Elyon's POV

Recap

I woke up, feeling a bit thirsty. I looked at the time and saw that it was just two o'clock early in the morning. I looked around to see Venus and Skye fast asleep. Still feeling hazy from sleep, I wore my slides and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

I got to the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator. Picking up a bottle of water, I poured myself a glass and downed the content in a go. I decided to take the entire bottle upstairs, just in case I got a thirsty again. When I turned around to leave, I almost screamed my guts out in scare.

Jamal was standing right by the door, watching me.

_____________________________________

"Oh my gosh! You scared me, Jamal." I placed my hand on my chest and took the bottle of water. He shrugged and came into the kitchen, walking past me and to the jug of coffee by the counter.

My mind went back to what happened in his room last night and I felt he was still angry with me. I turned around to look at him, watching him as he picked a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a coffee. He was shirtless, only wearing sweat pants and black socks. I wondered if he wasn't feeling cold but with a body like his, I doubt he would ever feel cold.

"What are awake at this time." His voice tore through my thoughts. I looked at him and saw him watching me through the rim of his cup as he drank his coffee. I frowned at the amount of coffee he has been drinking this days.

"I got thirsty. That question is more for you. What are you doing awake?" I asked him and he kept quiet, finishing his cup of coffee then pouring himself another round.

"I can't sleep." Was his simple reply. I remembered the day after Tolani's party, when I was here. That was the same thing he said. Then it was like a normal statement but now I couldn't help but feel there was more to it.

"What do you mean by you can't sleep? Are you busy or something?" I asked in curiosity, moving closer to him.

"On the contrary, Elyon. I'm trying to keep myself busy so I wouldn't fall asleep because if by chance I fall asleep, I might..." He trailed off and I frowned, corking my head side ways.

It was then I saw the dark circles and eye bags. His eyes were red from accumulated tiredness and the coffee wasn't helping matters at all. He looked like a real life zombie.

"When last did you get a good night sleep?" I asked him, moving closer to him, him watching me move closer to him.

"It's been a while." He muttered, looking away from me. I looked at his hand and saw he was still holding unto his mug of coffee.

I placed his hands on his and I felt him jerk a little beneath my touch, startled that I touched him. I took the coffee from his hand and placed it on the table, he didn't object. He just looked at me through tired eyes.

"Too much coffee is not good for you." I muttered.

"That's the only way I can keep awake." He replied.

"But you need to sleep." I told him and he sighed, looking up. I swear, I saw tears well up in his eyes but when he blinked they were gone.

"I know I need to sleep but I can't. I can't sleep. I must not sleep."

His voice was pleading this time. I didn't know why he couldn't sleep. I knew it was part of his PTSD but I didn't know what exactly was going on. Due to his numerous coffee in take, I figured he was suffering from insomnia as well so I had to research methods to manage it.

"Come on. Let's go back to your room and talk." I took his hand and led him out of the kitchen. He followed me without arguments. He was so tired. It was obvious.

We got to his room and I led him to lie on his bed. He watched as I took the position beside him, pulling the duvet over us.

"Elyon, I shouldn't sleep. Please don't make me sleep." He whispered tiredly and I smiled.

"You'll be okay. We are just going to talk, okay." I replied with a smile, propping myself up with my elbow and lying on my side to look at him. He nodded. "So what do you want us to talk about?" I asked him.

"You. Let's talk about you." He replied, his voice coming out in a gruff. I chuckled when his eyes fluttered softly.

"Alright then. What do you want to know about me?" I asked with a smile playing on my lips as I watched his eyes flutter close but he fought them open.

"Anything actually. Tell me about Abuja. Your school back there." He replied and used the back of his palm to push back a yawn.

"Okay then. My school was called Crown lake academy. Very popular but very very boring. Our uniform was a sad combination of cream and brown." I explained to him and he chuckled, looking at me through hooded eyes.

"That's a bad colour combo for a school uniform to me." He murmured sleepily.

"Tell me about it. They forced us to wear berets. Berets!" I silently exclaimed and he laughed softly.

"I'm pretty sure you'd have looked nice any way." He replied and I smiled. "Tell me more, Elyon." He said and I nodded. He scotched closer to me, his head on the pillow.

I continued to speak and he imputed one or two comments. I watched as he fought the sleep from his system. I took my hand and ran my fingers through his hair. He looked at me through hooded eyes and smiled.

"I see what you are doing. I can't sleep, Elyon. Please." He pleaded with me. I traced my knuckles on his cheeks and smiled.

"It's okay...you are going to be okay." I whispered.

"Yeah." He muttered. "Keep me awake, Elyon." His voice was deep with sleep and if this wasn't a serious situation, I would have thought it was sexy.

You are thinking it's sexy right now.

The reason I was talking to him wasn't to keep him from sleeping. It was to make him fall asleep and I hope it works out without me regretting it at the end. I was about to talk again when I looked at him and saw that he had fallen asleep.

"Jamal..." I whispered and he only hummed, snuggling closer to his pillow, snoring softly.

