Keela (Slater Brothers #2.5) (13 page)

“What's wrong?” Nico asked as he walked towards us.

I pulled my arm. “Tell him to let me go, he is
hurtin'
me.”

Nico widened his eyes then looked to Alec's hold on me then to his brother's face. “Bro...”

“Don't, Dominic,” Alec snarled. “Just...
don't
.”

He let go of me and I quickly pushed away from him. I proceeded to run down the hallway and up the never-ending staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. When I reached the top of the stairs it took me a second to remember which door lead to our bedroom.

I hated that I was somewhere so unfamiliar, and I hated that Alec threw a stupid housewarming party.

My head was killing me, and the blaring music from downstairs did nothing to ease the pounding in my skull. I entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me. I walked over to our new bed and I was grateful there were sheets and covers already on it. I knew the girls made it for us, and I knew they thought Alec was going to get some based on the revealing underwear that was laid across the bed.

I pushed it aside to the floor and climbed up onto the bed where I flipped onto my back and stared up at the white ceiling. I could hear the music from downstairs and it was picking away at my already shot temper. I lifted my hand to my face and covered my eyes, coating them in darkness to try and ease the pain in my head.

I relaxed a little bit, but seconds later I jolted as a
bang
sound went off during the music, followed by two more bangs. An image from my nightmare flashed across my mind, and I screamed.

You don't deserve him.

I cried out at my own voice repeating those dreaded words to me in my head. I jumped up off my bed and ran to the corner of my room. I slid down against the wall until my behind touched the ground. I drew my knees up to my chest and placed my forehead on my knees and covered my head with my hands.

“Stop,” I cried. “Please. Stop.”

My nightmare was playing over and over in my mind, and it made me feel sick with fear. I heard another bang and I screamed again, but this one was different, it sounded like something hitting a hard surface.

“Keela?” Alec's shout floated into my mind.

“No!” I cried out knowing what was coming.

I was going to see him die.

I screamed when I felt hands touch me. “Stop.
Please
. Leave me alone. Get out of me head!”

The hands tightened on my arms. “Kitten, I'm here.”

“Alec, just hold her.” Bronagh's familiar voice filled my ears. “It's the nightmare, she is relivin' it in her conscious state.”

“Nightmare?” Alec repeated. “What nightmare?”

I heard a whimper. “She's been havin' them since last year... whatever she went through... it's hauntin' her.”

Aideen.

“I'm fine,” I whispered.

I didn't want to upset anybody and hearing them talk even though they were talking about me, focused my mind on my reality. What I thought was happening really wasn't. It wasn't real. It was in my mind.

That was the problem though—I didn't want it on my mind.

I wanted it gone.

“She's been having nightmares? I didn't know,” Alec said, his voice broken.

“None of us did, she only told us today,” Bronagh's voice said.

I blew out a breath. “I'm fine,” I said louder this time.

I lifted my head and opened my eyes finding all of my family standing close to me.

“I heard a bang and me mind... it just turned on me, but I'm fine now.”

Alec helped me to my feet and I flushed with embarrassment.

“Please don't tell me everyone heard me?” I asked.

“Dunno, Alec kicked them out,” Bronagh said and shot a glare his way.

Alec ignored Bronagh and focused on me. “We need to talk.”

Oh, God.

I nodded my head.

Alec shot a look at the others and one by one they got the hint and filed out of our room.

“Love you,” Aideen said to me.

I slighty smiled. “Love you too.”

She closed the door after her and left Alec and myself alone in our room.

“Nightmares, really Keela?” Alec began. “Why didn't you tell me?

I frowned. “I didn't want to worry you. I thought I could handle them. I thought they would go away.”

“But they haven't?”

I shook my head. “I have them weekly. Sometimes twice a week. They're about... Darkness.”

Alec lifted his hands to his face and scrubbed them. “About what you saw?”

I nodded my head. “Yes, but also... somethin' different.”

Alec looked at me and waited for me to explain.

I walked over to our bed and sat down, but Alec remained standing in front of me.

“At the start of the nightmare I wake up in a hallway with blood on the walls and lots of turns, and lots of doors. I know the hallway, but can't remember where it is durin' the nightmare. When I wake up, I realise it’s the hallways from Darkness. I walked them once when I was pulled out of the room we were being kept in with Bronagh... Do you remember?”

“Yes.”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, well I'm there and I can hear someone callin' out to me, beggin' me to help them. I know the voice, but can't pin it to a person.” I looked down. “The voice is yours, and I learn that a shadow figure is hurtin' you and you're callin' out for me to help you, but I can't. I try… I try to run as fast as I can, but I'm never quick enough... You die in the nightmare, every time. The shadow figure shoots you in the head.”

Alec kneeled before me and took my shaking hands in his.

“Your brothers appear after that, and they blame me for your death. They accuse me of lettin' you die because I didn't love you. They... attack me then I switch and end up in the centre of Darkness in front of Marco. His hands are covered in blood, and I think he is the one to cover the hallway walls in blood. You brothers hold me down and tell Marco to kill me for not savin' you. I look up and Marco is gone, the shadow figure is there, but it's not just a shadow figure anymore it's me. The terror is me, I shoot myself in the head and then I wake up.”

I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to Alec's.

“I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Do you understand me?” Alec asked.

I nodded my head.

“Tell me you understand,” he said, his voice firm.

“I understand,” I whispered.

He let go of my hands and cupped my face. “We're going to get you help for this. We aren't going to brush it under the carpet. This
can
be helped.”

I nodded my head. “Okay,” I whispered.

