Chapter 11 ~ #2
After that, Maverick interrupted. Mav told me he was going to sleep in his and Mase's room because he thinks someone else will benefit more in his place. He smirked when he said it, waggling his eyebrows.
I gawked at him and he grinned before disappearing into his room.
Truthfully, I'd already been thinking about it. Luc doesn't sleep. Doesn’t sleep well. When he does, he has nightmares but he did sleep for a bit earlier.
Would he even want to sleep with Mase and I?
In a bed with Mase and I, I mentally correct myself.
Maverick thought he would.
That in mind, I slowly move out from under Mase's arm.
His eyes pop open and I internally wince. He gazes blearily up at me, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Wa—you doing?” Mase rubs his face into my pillow. Hair flops over his eyes. I brush it off his face.
"Go back to sleep," I whisper.
"Are you getting Luc?" He mumbles, taking his arm off me. How did he know that?
"Ummm, yes?" I say like I'm unsure.
"Go get Luc." Mason groans before rolling onto his back, throwing an arm over his face.
"You're okay with that?" I double check with him.
He opens one eye and simply says, "Go, Angel."
I get up and walk to the door. I hesitate with my hand on the door and turn to look at Mase. I smile softly when I see him pull the covers up and roll back to face my side of the bed.
I pass Alec's room, hearing muffled voices and continue to Luc's room. My pyjama bottoms swish together as I walk. I shiver at the unexpected coolness in the air, regretting not getting a jumper to cover my tank top.
I once asked Hannah why she had a house this big since she was the only one living here. She just smiled and said, "It won't be empty for long, Butterfly."
I swear she can read the future.
I knock softly but when I don't hear anything, I just open the door.
Freezing cold air hits me, making me shiver.
It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. He’s not in bed but he’s clearly been here judging by the ruffled sheets. I hear a choking noise and look up.
Luc is sitting in a chair beside his huge open window. His face is pale. He's focused on his hands that are shaking violently. The moonlights spilling in, illuminating his tear stain features.
"Luc?" I abandon my unsurety and rush over to him. He looks up like he didn't hear me knock. He stares at me for a moment.
"Butterfly?" Luc's voice breaks as he reaches for me. Those tear stained eyes are frantic as he pulls me into his lap and buries his face in my neck.
"Hey, Luci," I soothe him as he shakes uncontrollably. "I'm here, It's okay."
I run my fingers through his hair, knowing it helps relax him and the twins.
He holds me tightly and I feel the tremors running through him. I reach for his hands but he balls them to keep me from touching him.
"I don't want their blood on you," Luc whispers.
Oh, Luc. I grab his hands, opening them so he can see his palms.
"Luci, there's no blood on them, sweetie," I tell him gently. He stares at them like he can still see it. I repeat it and the words seem to get through the second time.
"There's no blood?" His eyes focus on mine and I shake my head.
"No blood, Luci," I say softly. Luc's green eyes fill with tears as he begins to sob.
I gather him in my arms. His shoulders shake and he flinches harshly when my hand touches the rough, raised stars in the centre of his back.
"Sorry, Luci," I murmur. I slowly move my hand up and down his back until he doesn't flinch from it.
I don't move and he starts to calm down. His breathing settles, his grip on my shirt loosens like he's falling asleep.
"Butterfly!” He says panicked when I try to stand. "Don't go. Please, don't go," he begs me.
Tears fill my eyes.
"Luci." My voice trembles as I try to hold myself together. My fingers brush his cheek and his eyes snap up. "I'm not going anywhere, baby. Do you want to come sleep with me?"
He nods and lets me stand. I slip my hand into his, seeing the fright back in his eyes. He grips it tightly.
I direct him around his bed. The blankets are a mess. He must have been moving in his sleep a fair bit—his hair’s sticking up everywhere too.
"Come on," I murmur and he follows me down the hall to my room. I push my door open and Mase opens his eyes looking like he never went back to sleep. He tilts his head, focusing on Luc.
"You okay, dude?" Mase says concerned. Luc doesn't answer.
Mase mouths something that I don't interpret. I give him a confused look. He rolls his eyes and waves it off.
Luc pulls the sheets down and slides under them. I lay down between him and Mase. Luc pulls me back against him. His arm curls around me, his fingers stretching until they rest on my collarbone.
"Pretty Butterfly," he murmurs before drifting off.
Mase moves closer, entwining our fingers. Our mouths are centimetres from each other. My gaze flicks away once I'm caught out.
"This isn’t uncommon," Mase says quietly, his blue eyes seek out mine. “I’m usually the only person who hears him.”
"He's not quite awake," I guess and he nods.
"He won't remember it in the morning—little bits maybe," Mase tells me.
"What happens?" I ask him.
"He has nightmares but sometimes they’re memories. The last few he's had like this, where he's still asleep, it's his dad torturing the people closest to him." Mase hesitates before adding, "Usually I'm the only one who hears him moving around. The first time I went in, he thought I was a ghost."
I don't want their blood on you.
He was so panicked, so relieved when he saw me.
"He thought you guys were dead," I say heartbroken.
Mase nods. "His father made him do terrible things, Angel. He wouldn't tell us everything. It's…it's not always his dad torturing his loved ones in his nightmares. Sometimes it's his father forcing him to hurt us."
Tears fill my eyes and Mase moves closer. I take shaky breaths into Mase's chest, breathing in his evergreen scent. My poor Luci.
"He's getting better, Angel," Mase tells me. "Being here, it's helping him. Being here with you…it's helping all of us."
I close my eyes and feel Mase and Luc against me. My fingers entangled with Mase's, his hand on my hip. Luc's arm around me, his face nuzzled in the crook of my neck.
They're helping me too.