Page 100 of Shattered Oaths

I stayed by Bella’s side and held her as she cried and I continued to hold her until she fell silent, her body succumbing to the exhaustion.

And with a nod from Killian, I carried her to my truck, strapped her into the passenger seat and drove us home.

I open the passenger door to my truck as gently as possible and unclip Bella’s seatbelt, careful not to wake her as I lift her into my arms and climb the steps to my house.

Not bothering with removing my shoes, I head straight upstairs to our bedroom and peel the covers back with one hand before lowering her onto the mattress and removing her shoes.

She stirs slightly and I freeze, my breath catching in my throat in fear of her waking up and demanding I take her back to her brother’s house.

I would if she asked me to, but I’d much rather her here, in our bed, where I know she’s not alone on probably the worst night of her life.

Bella rolls over, a small sleepy moan escaping her parted lips as she gets comfortable against the pillows and I pull the blanket over her, tucking her in before moving towards the bathroom.

I’m halfway out of the door before her soft voice stops me. “Noah?”

“Yeah, Bells?” I whisper, heart in my throat as I turn around to find her looking at me over her shoulder.

She licks her lips, glancing around the room briefly. “Will you lay with me?”

My shoulders sag, all the breath leaving me in one relief filled rush. “Of course I will.”

I cast a quick glance down at myself; at my dusty clothes and dirt covered hands from working in the barn all day and decide against my shower for the time being, not wanting to leave her alone.

Instead, I pull my t-shirt over my head, kick off my boots and remove my jeans before walking to the other side of the bed and climbing in beside her.

The second my back hits the mattress, Bella tucks her body against mine, her head resting on my chest. I wrap my arms around her, holding her as close as humanly possible while absorbing the feel of her body against mine for the first time in weeks.

My nose finds her hair and I inhale deeply, breathing in the scent of her shampoo before placing a kiss there.

Bella’s breathing evens out within minutes, her soft lips parting with tiny snores and my body relaxes, eyelids growing heavy as I drift off into the deepest sleep I’ve had in weeks.

***

I’m woken by the feeling of someone thrashing around beside me followed by a gut-wrenching scream that has my eyes flying open and my blood running cold.

I glance around the dark room, my eyes landing on Bella as she twists and turns in the bed beside me, and I reach over and flick on the lamp beside my bed.

“No, no, no,” she chants, her forehead slick with sweat. “Mom,” she cries, voice so broken and small that it cracks something inside of me.

“Bella,” I call softly, my hand moving tentatively toward her shoulder.

“Wake up, mom,” she says, her eyes screwed shut tightly as she breaths hard.

“Bella. You’re dreaming, wake up.” I try again, shaking her lightly.

“She won’t wake up.” She shakes her head violently. “Why won’t she wake up?”

“Bella!” I shout this time, and her eyes fly open, wild and fearful as she scans her surroundings.

She’s panting, her body trembling as her hands move to grip my wrists, using the skin on skin contact to tether herself to reality.

“You’re having a nightmare,” I say and then inwardly cringe. She’s not having a nightmare; she’s having a flashback to last night you fucking idiot.

“Noah?” She says my name like it’s a question; her brows furrowed in confusion.

I sigh in relief. “Yeah, baby. It’s me.”

She stares up at me, the fear in her eyes slowly subsiding, replaced with a deep sadness. “Is my mom dead?”