I screamed awake. My scream echoed throughout the whole house and screeched through the walls like a siren. Vivid images of my normal nightmare flashed through my mind, but this time instead of it being a blank face who was murdered before my eyes. This time it was my mother.

Thunder crashed in the sky above and I screamed again as the vision of flashes of lightning struck through the woods as my mother was killed. I thrashed around my bed as I screamed wildly, still barely conscious. But my thrashing stopped when I felt someone grab my hand. I clutched the hand with all my mite, wishing it to bring me back to reality.

"Wake up Rose," a soft voice spoke in my ear and another hand lightly ran down my cheek. It was only then that I realised that I didn't usually get such a soft touch when I am having a nightmare. My eyes flew open and I gasped through my heavy breathing when I saw a brightly lit face right in front of mine, the light was still on in the room. My gaze zoned in onto bright blue eyes that were staring worriedly into mine and I instantly relaxed. I would recognise those eyes anywhere.

"It's okay, you are just dreaming," Blake reassured velvety, cupping my cheek and running his fingers down my skin. I continued to stare bewildered into his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation. There were worry lines around the sides of his eyes and they were hooded from just waking up himself. His black hair was a mess of stray hairs pointing in different directions around one side of his head, bed hair.

I was clutching his hand into my chest and I didn't even realise I was doing it. But I didn't move it away and neither did he.

"Are you okay?" He asked tenderly, tilting his head to the side as he examined me. He was wearing a football jersey and black track pants.

"Yeah," I croaked, my voice was hoarse from all the screaming. My vision was still blurry, and I pushed myself up onto my elbow to gain some blood back into my head. But as I did I just made our faces even closer, Blake didn't push his head away.

So, our noses were nearly touching as Blake looked into my eyes. His gaze was intense and searching like he was trying to pry out information from them. My breath hitched, and he finally looked away. Surely he must know the effect he had on me.

"Few, I thought you were being murdered in your sleep." He ran his hand over his forehead like he was wiping sweat from his skin and backed himself further away from me on the bed. My lip slid up on one side at his humour but then another bang of thunder crashed through the sky.

I flinched, I couldn't help it. My heart began pounding erratically in my chest and my stomach felt like it was tying into knots. I squeezed his hand tighter and he squeezed it back reassuringly. I curled my free fingers into my bed sheets trying to contain my mounting panic.

When I looked back up to Blake again I saw he was staring at me intently with his eyebrows pinched together. He ran a hand through his messy hair, but instead of taming it, he just made the other side of his hair stand on end.

"You don't seem okay," he observed, scooting closer to me on the bed, his eyes inspecting me. I shrugged, looking away from him, I didn't know what to say to that.

"I didn't know you had night terrors. You seem fine most nights," he recalled. I had been actually, ever since he had started sleeping in the same room, I didn't feel so alone with him here. But the thunder must have triggered it. I can't stand thunder anymore, it makes me feel claustrophobic and every time I hear it I feel like I am going to have a knife fly through my back.

"It's the thunder," I explain with nonchalance, brushing it off. He nodded in understanding. His eyes didn't leave my face for a very long time and his eyes were torn. I was still clutching his hand to my chest, he wasn't getting away that easily. He was letting me touch him and I would utilise and cherish any moment of affection he gave me. He seemed to decide because he gave me one of his rare smiles.

"Well move over, I am not waking up from my beauty sleepy by your screaming again," he joked, I knew he was joking because he never slept anyway. He settled himself onto the bed next to me, pulling up the covers to slide under. My whole body stiffened up in surprise when his leg rested against mine, from our hips to our knees. He rested his head onto the pillow next to me and faced towards me. He managed to do this all while still keeping our hands intertwined.

"What are you doing?" I stuttered, gasping, my stomach swirling with butterflies from his close proximity. My head jerked towards his and my heart stuttered when I realised just how close his face was to mine. He was so close I could see the flecks of white in his blue eyes. He smiled softly at me, displaying the dimple on the left side of his mouth. I could hardly breathe with him so close.

"You know what my dog used to do when there was thunder, he used to sleep tucked right into my arm. That seemed to help him sleep, so I'm sure it can help you," he grinned. I stared blankly at him.

"Are you insinuating that I am a dog?" I gaped.

"Yeah, my dog," he grinned, his eyes lighting up with it. I smiled, being anything of his would make me smile. I hadn't seen him in such a good mood for weeks. It made my heart warm from seeing him so light hearted.

"I'd prefer to be a cat thank you very much, they are clean and scratch people they don't like." I glared at him, but it was hard with him so close. I only needed to move my mouth a few centimeters closer and we would be kissing. My lips tingled as I remembered what it was like to kiss him.

"I am glad you don't have claws then, I'd have definitely lost my good looks," he joked with a smirk.

