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Oh shit.
My gun clatters to the floor. I rush over to her side and crouch down. Sweat beads on her forehead and her eyes are squeezed shut as if she’s in pain.
“Please, no,” she whimpers.
I reach out to touch her but stop myself.
“Rosa,” I whisper.
Her body flails around the bed. It’s like she’s possessed.
I can’t watch this; her wails are eating me alive. It’s pure, guttural misery.
Without thinking, I get on the bed and pull her body into mine. Carefully, I hold down her arms and wrap her in an embrace.
“Shh, Rosa. It’s me, Luca. No one can hurt you here,” I whisper into the top of her sweaty head.
I can stop anyone physically hurting her, but I can’t fix what’s tormenting her on the inside. If I could take some of her pain, I would in a heartbeat.
I hold my breath, holding her snugly.
Her screams turn into tears falling against my bare chest. I keep talking to her, telling her I’m here and that she’s okay.
I don’t know what is haunting her, but now I realize why she’s so desperate for a drink. And why she looked at me in horror when she found out her room was next to mine.
She didn’t want me to see her like this.
I sit with her, letting her settle in my arms. I’m too scared to move or startle her. So, I stay exactly where I am for hours. To the point my back aches and my arms are dead.
As the sun starts to rise, I carefully lift her head to rest it on the pillow and slip out from under her.
I take one last look as I close the door. She looks peaceful now.
My grip on the door handle tightens and my jaw clenches. Whatever demons are doing this, I want to fucking kill them.
CHAPTERTWELVE
rosa
Iwake with a start, feeling around the bed.Where the fuck am I?I sit up quickly with my hand on my chest as my heart beats against it.
Come on, Rosa, get it together.
My head throbs, and embarrassment takes over. My nightmares are back. He’s back. And what’s worse, Luca has seen my weakness.
When I finally get the courage to get up, I rummage through my drawers and look for a sweater. My door is cracked open. As I step into the dark hallway, I notice Luca’s room is the same.
Stopping for a second, I bite my nails as I debate my next move. I don’t want to talk about my nightmare, I can’t. I haven’t uttered the words since it happened and I told my dad.The more Luca witnesses, the more questions he is going to have. I won’t be able to hide it from him.
I tiptoe to his door and peer in. The natural light streams in, highlighting his sleeping form. I have no idea how long he stayed up with me last night, or what I screamed in my sleep. I just remember his bare skin holding me. This is the first I’ve seen him without his shirt on, his chest has splashes of black ink tattoos that follow both of his arms to his wrists.The sheet is tangled around his waist, and a part of me wants to see what he’s hiding.
The floor creaks as I take a step closer and I let out a gasp, looking back at his face. His green eyes are now open and focused on me.
I back away and run down the stairs to the kitchen.
I wonder what it would feel like to have him touch me. To have his full lips pressed against my own.
But darker thoughts overwhelm me. Older memories. All I can see are Dante’s black eyes glaring at me. I can feel his slimy hands on my skin and his wet lips on my neck.
