Falling Stars (30 page)

"What
have you done?" Looking up into Mia's accusing eyes. I looked back into my
arms, they were empty. "You're a monster," she screamed and then she
ran.

"Mia!
Wait, please!" It was too late. She was gone.

My
body propelled to the end of my bed and the scream of her name echoed against
the eggshell colored walls. My breathing stayed ragged and my mind wouldn't
stop revolving the images. The vision of her, of Mia, was plaguing the back of
my eyelids. Her lifeless body, the accusing eyes, the disgust in her voice, all
of it was on a constant loop.

Jackson,
Jimmy, and Elliott crashed through my door, falling over each other, with panic
across their faces. They halted at what had to be a crazed look plastered
across my face.

With
jerking movements, I grabbed and pulled on my jeans.

"Christopher?"
Shaking off Jimmy's hand, I stepped toward the door.

"Where
are you going?" Jackson blocked the doorway. I shoved him.

Elliott
bound toward me from behind. I'm sure in an attempt to subdue me, but I made it
to the door before he caught up.

"Christopher!"
Elliott yelled. I ran. I had to get to her. I need to make sure.

Reaching
the hotel room door, I pounded with both fists. Elliott grabbed my arms pulling
me away from the door.

"Calm
down, man," he yelled at me.

"Let.
Go!" I growled and tried to shake him off me.

"No
way!"

"Christopher!
Calm down!" Jackson was standing in front of me, pressing on my chest with
both hands.

"Let.
Go!" I growled again.

The
door opened and Laney stood there. A horrified expression spread across her
tiny face.

"J-Jackson?"

 "Shut
the door Laney" Jackson ordered. "Call my dad."

Then
there she was, looking over Laney's shoulder. A tear slipped over her cheek as
she looked at the scene before her. Curiosity had changed to worry and fear.

Shifting
my weight back, I caused Elliott to lose his footing and fall against the wall.
Jackson reached for my shoulders.

"Christopher,
stop!"

Shoving
him out of my way, I forged ahead.

Laney
jumped out of my way. Stopping directly in front of Mia, I looked down on her
wide fear filled eyes. Grabbing her arms, I pulled her to my chest, taking us
to her room.

"Christopher?
Christopher, please?" Kicking her door shut once we were inside, I held
her tighter to my chest. She was okay.

The
doorknob rattled as someone tried to open it. Slamming my hand on the door, I
then locked it. With one tight arm still wrapped around her, I leaned against
the locked door.

"C-Chris
you…you need to calm d-down," she stuttered.

She
was attempting to put on a brave front. I was scaring her and I hated it. It
wasn't my intent, but I needed to know she was okay. I had to know, to be near
her, to protect her.

My
breathing was still as ragged as when I first woke. Closing my eyes, I tried to
calm myself. The image was still there. Pulling her along to the bed, I finally
released her onto the bed. Gripping at my hair, I tried to purge the image of
her dead body from my head. Mia pulled herself as far from me as she could.
With my fists in my hair, I paced the floor at the end of her bed.

"She
was there…she was gone…you were in her place," Rambling I tried to
explain. "It's my fault…I could've stopped it…why didn't I stop him?"
Stopping mid pace, I turned to her. "I won't let it happen to you too."
My pacing continued.

"Christopher?"
She had barely spoken loud enough for me to hear her over the yells behind her
bedroom door.

Jerking
my head to look at her, she forced a relaxed expression.

"Hey…calm
down, okay?"

Sitting
down forcefully on the bed, I looked away from the fear on her face. No longer
able to fight the sobs, they were now spouting out from me.

The
warmth of her hand on my shoulder sent a wave of relief over me. Climbing onto
my knees in front of her, she cupped my face and looked into my eyes.

"It's
okay. Just a bad dream," she whispered.

"No,
you were there. You were…" I choked on a sob and buried my head in my
hands. "She was…she is…He…"

"I'm
right here," her voice was gaining volume.

"Christopher!
Open the door!" Nicholas was yelling and pounding on the door.

"Just
let me break the fucking thing down," Elliott shouted.

"No!"
Mia yelled. "It's fine." She shouted to the crowd behind the door.

"Mia,
you need to let us in. You don't know what –"

"It's
fine. I'm fine…just please be quiet, please!"

"Unlock
the door," Doctor J. had joined the group.

She
moved to stand off the bed, but I grabbed her waist pulling her back down and
burying my face into her shoulder.

"Let
me unlock the door."

I
shook my head. "Don't let him in."

"Nicholas?"
Her voice was trembling.

I
shook my head.

"Jackson?"

I
shook my head, again.

"The
voice I don't recognize?" She meant the doctor. I shook my head and held
her tighter.

"Who
is 'him' Christopher?" I just shook my head.

