"No... No, Liam, wait. Did I say anything?"
"What?"
I grab his shoulder, trying to calm myself a bit. I don't want to let that nightmare go. It felt so... familiar...
"Did I say anything?" I ask again.
He pauses and shakes his head.
"You kept saying sorry... and... I think you called out to your mom once."
"...My mom?" I repeat, shocked.
"Yeah. You said, ‘Sorry, Mom,’ at least once."
Chapter 17
"Here."
"Thanks..."
I grab the glass of water he just brought back from the kitchen, but my hand is still shaking. Liam sits right next to me, looking concerned. I feel... sick. The fever from that nightmare still isn't gone, it's like this pulsating headache. I force myself to drink, just to realize how dry my throat is. I'm extremely hot too. I hand him the glass of water while I take off that stupid T-shirt; it’s drenched in sweat, but at this point, neither of us cares. I just need a few deep breaths and some fresh air.
"Come."
As if he could read my mind, Liam gently takes my hand and guides me to the balcony. The rain must have stopped while we were sleeping, but it's humid and cold out here. This feels good... We both step barefoot onto the terrace, and Liam takes me to sit on the little bench, finding his place next to me. I rest my head against the bay window behind us.
The fresh air feels so nice... The clouds are still heavy and dark, but the lights of the city are enough to see. I almost wish it'd rain, to wash away all that angst. Liam is still holding my hand, gently caressing it with his fingers.
"Better?" he asks softly.
"...Yeah."
We stay a little while longer just like this as I calm myself down. I don't know how late it is, but I still feel tired. That nightmare has exhausted me. What was that, anyway? I usually don't remember most of my dreams, or they don't make any sense. Yet, this one was so clear and vivid... I try to hold onto it before it fades away.
"...Are you sure I called out my mom?"
"You said it once or twice. But mostly, you were just apologizing and crying... You were already in complete panic mode when I woke up. I actually shook you for a while before you finally snapped out of it."
I can tell. I feel the sides of my arms aching, where Liam held me to try and shake me awake. I'll have bruises tomorrow, but honestly, I couldn't care less about it.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
I glance at him. He's even sexier and cuter with his messed-up hair and those dark gray eyes. I can tell he's still tired, yet he wants to listen to this crazy witch's nightmare. I nod slowly and start talking. I don't have much to say, but I try to do my best to describe it to Liam. It's not just about telling him, I hope I'll remember it better if I put words to those visions, and not forget them yet.
He listens to me without saying a word. I can't tell what he's thinking, he doesn't move an inch. Still, I feel better just talking to him, as if I was finally letting go of that pressure, taking the dream away from reality, putting a nightmare back to where it belongs.
When I'm done, I glance down at our hands, still intertwined, and suddenly, I want to feel him a bit more. I don't dare move, though. I just wait to know what he's thinking.
"...You said you have no memories of who your mother is?" he asks.
"I don't... We only found a picture at the apartment. Of a child who is... very likely to be me, and a woman."
"Could it be your mom?"
"I don't know..." I sigh.
It kills me to not even be able to remember my own mother. I shake my head, mad at myself. I hate this black hole in my head, I hate running after the answers.
