I felt him. I could smell him. He was the air that I breathed. My mind was him, and he was mine. My thoughts melted into him as we became one. Then it all faded away as I became conscious.

I was in Grays room, in his bed. I smiled and then suddenly frowned. I thought to myself that I could've killed Quinn, which would've broken Steph's heart because they were so close.

I don't know when I started crying, but I didn't care at the time. I needed to express my emotion. I screamed in my pillow until I was out of breath.

Then he walked out of the bathroom in only a towel, and I noticed how perfectly built he was. I gasped a little, and he smiled at my astonishment.

Embarrassed, I looked down and felt the heat flush my face. I noticed that I was wearing a sheer nightgown and nothing under it but my underwear. When I looked up, Gray was getting dressed.

He dropped the towel, and I looked away quickly. I was flushed, and he knew it.

He inched himself into bed with me, and I scooted away a little out of anxiousness. I hadn't been this close to someone in a long time, and I was nervous. He had put joggers on before he got in bed with me, but he was still shirtless.

It made me blush as he caressed my cheek. He pressed his lips gently against mine, and I jumped slightly. I leaned into it, enjoying our proximity.

My eyes fluttered closed, but I was suddenly self-conscious as I realised how chapped my lips were. He didn't seem to mind, though.

When he pulled away from the kiss, reality settled in, and I remembered for the second time today what I had done. My eyes started crying, and I mentally screamed at them to stop.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I didn't want to cry and ruin this moment with Gray. It was too perfect right now for me to cry, but I cried anyway.

Gray held me while I repeated, "I'm sorry", over and over again. He told me it was okay. He said there was no need for me to cry. Then I asked the inevitable. "Did I kill him?" My voice was so quiet and childlike, I could barely hear myself.

He shook his head and looked down. "No, you didn't kill him. You just hurt him badly." I was relieved but not entirely. I still hurt an innocent person.

He must've read my expression because he grabbed me by my chin and made me look up at him. His jaw-line looked very kissable right now, but I pushed those thoughts away. He looked me deep in my eyes and said softly, "It wasn't your fault, not entirely. They should have let you out."

He looked sympathetic, and I flushed out of embarrassment. I looked away. I must look pitiful to him.

He grabbed me by my face and kissed me passionately. I was scared of what might happen, but I gave in to it anyway.

We laid together afterwards, enjoying the presence of each other. I had my head on his chest and noticed our breathing rate was the same. He played with my hair as I pretended to be asleep, and eventually, he got out of bed and left.

It wasn't long until I actually fell asleep, and I dreamed. I dreamed about a future with Gray. I dreamed of a house with a white picket fence. I dreamed of children. Then it all morphed into flames. My house burned to ash, and I looked around and realised Gray and my children weren't around. They were in the house. I screamed for them. I raced into the collapsing structure and looked and searched for my husband. My children.

Then it all went white. It was like I changed the channel, and now I was on the white noise station. I felt the familiar presence of a dream-walker dream and thought I would be seeing Gray. I was wrong.

It was unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time, and I was fearful of who it was. I took in the surroundings around me and noticed it was my old farmhouse. Someone was trying to play a sick joke on me.

Then I saw in my peripheral a person. I turned and thought I was going to hyperventilate—I saw my brother.

I was confused and shocked and all the emotions. I thought he was dead. I thought I killed him.

"Come find me, big sis." I heard him speak in a tone I never imagined. Then it was gone. I woke up to a panicked Grey. He looked at me with relief and worry as he asked me what happened.

I got up and grabbed a bag. I started to fill it up with clothes and necessities, all the while Grey kept trying to stop me.

He grabbed me by my wrist and demanded me to tell him what was wrong. So I told him. I told him how my brother, whom I thought was dead, contacted me in a dream. He told me to come find him, so I am going to find him.

Then I walked out the bedroom, down the long hall, and the stairs. I walked right out of that door with nothing holding me back, and I didn't say goodbye. All I heard was Grey yelling my name, but I didn't look back.