I smiled, getting off the bed quietly, not wanting to wake him up. I dragged the duvet up his shoulder, standing and walking away from the bed, looking over my shoulder to smile and his sleeping form before walking out of his room.

*****

Jamal's POV

I felt myself stir severally on the bed, rolling and turning on the soft cool mattress. It felt divine, so serene. I felt refreshed.

Wait, what?!!!

My eyes flew open with a start, but not from a nightmare. It was from shock. I sat up quickly and looked around my room. It was bright. I looked at the wall clock and my eyes went huge when I saw the time.

Twelve o'clock at midday?

When last did I wake up this early?

When last did I even wake up??

I got down from my bed, rushing into the bathroom to drink a cup of mouth wash before rushing back out, putting on an armless vest and rushing out of the room and down the stairs. I saw Skye eating waffles and watching TV. She looked up when she saw me.

"You are awake. That's odd." She took a look at the clock before looking back at me with a frown on her face. I didn't even have to talk. She knew what was going on in my head.

"Skye..." I started but she cut me off.

"Wait first. You said you were not going to take your pills so that you won't sleep, because we were scared it wouldn't work..." She stood up from the chair.

"Skye..." I called again but she cut me off, again.

"...but I got to your room this morning and saw that you were sleeping, which means you took your pills which is quite good, but..." She trailed off again, looking at me.

"Iyin..." I called by her middle name but she raised her palm up, stopping me again.

"...but whenever you take your pills, you get about twelve to fourteen hours of sleep, leaving you knocked out till it's dinner time and this is just midday!" She exclaimed and at the same I screamed.

"Skye!!!!" She looked at me

"What?"

"I didn't take any pills." I revealed and her eyes grew wide like saucers.

"Ehn?!" She dropped the remote.

"I didn't take any of my pills. I slept with no medications." I repeated.

"It's a lie." She muttered.

"I swear to God!" I swore. Skye screamed and jumped on me in a hug. I held her, turning around three hundred and sixty degree before dropping her again.

"Oh my God! This is unbelievable! How come?! What happened?" She asked all the questions in one breath, leaving her breathless at the end.

"I don't..." I started but suddenly everything from early this morning came flooding back to my mind. From the meeting in the kitchen. To her dragging to my room. To me begging her not to let me fall asleep...

...to the feel of her fingers through my hair.

It all came down to one person.

Elyon!

"Where is Elyon?" I asked immediately.

"What?" Skye's expression held confusion.

"Elyon. Where is she?" I asked again.

"She's in the screening room. What's going on?" She asked me.

"Everything is perfect. I love you so much, baby sis." I kissed her cheeks and rushed towards the screening room.

"I'm older than you with three minutes!" Skye screeched after me and I laughed.

*****

I got to the screening room and was welcomed by an old olamide's song: Bobo. I stopped short and stood by the door, watching as Elyon danced to the song. I was wowed. She wasn't only a amazing singer, the was also a pretty good dancer. Very flexible.

You are doing like a creep, standing and just watching her. My subconscious said and I shrugged.

Well, I rather watch her. I thought back to myself, shoving my hand into my sweat pants pocket.

I looked at her. She was dressed in a black three quarter sleeved crop top and black jeans short. I inwardly gulped. What was her deal with short anyway? Doesn't she know how really distracting her legs are?

She kept dancing, oblivious of my presence until she turned and her eyes met mine. Unlike so many girls I know that get embarrassed when a guy catches them dancing, she didn't looked fazed at all. She just took the remote and tuned down the music a bit, facing me again as I entered fully, taking long slow steps towards her. She smiled.

"You are awake. I didn't think you'd wake up any time soon, because Skye said whenever you sleep like this, you won't wake up till it's dinner time, so...." She trailed off when I stopped in front of her. We were close, like very close and due to her height, I was sorta looking down on her, a smile playing on my lips. She looked at me, her eyebrows quirked.

"Jamal...are you..." Her voice caught in her throat when I leaned forward, wrapped my hands around her middle and pulled her in for a hug. I was pretty sure her eyes was wide in shock and also her hands went stiff by her side. I pulled her close, nuzzling my head in the hollow of her neck and she relaxed against me, wrapping her hands around my neck, though I could feel her nervousness and confusion.

This feels so nice

"Wow, okay. I'm very confused but this feels nice." She whispered, voicing out my thoughts, making me chuckle.

Her fingers were caressing the back of my neck, giving off a soothing feeling. I sighed, breathing into her neck, feeling her shiver slightly against me. Her shirt had ridden up her body and my hand came in contact with her bare skin. This was the first time we would be hugging and I didn't want it to be the last.

I didn't know how long we stood there, in each others arms, but it felt so long and I didn't want to stop. Elyon pulled back slightly, her hands didn't leave my neck and I didn't take my hands off her waist either. She was peering at me with a smile but I could literally see the questions running through her eyes.

If only she knew.

"Hey. You seem extra happy. What was that for?" She asked. I don't think I've ever smiled this much in a while because I was beaming so hard, my cheeks were already hurting but I didn't care.

