Adrian's POV

"C'mon Blaire, just a few steps more," I said to a tipsy Blaire.

She looked so fucking innocent.

"I'm so sleepy," she whined.

"Yeah, I'm gonna tuck you in right away," I baby talked her.

I sighed happily, staring at her for a moment and then encouraged, "C'mon."

A string of soft giggles escaped her lips as her feets trembled. I sighed again and scooped her up in my arms. Her face nuzzled in my neck and it was freaking impossible for me but I took long strides towards our floor. Christian would kill me if he saw me right then but then again, I could take her penguin walking no more. I sighed again as I reached her door. Fishing the key out of my pocket, I kicked the door open.

Walking in, I put her in her bed and bend down to take her shoes off. I took off her heels and tucked her in. I felt a tug in the corner of my shirt and looked down at her tight grip on it.

"Mm...Chris," she mumbled.

"Hey," I whispered, "Blaire, Christian isn't here okay," I said gently, loosening her grip and holding her hand in mine, "but he'll be back the first thing in the morning."

There was no reply and I took it as my cue to leave. I moved from my place when her grip on my palm tightened. I gave her a firm squeeze in reply.

"Where you goin'?" she whined in a slurry tone and then once again everything went silent.

"Nowhere," I replied silently and sat down on the floor.

I leaned my back against the foot of her bed and kept my head on the edge. I looked at her hand still holding mine and brushed my finger on the back of her hand. My eyes travelled to her innocent face looking more peaceful in sleep. Hairs sprawled against her cheeks and lips slightly parted.

I chuckled as light snores reached my ear. I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke up, I was clueless. I felt her grip on my palm tightening. Her nails dug into my skin. I flinched and woke up abruptly when I felt real pain on the back of my little finger. She was shaking her head vigorously as if fighting something and sweating as if in shower. I stood up and removed the comforter over her body, still clutching her hand.

"Blaire, look at me,"

"C'mon, wake up," I patted her cheeks lightly, hovering over her.

"No, d-don't...let me...l-let me go." Gibberish words escaped her lips.

"Hey, listen to me okay?" I spoke to her as if she was awake, "You're with me and you're safe."

"Calm down, shhh...," I placed my free hand on her cheek and gently stroked her cheekbone.

Panic attacks.

I thought to myself and calmed myself down. I recalled the time when I used to have night terrors like her. My mum used to...

My thoughts were dismissed as I realised what I needed to do. I sat down on the edge of the bed, just beside her head and leaned against the edge. I brought my hand from her cheeks to her hairs. I gently combed my fingers through her hairs and caressed it. I weaved my fingers through her hairs and drew imaginary circles on her skull. I leaned down and whispered, "You're all right."

"Everything's all right. It will be alright."

"Shhh...calm down,"

"It's alright."

Over and over again.

Yeah, my mum used to do that when I was a kid. After facing a car crash and watching my father pass away in front of my eyes, my nights were treacherous. I was just seven. I remember the nights I spent staring up at the ceiling, too scared to sleep. The nights my mother constantly sat beside me and put me to sleep or shoo-ed away another nightmare. I felt a pain tug my heart when I realised Blaire was going through the same thing.

The good thing was, the rest of the night was undisturbed. I woke up at the first light of the morning that seeped in through her window. I stood up and noticed she wasn't clutching my palm anymore. Her hand just laid on mine. I smiled and dragged myself towards the drawers. I kept a glass of water with a Tylenol on her table and walked out of the room.

It was Saturday and I had practice. While I was returning to the dorm, I saw Blaire walking out of the common room.

"Whassup?" I said, reaching up to her.

She looked worried.

"Do you have any idea about Christian's whereabouts?"

"He isn't back?" I asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He left last night and said he'd be back by the dawn."

"I can't even contact him. It either says unreachable or goes straight to voicemail," she sighed.

"Don't stress. He'll be back today."

"I guess. He could at least have left a fucking message."

"Chill. By the way, if he doesn't get back by night, call me. I'll be there," I added.

"Why?" she asked, shortly.

"Umm... because... I thought we could have a movie night," I smiled awkwardly, "just two of us."

"Cool," she nodded and smiled.

▪️▪️▪️

We sprawled ourselves on the floor, staring intently at the movie playing in front of us.

"I don't get it. What is it with girls falling for the players aka the school's golden boy?" Blaire commented.

I arched an eyebrow and gave her a look.

"What?" she shrugged, "Yeah, who am I kidding?"

Both of us chuckled but soon she returned with her point, "anyways, I didn't fall for Christian, okay? He fell for me."

"You sure? I mean he sure fell for you but didn't you gave a tweeny weeny crush?" I asked, playfully.

"It's not like I remember...," she mumbled to herself.

I heard her clear and loud but decided to act the other way, "Did you say something?"

"No, nothing. I mean, yeah, maybe. I don't know," she shrugged.

"But ask me and I'll tell you Marco is way better than Noah. Elle should or I would choose Marco over Noah anytime," she threw her hands in exasperation.

Yeah, we were watching 'The Kissing Booth 2' on Netflix and were sipping on sprite. One thing I came to know that night, she loved grape juice and she's very protective of them. No one drinks them with or without her permission. I almost died when I picked up on can from her grape soda stock.

"Yeah, and why's that? I feel both are similar," I gave away my opinion.

"Similar but not the same. No doubt Noah loves Elle and she does too but look at the way Marco looks at her, called her 'Moonshot'," she reasoned.

"Maybe she doesn't feel for Marco," I shrugged.

"It doesn't make sense, she initiated that kiss," she said as the movie ended and she swiped on to find another, "she said that it's not like she doesn't have any feelings for him but he's not the one."

"Yeah and it totally makes sense," I tilted my head towards her, "there's a difference between forever and for a while."

Blaire said nothing but gave me a look and then after a while she said, "Yeah, maybe that's why Hermione didn't end up with Harry."

She furrowed her eyebrows and pouted.

I chuckled as she played another movie.

"Just because you love them, doesn't mean you'll have a forever with them," I murmured.

I could hear her exhale loudly and whisper, "Yeah."

We were silent for a long time and I didn't realize she's asleep until I felt her head on my shoulder. I made a point to not sleep that night and make sure she slept peacefully. But all my plans went to vain as I felt her mumbling against my skin.

She nuzzled closer and gasped. "No!" she almost yelled.

"N-no! Don't. D-don't kill me...,"

I shifted and held both her shoulders and gently held her straight against the foot of Christian's bed. "I don't want to die, please..." I cupped her cheeks and patted gently.

"Wake up, Blaire," I shook her again and her eyes fluttered open to reality.

She gasped and was fighting to breathe. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and cheeks went red. She looked around and then at me. Suddenly her arms went around my neck and I was embraced in a hug. I could feel her rapid heartbeat against me. I could hear a knock on the door. I glanced at the door and then at her.

"Shh... it'll be alright," I whispered into her ears as I caressed the back of her head.

Her hairs felt like silk against my palm as I gently soothed her down.

"It's okay, calm down," I said to her again and noticed the knocks stopped.

I glanced towards the door again and saw Christian standing, the door was closed.