NIGHTMARES . luke alvez . 2

Her fears included the possible, not the probable. | He wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone anymore.

Alethea’s eyes fluttered open, instantly narrowing as a sharp ray of light temporarily blinded her. It worked as a knife, slicing at the blanket of darkness that had moments before been wrapped around her consciousness. That blanket had then been left frayed, the strands obscuring the view of her surroundings. However, Alethea didn’t mind.; she felt more than safe where she led. In fact, the woman had turned to her side in search of the warmth of the man who had slept in what was now empty space.

Reaching out, Alethea found that the dip in the mattress was still present and the crumpled sheet was still radiating his body heat. Thought it wasn’t unusual for the man to wake before her – him having taken more to the strict regimen of his service that she had – it was uncommon for him to leave her before she had woken. On most normal occurrences, she would wake to see him scrolling through his phone as she remained curled into his side. So, to be greeted with an empty space, caused Alethea some confusion.

Pushing herself onto her elbows, she let out a small yawn and scanned the room, having heard slightly movement that she assumed was Luke. Her head was still stinging for the light that had awoken her, and her vison was still not as clear as it normally would have been, but she could see his general figure closing the door of the wardrobe. Having seen the man, her regular smile made it’s way to her face.

It was at that point that Luke had noticed her, the sound of her yawn having pulled his attention towards her. He returned her soft smile, crossing the room – still pulling his shirt over his arm – he took a seat beside her, “I got called in early.”

“That’s a shame,” Alethea hummed, smiling as his lips pressed against her own, “you’ll let me know you’re safe though, won’t you?”

Pushing her hair away from her face, Luke nodded, watching as she clenched her lip between her teeth, “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.” Once again he placed his lips to us, letting the kiss linger for longer than the last one. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

She nodded at him, knowing that he did not understand the commitment that he had just made. They both consistently told themselves that this was the last time, that they wouldn’t return to the arms of the other again. Yet, both had become addicted to the taste of the other skin, and the way they fit so perfectly together. That was why Alethea kept waking up in Luke’s bed, and he kept leaving things at her apartment. They made excuses, saying that this was the closest either would get to a relationship and to commitment. Though, as every year passed, they got closer to telling the truth; they got closer but they were yet to cross the finish line.

Had it have been any other people, then the pair would have probably already been celebrating years of being together. However, they had both seen warzones and returned to jobs that showed them just what could happen to the people they loved. For that reason, they had remained locked in the complicated and reoccurring situation, never letting the other close enough to lose them.

Alethea rested her hand on Luke’s knee, whispering, “Just promise me that you’ll stay safe.”

“Okay,” he pulled away from the woman, collecting his weapon from the gun safe – which was tucked under the bed. He pressed his lips to hers once more before he crossed the room towards the door, turning back to ask, “Is there any chance you could feed Roxy before you go?”

“Sure,” She replied. “Now, go before you’re late. They won’t find the fugitives without you.”

Had she have been able to see Luke’s face, she would have been quick to detect the guilt that had been written across his features. However, he had already walked out of the room when she had called out to him. The man reassured himself that he wasn’t lying, he just didn’t correct her when she mentioned his work. Perhaps that was yet another sign that they shouldn’t progress their connection. However, he knew that he had to tell her the truth sooner, the woman being the closest person to him and the main person that Peter Lewis could use against him. Yet, as with every time, he didn’t correct her, he simply left her with an incomplete understanding of the danger he could put her in.

Having heard the front door slam, let out a large sigh and pushed her hair away from her face. The situation she lived in was less than desirable, but with everyone she had loved and lost she didn’t want to add anyone else to the list. Her closet was bolted shut at an attempt to stop anyone from seeing her skeletons, even Luke. Had he have known what she was hiding, he would never look at her the same again.

Before she could move, Roxy had entered the room and jumped to the bed. Alethea ruffled her fur as she mumbled, “Looks like it’s just you and me this morning, girl.”

The dog whined as she nuzzled Alethea’s face, causing the woman to smile uncontrollably. The simple happiness of having Roxy so comfortable with her, made the woman think about the last few years. When she had met Luke, Roxy was still a puppy, and in a way she was still an overgrown puppy. The man had been struggling to adapt to civilian life, and she was still having nightmares about what she had seen when she was deployed. Together, they had found ways to become comfortable with their lives. And they had continued to help other service leavers to find the relative peace they had.

Before she delve any further into her memory, Alethea’s phone buzzed beside her. Having glanced at the user ID, she became slightly lighter at the thought of the man at the other end of the call, “What brings you to the phone at this time?”

Roxy had placed curled up beside Alethea, laying her head on her lap, as the woman heard a sigh from the caller, “How much work do you have at the moment?”

“Not so much that it can’t be covered,” she answered. “Why?”

“We have a case that Emily would like for you to help us on.” David declared, the woman growing slightly confused by the mention of Emily – who she had been sure was working for Interpol in London. “It seems that your areas of expertise will be incredibly helpful.”

Alethea looked down at the dog in her lap, knowing that she would have to let Luke know that she had been called away so that he could find someone else to walk Roxy while they were both away, “You know that I will say yes, but when do you want me there?”

“As soon as possible.” David replied. “Thea, I need to warn you, this seems to be a bad one.”

She took a moment, knowing that the man was only trying to protect her, “I will make sure to keep that in mind.”

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