This chapter is specially dedicated to Fallingstars99 and to all my fellow wattpaders who read my story and made this unbelievable thing happen (it is unbelievable to me since I didn't even join any book clubs :p). This story reached 1.25K reads in less than a month and right now I'm on cloud nine! Thank you all for so much love and support. Muah!

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"I keep reliving my nightmares day after day, wishing and praying that someday soon they will tire off from haunting me..."

-Vivienne Montgomery

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Kissing someone has never felt so good. What was it about her?

Nicholas jerked awake from his dream when he heard a sharp howling cry. Lifting the blanket he slipped out of the bed and moved towards the window to get a better view of what awoke from his sweet dream. But he didn't see anything in his plain sight.

Hyenas or wolves didn't come in this area. What was that sound then? It felt as if someone getting killed. It was a cry of fear.

The screeching scream broke through the silence of the night once again. What the hell was happening here?

It felt as though the sound came from his own house. Damn! He tried to clear his fuzzy sleepy brain. It sounded of a female voice. Vivienne! Oh God, He forgot about her. Did something happen to her?

You are such an idiot! Why are you wasting your time here? He rushed out of his room and hurriedly reached the second floor taking the stairs two at a time.

He banged on her door loudly trying to wake her up. "Open the door! Dammit! Open it." Stupid girl! Why did you lock it?

What should he do now? He tried the bolt once again but it was of no use. Can you break it? Yes, I have to. After five fruitless attempts the sixth attempt paid off and the door finally flew open.

The room was dark. She didn't even switch on the night lamps. Then the sight that caught his eye almost broke his heart into pieces.

He could see her outlined figure in the moonlit night thrashing from side to side, kicking and screaming. Her voice suddenly grew hoarse and muffled and she stilled as a lifeless body lying on the bed.

Oh God! Please don't let anything happen to her. He walked closer to the bed and brushed away the tendrils of hair lightly that were sticking to her sweat-slicked forehead.

"Cara," he said softly. Her eyes were scrunched up and her fists were locked around the bed sheet tightly as if she was waiting for the worse to happen to her. He kneeled beside the bed trying to wake her up.

Something clicked in his brain then and he figured out that she was having a nightmare. What should he do now? What does they say- that you shouldn't wake up a person from a nightmare by shaking them or touching them. But I'll take the risk.

He reached out tentatively to touch her hand but suddenly she started to kick him, punch him twisting out of his strong hold on her hand. He tried to dodge her attempts in injuring him but her fist cracked against his jaw. Ow! It hurts but he knew she didn't do it deliberately.

He lifted himself from his kneeling position and threw himself on top of her thrashing body. Taking hold of her wrists each in his hand, he held them tightly over her head. He locked his legs around hers trying to cease her flaying movements.

"Please let me go. I don't want to do this. Please!" she whimpered and tears broke from her eyes.

"Wake up, cara. Wake up. I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered softly in her ear.

"It's me, Nicholas. No one's going to hurt you. Come back to me," he kept on repeating the words for a long time.

Did I do this to her? He can never forgive himself if he did this to her.

***

Vivienne opened her eyes after a long time. She felt something hard pressed over her. Clearing her obscure mind and unfocused eyes she looked around her. A soft yellow glow lit up from somewhere beside her.

Nicholas eased himself off and sat beside her silently processing his next words. "You were having a nightmare cara."

"I was?" She spoke softly.

All of a sudden heart wrenching sobs wreaked her frame and she said," They were going to hurt me, they were--" She sniffed.

He gathered her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace of comfort. "No one is going to hurt you cara. No one! I'm here with you." He smoothed his hand on her back in slow small circles assuaging her.

She huddled closer to his comforting warmth and bunched his shirt in her fist. She kept on crying, letting it all out for hours and he sat there holding her.

"I got your shirt wet," she said from behind her watery smile.

"I have many others of them," he replied with a wry smile cajoling her to smile along with him.

"I never cry. I must be looking like a mess!"

"No, you still look beautiful to me," he said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to talk about it cara?"

Can I tell him? Telling him would mean opening myself up. Absolutely not! You don't like feeling vulnerable, remember? "No I don't."

"Did I do this to you? I never meant to hurt you this much that you would start having a nightmare," he said looking at her with guileless eyes.

She gave him a sad smile. "No Nicholas, you didn't do it. I have been having them-uh- these nightmares from a long time. That is why I sleep alone, well I don't sleep at all."

He didn't inquire her anymore. "You okay now? Wait I'll bring you a glass of water," he said looking at the shattered glass. It's cylindrical shape no longer visible. All that was left were broken pieces scattered across the carpet.

"No I--"

"For God's sake woman! Listen to me for once, will you?"

***

"What do you think you are doing down there?" He stood there towering over her with that promised glass of water.

"I was just cleaning it. I did it remember? I broke that and the least I could do is pick up those pieces. I'm sorry I broke it."

"It was not more important to me than you cara. So stop apologising for that insignificant thing! Sometimes you act too much of a kid for a woman of your age," he said mirthlessly. "Now get your ass up on that bed before I carry you myself!"

"Hey you--"

"Save those words for later, okay?"

She plopped on the bed. "No need to boss around me." She complained sounding like an unhappy child who had been denied access to her favourite toy.

"Then stop acting like a child. Here, drink it up," he said handing her the glass.

She gulped down the water quickly.

"You will be okay for the rest of the night? You won't be able to lock the door anymore."

A smile played around the corners of her lips. "I guessed that since you broke it."

"Okay I'll go now. Sleep tight cara," he said smiling down at her.

She caught his wrist just as he was about to turn around. "No, don't leave me," she said with pleading eyes.

"I-- okay. Scoot over." Walking towards the other side of the bed, he laid down to his right, facing her.

"Hold me?"

"Come here."

Vivienne moved closer to him as if she were a moth drawn towards flame. Breathing in his strong masculine scent, she laid her head on his chest listening to his rhythmic heartbeat as if it were a lullaby.

Nicholas had never held a woman like this nor had he cuddled with anyone ever. But this, this felt so right. Holding her close to him and breathing in her soft feminine smell he forgot about rest of the world and his nagging agitated thoughts died down.

His heartbeat lulled her to sleep and banished her nightmares from haunting her further for the rest of the night. Once in a very long time she was finally able to fall into a profound stupor.

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You all must have been eagerly waiting for this update after I put that cliffhanger on the last chapter.

*drumrolls*

So here it is!

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Happy reading!

XOXO
@Loversgonewild.