"That...was a thank you." I replied causing her brows to furrow.

"Thank me? For what?" She asked again.

"I haven't slept that well in years." I revealed and her eyes widened. Her hands loosened from my neck and I felt as if I've spoken too much.

"In years?" She asked again, trying to confirm if she heard right. I quickly loosened my hands from her middle and allowed it fall to my side, stepping away from her. She had no choice but to remove her hands fully from my neck.

Your mouth!

"Don't mind what I said. It doesn't matter. Thank you again." I made to turn around but her next words made me stop short.

"Does it have anything to do with your PTSD?" She asked and my eyes widened. I turned around and saw her watching closely.

How did she know?

"How did you know about my PTSD? Who told you?" I asked at a go, moving closer in.

"I found out. You guys were not do subtle in keeping it a secret like you wanted to." She replied with a small shrug and a smirk. My eyed searched her features. She didn't look like she pitied me. She wasn't giving me a sympathetic look. Rather, she looked like she was talking about an everyday thing.

"You don't sound bothered." I told her and she chuckled, moving closer to me.

"Am I supposed to me bothered?" She asked and I kept quiet. "Jamal, PTSD is nothing to be ashamed of. It's not your fault you have it." She said and I sighed.

"Tell that to everyone that looks at me weirdly since the day I had an episode in school. I've been made to feel like an outcast most parts of my life. My parents try, Skye tries too but sometimes it's chocking and it's a reminder that I'm not normal..."

"You are normal, PTSD or not." She cut me short and I kept quiet. She sighed, taking my hand in hers and pulling be towards the chair and I let her. We sat down, she didn't let go off my hand and I didn't bother to pull away. I loved where it was.

"Jamal, it's all up to you to decide whether you want to be normal or not, no matter how weird anyone treats you. I for one see you as normal because there is nothing abnormal about having PTSD. It's something that happens to three out of ten people." She told me and I watched her. Is there anything she doesn't know how to do?

"So it up to you to push aside the funny looks people are giving you and stand tall. Your parents mean well, Skye loves you so much. Yes, the affection might come off a tad bit over the top but she's just looking out for you. After all, you are her baby brother." She said teasingly and I groaned.

"She's older than me with just three minutes." I defended and Elyon laughed.

"My point is, never see yourself as abnormal. You are an amazing artist and you play the guitar. There is nothing abnormal about you, Jamal. I need you to know that." The way she was peering at me made me look away. I've never been this shy before any girl in my life and this was a first.

Oshey! Mumu button activated! How are the mighty fallen. My subconscious mocked me.

"Hey..." Her hand came to the side of my face, causing me to look at her again. I sighed as I felt tingles follow everywhere her skin touched mine. I looked at her.

"If it means anything...PTSD doesn't change the way I see you." She whispered and I felt my heart skip. The way she was looking at me was not helping matters at all. I shifted in and moved closer to her.

"How do you see me, Elyon?" I had to ask. I needed to be sure. She stared at me, obviously tongue tied by our close proximity and by the question, giving away the fact that I had an effect on her. Just like she did on me.

"Err.... I..." She stuttered.

"You this chil..." Skye's voice rang in the air but stopped short when she saw the position we were in. Elyon quickly removed her hands from mine and I stood up, clearing my throat. Skye smirked.

"I'm going to pretend like that was normal. Anyway, food is ready. I didn't bother making for Venus because she's still out with her friend." Skye said. Elyon quickly stood up.

"I'm starving. And that one should just lost wherever she is. I honestly don't care." She said and I opened my mouth.

"That's your sister na." I chides playfully.

"Plix, I will trade her for five hundred naira recharge card any day any time." She replied me with sass in her voice and I laughed.

"Oya, let's go and stuff our faces with my very own special Spaghetti bolognese." Skye said and Elyon yelped in excitement while I laughed again.

Following the ladies behind, watching Elyon and registering every tiny move she made. Like how she ran her hands through her curly hair or how she bits her lower lip when she's thinking or how divine she looks when she stands on her toes to take a cup from the cabinet, refusing help from me and grumbling when I called her short, I couldn't help the thought that came to my mind.

Was I really ready to let this go?

A/N

Surprise!!!

Another update is here guys!!!! Not that jobless oo, I just really enjoy writing this book honestly. I told y'all not to expect a kiss, so no one should come and beat me oo because I'll beat you back. You'll actually agree that with me that Elyon helping Jamal with his insomnia was pretty intense.

Now I know y'all will ask questions like, how come it worked and all? Yes, it works because pillow talks are one of the many remedies for insomnia. She talked him to sleep, making him forget everything that could keep him awake. She has the magic touch. Now to the main question.

What did Jamal mean by is he ready to let this go? Let what go? Let me know what you think in the comment box.

Don't forget to also vote and share.

P. S. Please check out Caught in the Middle by ceciloray . Aswearugad you will love the book. You should know that if it's coming from me then it's legit and I never disappoint. It's a Bada$$ book.

Alright, kisses guys.