Aliena

The man wakes up right as I'm getting to my feet. "Oh, good morning," he mumbles with a yawn. I look at him over my shoulder and make a move to leave his room.

"Morning," I reply. His brows are drawing together, no doubt at my hurried comportment but I speak some more before he can question me. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, really. I have to get to work now," I tell him, unsure whether that's true since I don't know what time it is.

Sebastian gives the clock on my nightstand a pointed look before bringing his disbelieving eyes back to me. "It's five am, Aliena. You slept for barely three hours. Come back to bed."

Oh. My shift doesn't start until eleven. My steps slow but I don't halt. I might as well go home already and do some chores. It's not like I will be able to sleep again.

While I contemplate my next move, Sebastian climbs out of bed and walks toward me, his face neutral. I watch him come closer, trying not to make my ogling of his bare chest too obvious when really, it is a sight to see.

"What are you doing?" I finally ask when he stops right in front of me. He laughs softly.

"I told you to come back to bed," he tells me.

"Well, I told you I had to get to work," I retort. He doesn't buy it.

"What time does that start?"

"Eleven," I mumble, looking away. He tsks. Then, with a smile of angelic innocence, he ducks so his head is near my waist and throws his arms around my middle. I squeal and try to step away but before I can escape, my feet are off the ground and I'm horizontally in the air.

"Sebastian! What are you doing?" I exclaim, clutching onto his back. His muscles flex beneath my touch and hold on a little tighter. Accidentally.

"Taking you back to bed," he replies and starts walking to the four-poster as if I wasn't slung over his shoulder like a heavy bag of potatoes.

"I told you I had to go, you caveman!" I protest, slapping his back softly. The next thing I know, I'm flying through the air and bouncing off the fluffy mattress. Once I still, I wipe the hair from my face and glare up at the man, who's now triumphantly smiling down at me.

Then he jumps onto the bed next to me, saying, "Much better." He pats the space right next to him and opens his arms invitingly. "Come back, now, will you?"

I stare at him. "Just go back to sleep, Seb. I should start my day," I tell him seriously. His smile fades and he shakes his head.

"When's the last time you got eight hours of sleep?" he asks.

"No one needs that many hours," I protest. He gives me a look.

"What about six hours?" I just roll my eyes. "Aliena, when's the last time you slept?" he finally asks.

"Just now," I huff. "It's about quality, not quantity and these three hours just now were great. Really relaxing."

"Good, let's repeat it now," he argues, patting the mattress again. Oh, and it's tempting. It really is. Still, I hesitate because I already granted myself such a long break from reality and I'm scared to drag it out. I don't even remember the last time I checked my phone. It must've been at the party at some point.

I'm sure Lily texted me by now and my heart beats a little heavier at the thought. I'm afraid to have received a message from my best friend. Christ. I just really, really don't know what to say to her.

Sure, Sebastian was right last night when he said that it's her choice what she does to her body and that it might only have been a one-time thing. Still, I'm really disappointed in her. And scared for her.

Shit, that's exactly why I should check my phone. I already drove one person back to drug abuse with my apathy and the distance I created, I can't let the same happen with Lily.

When a gentle hand brushes against my arm, I refocus on Sebastian, who's studying me closely. "What's on your mind?" he asks.

Yeah, he's too attentive and too interested in understanding or helping me or whatever else his motives are. I shouldn't keep oversharing my thoughts but here he is, looking at me so expectantly and sincerely.

I shrug. "I don't know. Last night was a mess and I have to figure out what to do with Lily. Do you know where my phone is?"

"Yeah, here." He turns around, regrettably letting go of my arm, and takes my phone from the nightstand. Before he returns it to me, he says, "I turned it off last night when you were changing in the bathroom. It wouldn't stop ringing but I didn't think it was the right time for you to have to deal with it."

"It was Lily?" I ask, my anxiety rising. I don't remember a single time when I turned off my phone. Shit, what if my dad tried to reach me because there was an emergency, or something happened to Lily.

"Yeah. But don't worry, I told Andrew to go get her before I came after you. She wasn't alone in case of an emergency," he tries to reason as if hearing my spiraling thoughts. I snatch my phone from his hand and turn it back on.

"She still could have needed me. You shouldn't have turned it off. You had no right," I rebuke. Then I focus on my screen that lights up with about a million messages.

The first thing that catches my eye is the amount of missed calls I have from my best friend but also from Andrew and even some from Mattheo, though I guess he called me to ask where I vanished off to rather than because he knew what I saw. He wouldn't understand my reaction anyway.

Then there are all the texts from Lily, and finally, I see a missed call from my dad. That's what really makes me scared. I mean, something terrible must've happened if he called me at four am.

I clench my fingers around my phone to stop them from shaking but it's no use. I fail to enter my password two times before I manage to unlock my phone. Before I can call my dad back, a firm hand envelops my shaky one.

"The world won't fall apart if you're out of reach for a few hours. You deserve a break from time to time," Sebastian tries to reassure me. It does little to ease my rising panic, and when I speak next, I can hear the emotion in my voice.

"My world might. I have people depending on me, Seb. I can't just go off the grid. Now, please, let go of my hand. I have to call my dad back." As I speak, I'm preparing myself to get up to leave the room. This is none of Sebastian's business. I know he's only trying to be a good friend but this isn't his burden to carry.

Of course, we don't see eye to eye on that and he pulls me back onto the bed even as he releases my hand. "Stay. You don't have to do everything alone," he tells me, eliciting a heavy sadness within me. It's weird to hear someone say that. It feels like I'm being recognized only that it doesn't feel good because it only confirms that things are wrong.

I don't say a word as I sit up on the bed and call my father. I don't look at Sebastian as I count the unanswered rings. Two, three, four.

My palms start to sweat as I listen to the even sound over the phone. A million scenarios occupy my mind. None of them are good. In fact, they're bad enough that the comforting hand Sebastian places on my knee doesn't help.

Finally, the ringing stops. "Aliena?" my dad's groggy voice asks, sounding confused. I could sob. Instead, I swallow thickly to make sure my next words are even.

"Yes, dad. You called me?"

"I did? Oh, that must've happened by mistake. I'm sorry for that, honey, I hope I didn't give you a scare."

"You're sure?" I ask, slowly feeling my tense muscles release.

"Yes, everything's fine here," he assures me.

"Okay, good. I'm sorry I woke you, then. Go back to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow," I tell him.

"Until then, Honey." The line disconnects and I sag against the headrest, closing my eyes.

"He didn't mean to call me. Everything's fine," I say without looking at the man next to me. He gives my knee a squeeze.

"See, you got some rest and there was no catastrophe. Will you agree to sleep a few more hours now?" he asks.

I worry my lip between my teeth. "I don't know. I should still get back to Lily." Even as I say it, I don't make a move to open her messages. I don't want to deal with that right now.

Sebastian takes my phone from my hands again and puts it back on my nightstand, making the decision for me. Then, wordlessly, he tugs at my hands to pull me into a lying position. I'm in his arms the next second, my face buried in the crook of his neck while his even breathing brushes against the top of my head, making tingles rush down my spine.

After a few minutes of stroking my back gently, he asks, "Do you want me to read to you again?"

"No, this is fine. Thanks," I mumble against his skin, already feeling my mind drifting off. It's only faintly that I notice his soft shudder in response to the brush of my lips against his skin.

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Fun fact; I've been proofreading& preparing chapters for 12 hours straight now lmaoo, who needs sleep

Anyway, have a super cool day<3