And I know now that no matter what happens between Indigo and I, I’ll never be the same without her. I love to think that each experience takes us somewhere. I just hope this one will bring me the true love my mom always talks about.

After I realized that what I had with Ava was never love, I thought it would be impossible to have such intense feelings for someone. However, seeing Indigo this way, sleeping peacefully in my arms, makes my heart beat faster than it ever has. If she’s the one, I won’t be mad at the universe for it.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

INDIGO

A scream pierces the night, making my heart beat so fast it almost flies out of my chest. I sit up, trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness. By the time my vision adapts, Elias is already at the bedroom door, tugging it open.

I follow him in a blur, hitting my head on the wall on my way there, my legs feeling wobbly. He goes right towards Olivia’s room and my mind catches up.

Shit. Olivia. The screaming was hers.

This wakes me up like a bucket of ice water over my head. My mind can’t keep up with the scenarios I start to imagine. Elias throws open the door with a loud thud and flicks the lights on.

I see his naked back relaxing as a relieved sigh escapes him. We enter the room and the tension in my shoulders eases when I see Olivia in bed.

He sits down next to her, and I lean over, brushing the hair off her sweaty forehead.

“It’s okay,” he whispers, taking her hand in his while she continues to mumble in her sleep. “It’s okay,” he repeats, but something makes me think he’s reassuring himself, and not her.

“She used to have a lot of nightmares when she was little.” He keeps his voice low. “Especially after watching horror movies. She wasn’t allowed, but she’d find a way to watch them anyway.” Elias smiles at the memory and I don’t stop caressing her. She scared the shit out of me.

“I still have some,” I shrug, not really knowing why I say it.

He looks from his sister to me. “From watching horror movies?” he jokes, and I nod.

“Yeah. The only difference is that they were real.”

A pained look crosses his features, like what I’ve said is nonsense, like I’m from a completely different world. I’m not. It’s my reality.

“When did they stop?” he asks after leaning to kiss his sister on her head.

She’s quiet now. Probably got rid of whatever monster was attacking her. I peck her forehead, and we leave her room. I answer him only after he clicks the door shut.

“After I started taking sleeping pills.”