Page 159 of Beautifully Shattered
I have to express the milk buildup, and part of me wishes I could invite Ringo in here to help, since he loves assisting me with it so much. But I can’t exactly explain that to a twelve-year-old. So I hand-express, and quickly finish up, returning to the room to find Ringo sitting on the end of the bed, telling Tahli about our wedding day as she holds the photo he had framed for me.
“Now I understand why everyone found my Harry Styles comment so funny before,” Tahli giggles, as I climb into the bed beside her. “Did you really walk down the aisle to One Direction?”
“Yes.” I grin, and when my eyes meet Ringo’s, he shoots me a playful wink.
“You’re crazy.” Tahli yawns, so I take the picture from her and pop it back on the bedside table.
“Crazy in love, apparently,” I tell her, and she makes a dramatic gagging sound.
“Don’t be gross, Abbey.” She shuffles down under the covers, settling onto my pillow before glancing up at Ringo. “Are you sure you don’t mind sleeping on the couch? I feel bad that I kicked you out of your bed.”
Ringo nods as he stands. “It’s totally fine. Your big sister needs you close right now. And when you’re both ready, you can pick one of the guest rooms downstairs and we’ll turn it into a Tahli paradise.”
Her smile is huge as her lids flutter closed. “I like the sound of that.”
As she curls on her side facing me, Ringo rounds the bed and presses a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Get some sleep, Angel. It’s been a big day.”
I want to protest since it’s still so early, but my body betrays me and I yawn, deciding that it’s okay to sleep now that Tahli is back.
Now I feel like I can breathe again… just a little bit.
Ringo retreats around the corner to the lounge, and I snuggle against Tahli, holding her close, and fall asleep to the quiet hum of the TV in the background, and Tahli’s gentle snores.
For a while, everything is peaceful.
There’s no one chasing me in my dreams tonight.
No blood pooling at my feet. Or cries of a baby I can hear, but can’t find.
There’s just plain nothingness. Deep and heavy, weighing me down in a restful slumber.
At some point, though, something changes.
I dream of fireworks cracking overhead. Pop, pop, pop as colour bursts through the darkness, before a loud bang jolts me awake.
I sit up with a gasp, my hand pressed over my racing heart, and I glance to the side to see Tahli sound asleep.
What the…
Pop. Pop. Pop.
My heart flips, and not in a good way.
I scurry out of bed, dashing around the corner into the lounge area, which is completely dark except for the faint glow coming from the ceiling to floor windows.
I stagger back, my heart hammering when my eyes land on the silhouette of a man standing in front of the windows, a gun hanging at his side.
32
Afaint gasp sounds behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see the shadow of my Angel standing across the room.
It takes me a moment to register what’s happening as she stumbles back, and I mutter a curse under my breath, realising she’s probably just seeing the silhouette of a man and not recognising it’s me.
“Angel. It’s me.” I hold up a calming hand, knowing that with no lights on in the room, I must look fucking scary standing by the windows.
“R-Ringo?” she whispers, and I grin, even though she can’t see it.
“No, it’s Harry Styles.”
