SLEEPSONG (BoyxBoy)✔️

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Mommy, look! Look! I made this for you!"

"Go to your room. Right now, Aerin."

"But Mommy, look! I made this just for you!"

"Go to your room, Aerin! Now!"

"W-why? What did I do?"

Her jade green eyes, even in memory, were cold and mean.

"Nothing. You do nothing, and that's the fucking problem. You're useless."

"I'm... useless? But, Mommy..."

"Your medical bills are more than your life was worth. Do me a favor and go play outside."

"But Mommy, the sun is coming up!"

"Good. That's perfect. Go and play in the sun."

"But I'll get--"

I woke with a sudden start.

Sweat gleamed on my skin and my chest rose and fell rapidly. I raised one trembling hand and pushed my fingers through my bangs, which were plastered to my forehead. I lay quiet, the soft hum of the box fan in the corner the only other sound in my small bedroom.

I took a moment to look at my phone, squinting as the light of the screen blinded me, and saw that it was going on midnight, which was far later than I usually slept in. I exhaled and slowly sat up, pushing off my silken blankets and swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

My head was pounding, aching, and I was clearly suffering from a hangover, but worse than that was the overpowering smell of coffee, which filled my nose, blocked out every other sense I had, and made my brain tingle. I didn't stand right away, just sat still with my bare toes touching the carpeted floor, which was more than I should have been able to do. I mean, after what I'd been through these last few days, and now with the hangover adding to my discomfort, I should have been sleeping in for another couple hours at least, but after that nightmare I wasn't going to.

The feeling it had given me was too awful.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I finally stood and stretched until my spine popped, then crossed the small bedroom. I pulled a Bruce Almighty stunt with my Pokemon pajamas and tugged a clean black tank top out of my dresser, complete with a pair of baggy, well-worn blue jeans.

The moment my belt was fastened to keep them on my skinny waist, I turned off the fan and left the room. My first stop was the bathroom and when done, the kitchen, where the smell of coffee was permeating the air. Sebastian was in the kitchen, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that did little to hide his insanely broad shoulders or heaving musculature.

His back was turned, but I swore I saw his hair twitch when I walked into the room. 

I was so preoccupied with trying not to stare that I didn't realize the walls surrounding the apartment had been damaged to the point where I could see the rusty pipes and wiring beneath them until I was sitting on my couch. I ogled the damage, heart aching, but said nothing and simply sighed, leaning back. To be honest, I felt defeated since there was no longer anything I could do to stop him from changing everything that once belonged to me.

"I was expecting you to get angry again."

I twitched and looked over my shoulder to see him regarding me with those piercing eyes.

He took a sip of his coffee, but to my shock I realized when he lowered the cup that he'd completely shaved off the tangled black facial hair that had covered his jaw. He looked far younger without it, although I personally thought he looked better with a beard--but then I realized the pettiness and oddity of what I was thinking and shook my head to clear it.