Alec sighed and kissed my head. “I wish I knew you were having nightmares, I wouldn't have rushed you into moving in here so quickly.”

I blinked. “Do you mean that?” I asked.

Alec furrowed his eyebrows. “That I wouldn't have rushed you?”

I nodded.

“Of course I wouldn't have.”

I opened my mind then and said, “You wouldn't rush me... with anythin' else then would you?”

“No, I wouldn't,” Alec said, a perplexed expression on his face.

“Okay,” I said, breathing easier.

Alec focused his eyes on mine. “What's on your mind? Why are you asking these questions?”

This was it.

This was the opportunity to tell Alec my feelings.

I didn't even hesitate, I looked him in the eye and said, “I don't want to get married.”

Everything stopped as I waited for Alec's reply.

My breathing.

My heartbeat.

Time.

“What... what do you mean you don't want to get married?” Alec asked me, his face a few shades paler than usual.

I shook my head. “I didn't mean
not at all
, I meant I don't want to get married right now. I want us to slow down.”

Alec blinked. “You want us to slow down?”

I nodded my head.

Alec was silent for a moment then he said, “Okay.”

I opened my mouth to apologise to him, but when what he said registered with my brain I froze.

“O-Okay?” I repeated.

Alec nodded. “Yeah, okay. If you want us to pull back a little that's cool, we have the rest of our lives to get married, have kids, and do a bunch of other things.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

“I thought you would be upset with me,” I admitted.

Alec laughed. “Just because I'm ready right now to take my vows and have a handful of mini me's doesn't mean you are, and that's okay.”

It was?

“So you don't hate me?” I asked, my eyes filling with tears.

Alec laughed again. “No. I love you, stupid.”

I laughed and my heart warmed.

“I love you too, more than me life. I don't want this to make you feel—”

“Kitten,” he cut me off. “I know you love me, you don't have to question if I know that. I
know
.”

I didn't know what to say.

I was not expecting this conversation to go like this.

“I... I just can't believe you aren't angry with me.”

Alec leaned in and rubbed his nose against mine. “I have you. I have your heart. I'll have everything else with you in time—there is no rush. None.”

I pressed my forehead to his. “I adore your love for me, I cherish it. I cherish you.”

Alec smiled. “I know, Kitten.”

I closed my eyes and just felt our love surround us.

After a moment Alec asked, “How long has this been bothering you?”

I thought on it then opened my eyes and said, “Ages.”

Alec shook his head. “You really need to stop overthinking things. That has to be a woman thing.”

I surprisingly laughed.

Alec got up and sat on our new bed and put his arm over my shoulder. “We can go back to the apartment if you want. I realise now that everything I have been doing was overwhelming you, and I want to make it right.”

God, he was perfect.

I leaned into him and said, “If you asked me that this mornin' I would have jumped at the chance, but now? Not so much. I'm so relieved after our talk, and being here with you doesn't scare me anymore... it excites me.”

Alec squeezed me. “Are you sure?”

I nodded my head.

“I'm so sure I'm practically deodorant,” I teased.

Alec laughed and kissed my head.

I remained next to him for a few minutes until a knock rapped on the bedroom door.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened and Nico's head popped around the door. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Alec and I nodded.

“Great.” He smiled, then dropped it. “Alec, we need you to come and help us with something.”

I wondered what 'something' was, and so did Alec.

“Can't you just—”

“Alec,” Nico cut him off, and gave him a stern look.

The look was code for something.

“Sure. I'll help,” Alec said then turned to me. “You're okay, right?”

I nodded my head.

After getting everything off my chest and clearing the air I was
so
okay.

Alec left our room with Nico, and I went in search of the girls. I called out to them, and found them in the sitting room, with glasses in their hands. Bronagh was in the middle of cracking open a bottle of wine.

“Don't drink until we're back!” Nico's voice shouted then the front door slammed shut.

Bronagh ignored him and poured wine into the glasses extended to her.

“Where are they goin'?” I asked the girls.

They all shrugged. “No clue,” Branna said. “You doin' okay?”

I nodded my head. “Much better.”

Bronagh howled, “Park your arse and grab a glass, we're havin' a housewarmin' party even if it's just the four of us.”

“You mean
five
of us,” a voice from behind us said.

I jumped and turned around. “Alannah,” I breathed. “You frightened me.”

Alannah Ryan, Bronagh's best friend, and my friend, grinned. “Nico let me in as he and the brothers were goin' out.”

Bronagh whooped and poured Alannah a glass of wine.

I looked between the girls and shook my head.

This wasn't going to end well.

The girls were hiding from me.

I couldn't find the bitches anywhere.

I was resorting to looking in every room of my house to fucking find them. I was about to pass by mine and Alec's bedroom when I heard giggling. I opened the door and followed the giggling to the bathroom.

“What are you four doin' in here?” I asked as I entered the gigantic bathroom of my master bedroom.

Four heads quickly looked in my direction, three of the gazes were hazy and clouded with alcohol and one was clear and teasing. Alannah raised her hands in front of her chest and chuckled. “Don't look at me, this was
their
idea.”

Uh-oh.

Branna, Aideen, and Bronagh having ideas when sober usually ended in disaster, drunken ideas would surely be worse.

“
What
was their idea?” I asked and placed my hands on my hips.

I stared the three eejits down hoping to be somewhat intimidating, but when they burst into a fit of giggles I knew my threatening glare was little more than a slap on the wrist to them.

I switched my gaze to Alannah and softened it. “What did they do?”

“Somethin' stupid,” Alannah chuckled and shook her head.