Page 106 of His Eternal Claim

“You’re overreacting,” I whisper.

His stare sharpens. “Am I now?”

“Yes.” I suppress a groan. “I was half asleep.”

“You were screaming.”

“I was having a nightmare.”

“You were awake.”

I throw my head back against the headboard. “Fine. Maybe I was overtired.”

His eyes narrow. “Maybe?”

“Zagreus, I hate the dark and you know it. I had countless nightmares when I was a child, you were there always.”

“You’ve lived here for months.”

“And I still hate it.”

“You’ve slept in that study dozens of times.”

“Not alone.” The answer slips out before I can stop it. His expression changes immediately, and I look down at the pink star-diamond ring on my ring finger.

“I can’t sleep alone.” The admission feels pathetic, but it is true. Someone is there constantly; I feel like I am going insane. There are voices I can’t recognize, and sometimes, I don’t even know what’s real or not.

I squeeze his hand. “Can we go somewhere?”

His expression sharpens with interest, and there’s tiredness in his beautiful eyes. “Go somewhere?”

“I feel like I’ll die in this house if I stay trapped inside these walls another day.”

He studies me for so long that I start regretting asking. “I already planned dinner.”

My head snaps up. “You did?”

“I was going to tell you.” A smile blooms despite everything.

“Really?”

“I assumed you’d be unconscious.”

I grin ignoring his statement. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere if you keep asking questions.”

My excitement must show, because a reluctant smirk touches his mouth. The sight is so rare it almost feels like a victory. “Go get dressed.”

I jump out of bed. “Don’t regret this, Vitale.”

“I already do.”

I stick my tongue out at him before he gets up, kisses my forehead, and disappears into the bathroom.

Zagreus says he needs to make a call. I smile at him, despite the bubbling nausea inside me. I try to pretend I am not seeing someone standing behind him; he looks skeptical but leaves the room to let me get ready.

I swallow, desperately opening the bedside drawer and grabbing the small white pill Mama had given me a few days back. It sits safely in my palm. Mama said the pills would help keep the nightmares away. I asked her if I could tell Zagreus, but she said he wouldn’t understand.