❝She was sleeping on the bed like a novel, that is yet to be read

And he sat on the floor reading her, moving his fingers through her hair and staring at her face like, she was magic that no one ever understood❞

Not wanting to scan words like a robot, I closed the book after flipping through some random pages. It felt as if those phrases, text lost their meaning, and failed to intrigued me in a way they used to do before.

My phone which for a long time buzzed with messages from my friends, was now silent and motionless, just like me.

Restless, I let out a sigh and simply stayed there, staring blankly at the empty wall.

I wanted to see her, make sure if she was okay. Praying that she wasn't being too hard on herself, she tended to do that a lot. But I couldn't. As much as I wanted to, I thought it would be best just to leave her alone for a while.

We cannot force someone to do something they don't want to do.

I rubbed my temples lazily, getting up from the couch. Putting the blue covered book back in its place, in the bookshelf, I decided to make myself a nice cup of Tea.

My Apartment was mostly vacant, maybe because of lack of belongings and decoration and had just enough furnishing for me. It was not like home, but still comfy and adequate to give a homely feeling.

Humming a soft melancholic melody, I was about to put the kettle on the burner, when suddenly my doorbell rang.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I stopped midway thinking who it could be, it was a little too late at night, when it rang again, announcing a visitor's impatience.

Exhaling, I put the kettle down and wiped my hand with my old worn out Shirt, sauntered towards the door.

Flickering the switch, I turned on the light to dim out the darkness, then to unlock the door.

And that's when I saw her right there on my doorsteps, struggling to stand still and straight.

For a second my breath hitched as I looked her over. Her hair was a mess, faintest evidence of tears laced with mascara imprinted on her cheeks. Her eyes were like a raging ocean, the waves thrashing around helplessly.

"Snow?" Her name barely left my mouth, when she tumbled in.

Stepping forward I caught her, wrapping my arms around her body and held tightly. She felt so weak in my arms yet so bravely strong.

"Hey, it's me. I thought you'd never call me that again" She muttered incoherently, before pulling away. The strong smell of alcohol was crystal clear in her breath and dress too reeked of it.

She blinked once or twice and looked around with a dizzy look, then suddenly she let out pearls of musical giggle.

Noticing her strange demeanor, I asked her out of curiosity "Are you not sober?" even though, deep down, I already knew the answer.

She smiled lazily and nodded, she said "I am moderately functional," her words slurred as they came to an end.

"I'll take that as yes" I stated, walking up to close the door, denying the cold air entry.

Turning around, I stared at her, watching her stand there with a silly expression, still looking around with admiration and then, whispering something to herself.

"Do you think this place is a carousel?"

Shaking my head, I chuckled "How much did you drink?"

She began to walk inside my place as if strolling in a park, causing me to follow her. I was taken back, when she replied "Enough to drown my demons"

I couldn't see her face, but the hidden heaviness behind her voice was enough to remind me of the things she must've been through during these past few days or maybe, I was thinking too much. Or it could be both.

I opened my mouth to ask about her day, how had she been, but a loud groan interrupted me.

With widened eyes, my neck turned towards the kitchen door as my feet quickly carried me there in a hurry. Entering, I saw Winter laying flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

When she noticed me coming, she commented simply "Why does your floor have to be so slippery? I cannot even walk properly"

I couldn't help but laugh at her words and bent down slightly, offering her my hand to take. Quickly grabbing it, she pushed herself up and began to smoothen down her dress from the sides.

A frown made its way on my face, when she continued fixing it, even though it looked perfectly fine. Probably aware of my gaze, she looked up and I got a chance to see the dark bags under her eyes, clearer than ever, her cheeks too lost their lustrous rosiness and were now covered with black tears.

Her hair tangled and roughly layered and that's when for the first time, she appeared ruined.

Under the pressure of dense silence, she abruptly announced "I think, I need a drink. Do you have any?"

Just as she turned around to reach for the fridge, I grabbed her elbow. In the end, we all are a little too drunk on the thought that alcohol can fix any problem.

"You shouldn't"

Looking over her shoulder, she glared at me with annoyance and disapproval. I didn't lose the hold and kept her caged in it and her eyes in mine.

When she realized, I am not planning to move anywhere anytime soon or letting her do the same, she grumbled words tripping in between "Whatever. I can always get one later."

