Sabine.

I'd never been so warm in my life. I moaned and snuggled closer to the heat, still confused as to what it was but too tired to care. Its arms were around my waist and it tugged me closer... Wait, the heat had arms. And a chest, that I was now firmly tugged into. A chest that belonged to Riley Martin.

Crap.

I shifted my head slowly, making as little movement as I could until Riley's face was in view. He was asleep, breathing softly onto my hair and completely unaware to the fact that he was pulling me tightly to him.

I smiled, never having seen Riley so unguarded and decided to take guilty pleasure in this. I'd had another nightmare last night, never had I slept through or woke unscathed, that's why he was here.

Honestly, I didn't care. I might regret it later. But for now, I nestled closer to his chest and closed my eyes once more.

-

The sun was bright, too bright and my still-closed eyes screamed out in protest. Groaning, I snatched the blanket and pulled it over my face.

A soft chuckle filled the room and I cringed.

"Tired, kiddo?" he asked and I peaked out of the bottom of the throw rug I could've sworn wasn't there yesterday. He sat in a chair that was placed in the corner of the room, wearing a grey shirt and jeans that hung low on his hips.

I hid back into the blankets, shielding my face from his very amused one. Had Riley been watching me sleep?

"What do you want to do today?" he asked, "I could take you to the cinema if you like?"

I scrunched my eyebrows that were still hidden from his sight, in confusion. Riley was being overly nice, and I couldn't figure out the play behind it.

"Sabine?" He pushed, a playful tone lining his speech that made me giggle. I looked up at him, pushing the blanket aside. But the room was empty. He had disappeared.

"Riley? Where did you go?" I called, but it only echoed back to me. The sun dissolved behind clouds and all sound stopped.

I stood, still clothed in my jeans and jumper from yesterday, when suddenly a body settled behind me and I smiled. It was Riley, but just as I went to turn to face him, he spoke.

"What are doing, Sabine?" he asks, but the voice is one that gives me horrid Goosebumps instead of pleasant ones and causes my throat to tighten in fear. I don't move. I can't move.

"What is it, my dear? What's wrong?" He grips my shoulder and spins me to face him and all I can see are the eyes of a murderer. This is impossible. He's in gaol, I helped put him there.

He began taking steps closer, and closer, and closer, until my back hit the wall and his face got right next to mine.

William Chase had me trapped against a wall and there was nothing I could do about it.

He's going to kill me. I was too scared to scream.

"Get the hell away from her." I whimpered in relief at the sound of his voice, Riley was back. Riley was safe. And he was going to save me.

Will let the hope rise, he smirked and stayed quiet for a while. But all my optimism was shattered when I heard the click of a shotgun.

No.

No.

No.

Not again.

"Riley, run!" I screamed out before Chase growled and slammed his hand over my mouth. Riley jumped forward and pulled the large body off me, but the killer didn't want to let go and I was pushed to the floor.

I looked up just in time to see William Chase's index finger squeeze the metal trigger on the bottom of the shot gun. Just in time to see Riley wince and his eyes pull together.

And to see him fall to the floor.

"No! Riley," I hadn't even realised I was sobbing until that broken sentence left my lips. My legs crawled over to the fallen and barely-breathing officer. No, was all I could think, it's happening again.

Red blossomed from his chest and his eyes fluttered. I tried to place my hands on the spot his chest had been hit, but there was so much blood and I couldn't see anything but the blood.

My hands on his chest and my hair sticking to the tears on my face, Riley reached up, weakly, so weakly, and placed his trembling palm over mine.

"Oh, how sweet." He hadn't gone away. Of course not. He hadn't killed me yet.

I didn't look up, not until I heard his gun click again.

-

I shot up, my mouth pulsing with a scream, my eyes wet and pouring and my hands clutching at my heart. I breathed, tried to breath, but my throat wouldn't open.

It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.

The dream was different. It wasn't supposed to change.

"Sabine," my whispered name came from the source of all my problems and I didn't look at him, instead hanging my head, causing a wall of brown hair to block me from Riley and the world.

I could feel his weight dipping on the bed, trying to pull me toward him, but I couldn't be there. He altered my dream, and now it was so much worse. This was his fault.

My eyes were closed and they stay that way, even as his weight shifts and moves closer, too close. His fingers reach up and pull my wall of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. My eyes remain closed, not wanting to look at his all-too pretty face. As if my breathing wasn't broken enough.

