me how I can help.”
* * *
I showerin a bathroom as big as my entire flat. The marble bath set into the centre of the mosaic floor tempts me but I don’t want Dylan to look for me if I take too long. Once I’m dressed, I’m refreshed physically but mentally exhausted. I’m not sure I can face the day yet, as if letting go of the last few months has taken all my energy. I walk back to the area I left Dylan and he’s on the phone. As I approach, he smiles and holds a hand up the way people do when they’re on the phone and don’t want interrupting.
“Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I’ll talk to Sky about this first.”
I sit opposite him, distracted as always by his presence. He cancels the call and smiles at me.
“You look brighter.”
“Liar, but thanks.”
“Did you want to go back to your flat? Or stay away?”