"What good looks? You are the dog?" I teased and pulled on his nose. He scrunched it up in my hands in disgust, laughing openly. And I listened to him, memorising the sound, it was so rare. His laughter run out and we ended up just staring into each other's' eyes smiling, in my bed, with our legs touching and hands clasped.

The thunder shrieked again breaking the moment and my stomach dropped, fear taking root in the core of my being causing my limbs to shake. Without thinking I leaped forward and wrapped both my hands around Blake's waist. I dug my head into his chest as the resounding sound of the thunder went on and on, like it enjoyed causing this torment in me.

Surprisingly, Blake didn't jump out of the bed screaming like I thought he would. He just wrapped his own hands around my back and rubbed soothing circles down my spine.

"You are okay Rose, it's just thunder," he reassured, his tone was soft for the first time ever. He could feel the way my whole body was quivering and shaking in his arms. It was just thunder but not to me, it reminded me of something I went through, something I would never like to remember again. And the thunder just brings it all right to the surface.

But Blake was helping, I didn't feel so alone. From having his body in wrapped around mine, I felt safe from the knife I was expecting to sink into my skin. I took deep breaths and focused on the way Blake's hand ran down my spine.

When I felt I could breathe normally again without heaving I tried to talk again. With him this close already, maybe he might open up to me.

"I thought you weren't speaking to me," I say hesitantly into his chest. His stomach muscles contracted and froze at my words but then relaxed after a few moments.

"Well I am clearly not, I am hugging you." So, he was going to ignore the elephant in the room, I could as well.

"You are now," I challenged.

"That's just cheating," he joked releasing a deep breath.

Another thunder sounded, and I tensed up but didn't feel my breathing increase, I was okay. Blake's hands tightened around me and I felt his lips brush the top of my head. I couldn't help closing my eyes, the feeling of his lips on my skin and his arms around me was like a dream. Maybe I should have panic attacks more often.

We were silent after that and I focused on the soft sound and feeling of his breath on my head. I still kept my hands wrapped around his waist tightly like an iron lock. He was like an anti-anxiety drug, I already felt like normal again.

As we lay in the quiet with my head on his chest I could hear his heart, and it was beating wildly under my head. Which I couldn't understand, was it possible that I affected him as much as he affected me? It kept my mind occupied trying to think through the answer to that question and I fell just on the brink of sleep when Blake spoke again.

"Thank you Rose," he breathed, his breath fanning onto my cheek. "For the bible," he explained and kissed my cheek softly. My heart burst and I smiled against his chest. I couldn't explain the feeling I had in my chest, pride and happiness that I could help him.

"Has it been helping?" I asked, snuggling myself closer to his body, intertwining our legs.

"You have no idea," he whispers into my hair, so quietly I barely heard it. I released a deep breath of happiness and relief pulling him closer to me. Blake must be feeling better and I helped him feel better. Just like he helped me tonight.

*

I wake up a few minutes later from a light sleep as Blake nuzzled his nose into my neck in his sleep. Warmth flowed through my blood as his arms securely pulled me tighter into his chest and I sighed in contentment.

But a thought struck me and caused an unexpected and unrelenting feeling of anxiety struck me causing my stomach to cramp as my mother's words resounded in my head, she might send him away. I nuzzled his forearm that was curled under my head that I was using as a pillow.

"I don't want you to leave," I spoke quietly my lips brushing his forearm. I didn't even know there was someone out there who could make me feel like this, safe. Even with the thunderstorm still raging outside, I felt fine in his arms.

My usually wild mind felt sated for the moment as I focused on the sound of his breathing. Even though he was a true delinquent, that did drugs and broke the law and now might actually go to jail I didn't care because all I wanted was him. Even if that meant accepting the dark parts of his soul.

I spoke more to myself than him as I knew he was asleep, but I was instantly proven wrong when I felt his body stiffen around mine. He didn't reply through, so I started to question if I actually imagined his reaction. But it was only a long time after when I was on the brink of sleep that I heard his soft reply. It was barely intelligible, and he must have only spoke because he thought I was asleep. But even in my sleep I would hear anything he had to say about his true feelings.

"I will be leaving no matter what."

I didn't sleep for hours after that, I couldn't. My mind kept reeling about what he meant and the fear that he will leave. I wanted to make the most of being in his arms while I could. Even when I heard his breath slow into rhythmic breaths I stayed awake. I was only able to sleep when hours into the night Blake tucked his head into my neck in his sleep spoke.

"Rose," he breathed, and my heart jumped. It was only then that I released that if maybe he does like me even a little bit then I can convince him to stay with me. Only then could I relax and allow the soft breeze of his breath on my skin lull me to sleep.

***

Hey my lovelies!! A short (but sweet) chapter for you all :) I loved this chapter, I hope you all did too.

Please let me know what you all think about the chapter and Rose and Blake's relationship by commenting and voting!

Thank you all so much for reading.

Much love, Elaine Xx