Firmly, she pulled her elbow from me and began to step towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She turned her head at me and rolled her red watery eyes, retorting "I wish I kne-"

She didn't even finish the sentence as she straightly walked into the wall right beside the door, colliding her head hardly. Ouch

In instinct I rushed by her side, but didn't bother to hide the amused laugh leaving my throat.

"Jesus Christ! Stop hurting me." She yelled at the air, rubbing her head from the side.

I shook my head and took a step forward. Maybe it was a mere impulse or maybe the longing feeling twisting in my stomach from the second I left her in that room all alone, whatever it was, it did a great job controlling me.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her close to my chest, staring at her wide eyes. I rested my forehead against hers and closed my eyelids. Letting her presence and feel of her by side soothe me.

The smell of liquor mingled with vague cigarette smoke, tickled my senses and again I frowned. She had smoked?

Against me, her body lost it's rigidness. She was trying to stay calm, I could sense it, but there was hesitancy in her every move. Even drunk, she knew her priorities, she had her guards up.

"You are so clumsy" Mumbling softly, I opened my eyes and bored them into hers. It felt as if years later, I was finally breathing again, I was finally looking in those eyes again and the best part was, they were focused on me too.

Her eyes told me stories with sorrowful beginning and uncertain endings, where every page was gasping for air and tear drops decorated the words, but the world was just quiet as ever.

"You are so pretty" She blurted out.

I smiled at her embarrassed and deer in headlight look and replied "A compliment? From you? I shall cherish it."

She looked at me with confusion and uncertainty, then she was fidgeting in my hold. She squirmed with almost a pained expression and managed to take a step back. My arms fell on my side limply as I stared at her, trying to read.

Out of nowhere she started giggling and slurred "Don't look at me like that. I just want to say something"

When her expression once again changed, I nodded motioning her to continue "Go on"

Something close to hurt and guilt crossed her eyes, when she began to speak "About that... It's just that erm you see, I well um" Feeling herself stutter, she grunted "I think, I am way too sober for this"

"Well all I am trying to sa-" She buzzed almost inaudibly and clutched her head. Her voice was losing energy and body seemed to be getting weak as she blinked rapidly, trying to look past through the water.

"Are you okay? You look about to fall"

"Yeah, you might wanna catch m-" She didn't even finish the sentence as she collapsed weakly.

Hurried, I quickly grabbed her, before she could hit the cold tiled floor and brushed away the strands of hair from her face to take a close look.

"Gosh, my head hurts like crazy and can you please tell your kitchen to stop spinning too?" She let out grumpily.

"That's it. Let's take you to the bed, you need some sleep." I announced in an authoritative tone after making my deduction. Placing my hand behind her legs, I carried her up in bridal style, cradling her close to my chest.

She started squealing and laughing just as I did. With her eyes still half closed and tiredness painting her body, she looked beautiful breathing peace.

Damn, I never knew she was ticklish.

Scrambling towards my bedroom, I tried to hold her steadily as she continued giggling and squealing like a little girl in my arms and I would be lying, if I said I didn't enjoy it. Her laughter was like millions of prayers answered.

I kicked open the door and stalked towards the bed, placing her down gently. She let out a loud sigh, before muttering "I don't need to sleep just yet."

"Says who?" I hummed, opening my wardrobe and rummaging through my old shirts and sweats to find something suitable to change into for her.

"Me. Besides, don't you know? It's such a wasteful for the night to just got to sleep"

Shaking my head, I grabbed a cream loose T-shirt and turned around, finding her sitting on the bed with her legs constantly swinging back and forth and face lightening up like a Christmas tree, bright and lovely.

"Oh, really? Then, what do you want?"

She grinned lopsidedly and puffed "Preferably a drink or two. Do you know that Blended scotch is way better than single malt scotch? In fact, we should have it now, you know just to make it more clear"

I rolled my eyes and with long strides, reached up to her and put the soft fabric down, denying her offer "It's not necessary. You are not having anymore drinks and that's it"

Ignoring her childlike cute lush pout, I bent down and took her one feet in my hand and began to unzip her black heels.

"Why not? You are not my father, I'll do what I want" She countered, trying to shrug her feet off from me stubbornly, but I didn't let her.

Blowing out a tired breath, I murmured "It's not healthy for you, isn't it a good enough reason?"

Putting the black heel down on the floor, I went for another one. Massaging her toes slowly in between with my fingers.

I heard her grumble above me "Who says anything I do is healthy"

When she continued to wiggle her feet to get free from my hold, my patience snapped and I growled quietly "Shut up! I am trying to take care of you, little annoying piece, so can you stop arguing?"

