Nightmare

After the incident which took place in my life two years back, I never thought that we would marry; but seeing the hand of destiny, I found myself walking toward him to be wed. I knew Ethan would be happy to see me—the love of his life. When we parted after high school, we promised to talk and meet again, and he was certain that he would marry only me.

However, everything changed after that. I was the one who pushed him away, but I would do so no more. I would marry him now, finally giving him the love he deserved. I don't know what happened to change him so drastically, but I will be dedicated to doing everything right. I would bring back my old Ethan. I know a lot has happened in our past, but I will change it into the future we once dreamt of together.

“We are here,” Dylan announced, bringing me out of my thinking section. Smiling at him, I stepped down from the jet. We passed through the receiving area where his driver was waiting, and soon we were on the roads of Boston. I looked out of the window, staring at this unknown city.

“Where are Uncle and Auntie, Dylan?” I asked him, noticing him frown. “I mean, the parents of Ethan.”

He sighed, looking profoundly sad. “They are no more.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks upon hearing him. I had loved them as my own parents. “What? When?” I asked, my voice sounding hoarse.

“Just think of their deaths as a mystery, much like your parents’,” he said, wiping away the tears that unconsciously slipped from my eyes. “Just never ask Ethan about his parents. It is a very sensitive topic for him.”

I nodded my head, again looking out at the passing streets. Soon we reached Dylan's apartment. He helped me out, and we walked inside together.

“Feel it like your own home,” he offered. I smiled at Dylan, looking around the space.

“You are still the same,” I commented, observing the decor. “You still prefer the color blue above everything else.”

He chuckled at my observation. “Only Ethan has changed, but I am still the same cute and flirty Dylan.”

I laughed hard at his remark. “It’s late; we should have something to eat before turning in, as tomorrow will be a hard day for you,” he suggested. I nodded my head in agreement.

Dylan walked to the kitchen, followed by me. “Don’t you have maids in the house?” I asked him.

“I do,” he replied. “But they only come for half the day, as I don’t prefer maids affecting my privacy.”

I nodded and ate the food he had just heated up.

“Want to have a drink?” he asked, placing a glass of wine in front of me.

“Nopes,” I shook my head, remembering how I hadn’t drunk for the last seven years. I also remembered getting bold with Ethan once while intoxicated and didn’t want that to happen again.

“Alright,” he said, filling his own glass and serving me juice, which I sipped. After dinner, he showed me to my room. I placed my luggage down before falling onto the soft, bouncy bed and drifting off. It felt like centuries since I had slept on such a comfortable bed.

**

“Baby girl, where are you? Come out like a good girl, and then I will do nothing to you.”

I shivered, hearing that filthy voice while hiding inside the closet. I knew if he caught me this time, he would beat me even harder than last night. This bastard always removed his frustration by beating me.

“Come out, baby doll,” I heard his voice again, dangerously close to the closet. I curled myself into a ball to protect myself when the door swung open and light peeped in.

“Here you are,” he spat, pulling me up by my hair. I cried out in pain, trying to loosen his grip. “Leave me!” I yelled pleadingly. Last night I tried to fight him, so he had nearly stabbed me with his knife; my life was too precious to end in that moment.

“Let’s start the session for the day,” he said. He rubbed his drink-coated hand on my face, making me feel disgusted, before he threw me on the floor and started beating me with a belt. Ten hits, twenty hits—and soon I lost count, losing consciousness with only one word escaping my mouth.

“HELP!” I yelled, waking up from the bed with sweat covering my face. It was a dream. Again, a dream like my past. I rubbed my face with the back of my palm when Dylan entered the room looking worried.

“Are you alright?” he asked, sitting on the bed beside me and handing me a glass of water, which I emptied in a second.

“I am alright,” I replied once the glass was empty.

“Have you taken your sleeping medicines?” he asked, taking the empty glass from my hand.

I looked at him guiltily, shaking my head.

He ran his fingers through his hair, glaring at me. “You are still having his nightmares. Just think of him as a bad dream that doesn't need to be repeated. Why can’t you forget that jerk?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged, looking down.

He sighed. “I think you should try to sleep now. I am here with you.” I nodded, lying back on my side of the bed. I wanted to look my best the next day when I would finally meet my Ethan after so long. I wanted to make him feel that I was still his same Oli, the one he loved.