Page 58 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

Maddie woke in complete darkness. Cole’s arms were still around her, still holding her, constricting her. She gasped, trying to get free, trying to get out. It wasn’t that she was escaping him, fleeing him, it was what had woken her up that scared her.

Because she’d dreamt, not only dreamt, but she remembered it. What she saw, what her mind had taken her too.

She could feel her skin, clammy, itchy almost and she wanted to claw at it, scratch at it. The room felt oppressively hot, boiling. She gasped again and Cole shifted opening his eyes and watched her.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered and she half jumped at his words. “Maddie?”

She shook her head, needing him to get off her, to be off her. She pushed him away, throwing the covers off and stumbled out of the bed before half falling onto the floor.

Cole sprung up out the other side and was next to her in an instant.

“What is it?” He asked and she shook her head again. Forcing down the image, forcing down the memory.

“It’s nothing.” She replied but he could hear the pain in her whisper.

“You were dreaming.” He said. “You were having a nightmare again.”

“No.” She said shutting her eyes and covering them with her hands as if she could shut it all out.

“You remember don’t you?” He asked and she shook her head.

“Please Cole.” She whispered.

“Tell me. Tell me what the dream was about.”

She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t respond, wouldn’t work.

“I can’t. I can’t.” She said leaning into him and he wrapped his arms around her.

“You’re safe. Whatever the hell you dreamt, it was just that, just a dream. It’s not real.” He said and she shut her eyes tighter, breathing him in, knowing that his words weren’t true, because it was real. All of it. It had happened. Every second. Every horrific moment. And now it was replaying back in her head.

Maddie walked backin BlackWater HQ, box in her hands ready to do as she was told, ready to play ball just as Brandon had instructed.

Her phone buzzed and she ignored it but as she walked through the security gates it went off again and she swore under her breath before reaching down and grabbing it out of her pocket.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” She muttered before quickly walking outside, perching the damn casebox on wall and picking it up.

“What?” She snapped.

“That’s not very polite Maddison.” He replied and she rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t say anything about me being polite, you just said I had to pick up the phone when you called. Be grateful I’m playing nice at all.” She retorted.

“No Maddison, you be grateful that I’m giving you this chance. This opportunity.”

“What opportunity?” She asked.

“To grow your relationship with your lover, to prove how much he means to you.” Her dad said back and she gritted her teeth.

“Sure I’m real grateful.” She replied. “Now what do you want? I actually have a job to do.”

“Lunch, next Tuesday. I’ll message you place.”

“Seriously?” She replied.

“Be there Maddison.” He said before hanging up and she half snarled before pocketing the phone, leaning down and grabbing the damn box again.

She walked back inside, putting the box on the conveyor belt and watching as it went through the scanner and then she walked in, stashing her phone and bag in the nearest locker before grabbing the box and heading for the lift.

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