I jump when his fingers brush the underside on my chin, tilting it higher and even closer to his face. No, stop, Riley. Please stop. I can't handle this.

But he doesn't, he doesn't stop and I feel like I'm suffocating, choking on the air that doesn't want to enter my lungs.

"Sabine," he whispers again and I cave, inching my eyelids open until his all-too-beautiful face comes into view. We've never been this close before and I see all his features in extra detail.

It was obvious he hadn't shaved in a couple days and light stubble had begun to form along his chin. His eyes were an even prettier green from here and the long eyelashes above them were wasted on a boy.

I was so scared this was another dream.

"Are you okay?" Riley asked, his face still barely inches from mine, I could see his lips moving and scolded myself for even looking, but still I didn't turn away.

Pulling back was the only thing I could do to clear my head, and so that is what I did. Riley stayed where he was as I shifted closer to the head of the bed, and away from him. Riley's expression remained stoic and I couldn't tell if he was disappointed or glad for my movement.

His words were the only indication I got of his concern, "Are you okay?" He asked, worry creasing his eyebrows.

"I'm fine," I told him, not entirely the true, but it was nothing I wasn't used to, "I'm fine."

He shook his head slowly, almost as if to himself and I sat in the silence that had formed. He didn't look at me, but I saw the worry lines grow deeper before he looked up, straight into my eyes without an ounce of flippancy.

"I heard you screaming, Sabine. I heard you call for me to run. Do not lie to me. What happened?" God damn it... he'd heard everything. I couldn't get out of this.

"Nothin-" I began before he cut me off.

"Don't sit there and tell me it was nothing, Sabine Greyson," he scolded, and I had the sudden overwhelming urge to laugh, his serious tone sending me over.

So I laughed, and I laughed and I laughed until I had no breathe left, and even then gasps of large air intakes contributed to the mess of sound supposed to be laughter.

When I finally calmed down, my eyes drifted toward Riley's extremely confused but smiling face, he looked amused and I wasn't sure if it was just because he thought my laugh was funny or he was at a loss.

"What?" I asked, the smile still on my face and in my tone. Riley only smiled broader and I wanted to laugh again.

"You laughed. I've never heard you laugh before," he stated and I realised he was right. I hadn't laughed since my parent's death.

I nodded slowly, more to myself than to him and ducked my head, avoiding any eye-contact. He chuckled and I tried not to smile at the simple sound of it.

What did stop my smile, however, was when he moved closer, so close, until his body was covering mine and his lips were inches from my face. The laughter stopped.

I breathed in and he smelt sort of woodsy, was the only way I could really describe it. God, he smells good.

My eyes fluttered close against my will and I concentrated on breathing, having him so close wasn't making that easy. In, out. In, out. In-

Riley lent closer, if that was possible and his nose brushed against mine. The touch began to clear this fog that had formed over my common sense. He's going to kiss me. We can't do this.

I tilt my head away from him slightly, just enough to move out of the reach of his lips. He notices to, and pulls back from me suddenly, as if shocked he was there in the first place.

He stands, and I don't know how because there is no way I could hold myself up right now, he doesn't look at me, looks anywhere but me and I am still trying to breathe.

His eyes close and his breathing thickens, like it does when he's mad. I didn't mean to make him mad. When his eyelids open again, there is a resolve in his green irises that I haven't seen before, one that scares me.

"Riley-" I begin, before he whips his gaze to me and I stop, not game to continue.

He lifts his hand to run it through the dark brown hair upon his head and I find myself wishing I could do the same.

No, stop, Sabine.

Riley doesn't notice my internal battle because he is having one of his own. Those green eyes are pointed at the floor and his chest rises and falls quickly with sharp breaths.

I can't help but curse myself for causing his pain. It's my fault. But it's his fault too. If he didn't have to look so goddamned good, if he didn't have to be funny, and sweet and smart and everything good in the world.

The universe hates me.

"I'm sorry, Riley-" I begin, in a voice so low I can't be certain he heard it, "I-"

I, what? How do I finish that?

I don't have too.

"We're going to the market in ten minutes. Be ready," he states, with as much emotion as a robot. I nod, to scared of what I'll say if my mouth opens. Taking my acknowledgment, Riley turns on his heel and walks out my door.

I am so screwed.