Chilling silence carried their way as I took off another heel from her feet and put them down.

"Nobody has done that before" Her whisper stepped on frosty silence, hesitantly.

"What? Asked you to stop arguing?" I stood up chuckling, hovering her, when her next words snatched my breath away, ripping my heart out.

"No. Take care of me"

My neck jerked at her direction. My eyes searching for her, memorizing her gorgeous face, when they finally found them searching for mine.

For a moment, I could see it, I could see her. Trying to pull herself together and not break down into thousands of pieces, trying to keep those unshed tears at bay and a straight face. Telling her heart to hold on, hold on for another day.

Behind those lies, covered secrets, those rude words and angry shouts, I could see her or what she could've been or was before everything.

Breaking our eye contact, she started laughing, but that laugh was anything but humorous. It was strained and bitter, sprinkled with something unspeakable.

"You must think, how fucking difficult to be with I am and to be honest, I don't blame you" She scoffed, later giggling again.

God, how wrong she was, I was thinking of anything but that. She didn't know that this world was full of easy things and I loved, craved difficulty.

Easy are for those, who are too weak to handle difficult.

"Stop giving me that look!" She roared at me in anger and I asked myself dumbfounded, what look?

"I don't think, I understand.."

She shook her head violently, her jaw was clenched and eyes tapped in a whirlwind of hurricanes and spoke "Forget it. I am going to sleep"

Shocked , I stood there not moving an inch and kept scrutinizing her. She laid down on the bed, kicked the cream T-shirt out of her way and pulled the duvet close to her, covering her body completely from head to toe, then let out a gust breathe.

Meanwhile, I was just perched there like a statue. Running my hand through my hair, I cursed under my breath before, going to turn off the light.

The room got covered in a dark blanket, only leaving a little space for the moonlight coming in from the window. In darkness, it shone brighter than any star.

I was about to leave the room, when a hand clasped my wrist urgently. Furrowing my eyebrow I turned to peer down, when a plea made its way to my ear.

"Don't leave. It's too dark here for me"

Once again, I had that weird feeling in my chest, that there was so much more behind those words than she wanted to show.

"I am not, don't worry" I assured her calmingly.

Later, not knowing what else to do, I discarded my shirt, throwing it on the chair and moved to the bed. Pulling the duvet over us, I leisurely laid down beside her, making sure not to make any type of noise.

Silence hushed everything and the air too moved quietly. Her soft breathing caressed my bare skin, when she moved close to me and with shaking hands, wrapped herself around me, snuggling.

I gazed down at her from the side, through my eyelashes. Her solemn face reminded, how unreal it felt to have her in my arms, that too in such a vulnerable state.

Her lipstick smudged all over, letting the world see those lip's real color. Her elegant nose slightly turned red from the tip, mouth heaving small breathes, making her lips tremble a little on the way. Her eyelashes weren't long, but it was enough to give her eyes a big bright look, which were now closed.

I admired her aesthetic beauty, but no matter how hard I tried not to think about it, it just seemed so... I didn't even have any words to express my jumbled thoughts.

But, there were so many questions swirling on my mind and all of them started with one word, Why? Too many to count. But above all, why she decided to drown herself in alcohol and why did she...

"Why?" Confused with my own twisted emotions, I whispered to the dark, hoping it could answer my questions, so that I could do the same to hers.

Waiting in silence, I thought how stupid it sounded, when a similar whispered said back "Because you are the only place my heart suggested, when my mind begged for peace"

I forgot to breathe.

All the air flew right out of my lungs and a hot feeling tingles on my skin. I turned to face her, but her eyes were closed and deep serenity etched her features. The mellow humming of her breath indicated that she was sleeping.

Damn it, how could she say something like that and expect me to sleep?

And so it went on, I didn't sleep, couldn't.

Laying there, I just watched her sleeping peacefully after only god knew how long, continuously fighting my eyes to stay awake. Because, in the end, no dream was prettier than the way she slept.

Me : Doesn't make any effort to write a single word for 15 days straight

Also me : Completes chapter in 9 hours

It was one of the hardest chap to write. I mean, it was perfect in my head, everything was planned, but just as I started writing everything messed up, nothing made sense.

So, I am sorry, if this wasn't worth the wait. I also skipped school today, just to finish this mfer chappy. I sometimes hate myself :/

Anyway, hope you are having a better day than mine, stay awesome. Make someone smile everyday, but never forget that you are someone too :)

Love you loads, Zee..