Images
of 'him' raced in my mind, and I squeezed her tighter.

 "Okay,
okay." Wrapping her arms around me, she squeezed me back.

"I
can't right now, but everything is fine." She yelled back to the door.

"Christopher,
please let us in." The door muffled Doctor J’s voice.

I
shook my head.

"Not
right now," she yelled. "Just give me a minute," she finished.

"Fuck
this. Get me a knife or a fingernail file." Kat demanded.

"Christopher?"
I looked up into her face. There was no fear. There was only sadness and
kindness.
She cares.
"Are you okay?"

I
shook my head slightly.

"Do
you want to tell me?"

I
didn't move, just stared at her. She chewed on the inside of her mouth.

"She
is…and you were…" The tears started streaming down my face again. I could
taste them as they pass my lips.

"I'm
right here," she said sternly and took my face into her hands. She looked
me directly in the eyes. "I'm fine, you're fine. It was just a bad dream."

Pressing
the side of my head to her chest, I could hear her heart beating rapidly. Her
right hand stroked my head and the left pressed between my shoulder blades.

Pushing
us over so we were lying on the bed, my head still pressed to her chest, I
closed my eyes and held her. Her soft, warm, familiar scent filled my senses
and calmed me. Her hand ran soothingly in my hair.

"You're
fine," I mumbled into her t-shirt.

*
* * * *

I'd
expected him earlier and made sure to get Jace out of here before Christopher
arrived. Explaining things to Jace would be worse than dealing with Serena. We'd
known Jace for years, having met him when I was ten and Serena was twelve. He
was like a brother to us.

Chris
never arrived though.

He
terrified me when he grabbed me. Shock and horror rose inside when he started
dragging me around. The pacing and mumbling, I thought he was going to snap
completely. Once I made out what he was saying, I realized he was just as
scared and terrified. It had been one of his dreams that brought him here. When
the tension left his body and his breathing returned to normal, I knew it
wouldn't be long before he was out cold.

The
metal clicks came from my door just before the knob turned and Kat enter with a
proud smile.

"I
told you I could do it," she boasted.

Nicholas
and an unfamiliar man rushed in looking down at the sight of Christopher and
me.

"Are
you okay?" Serena knelt to the side of the bed and brushed hair from my
face.

I
nodded, "I'm fine."

"Mia
I presume?" The unfamiliar man nodded and smiled toward me.

"Yeah,"
my face warmed with my admission.

"I'm
Christopher's doctor." Nodding, I smiled small. "Any idea what
happened?"

"Not
really. I think it was another dream, but…this time he seemed worried or
panicked about me." With a shrug, I moved my hand from Christopher's head
to remove some hair that fell into my eye.

He
startled me when his arm flexed and his hand reached up from my waist to put my
hand it back on his head.

"I
thought you were sleeping." Pinching a couple strands of hair I gently
tugged.

He
shook his head against me.

The
doctor sighed and half smiled at me. "I'll check back in on him later
today."

Looking
at the clock, my movement caused Christopher to tighten his embrace.

"I'm
not going anywhere." His hold loosened and I was now free to read the time
on the clock – 4 a.m.

The
doctor looked to Nicholas.

"I'll
be in my room, if anything changes, please, let me know." Nicholas nodded
and the doctor left the room.

"Come
on," Jackson grabbed Laney and ushered everyone from the room except for
Serena and Nicholas.

"Will
you be alright?" Serena asked kissing my forehead.

"I'll
be fine." I reassured.

"She's
fine," Christopher mumbled. Serena scowled at him and walked toward the
door.

"Mia..."
Nicholas hesitated looking for the right thing to say.

"It's
okay Nicholas. I've gotten used to it at this point." I tried to laugh
freely.

"I
just hope he realizes how much you've done for him." Smiling at Nicholas,
he left the room.

My
mind went into overdrive. Why do I do these things for him? Allow him to use
me, to scare me, and then just...ugh. Chris curled up closer into my side. My
face flushed hot when I realized the position put his face to my boob. First,
it was my ass, now my boobs.

After
a few moments of mentally questioning myself, and the flush of embarrassment, I
fell asleep.

When
I woke, Christopher was gone. Sitting up, I looked around, but he wasn't
anywhere. Furrowing my brow, I took my irritation to the shower. That's right
idiot. Used once again. Congratulations.

Once
I dried off, I slipped into a pair of boxer shorts and a white tank top. After
last night, my plan was to stay in bed vegetating with the television and my
laptop. We weren't leaving on the tour bus until tomorrow morning and the only
real plans I had were to meet Jace later for dinner, before he returned to
base.

Wrapped
up in my blanket and leaning against the headboard I placed my computer on my
lap. With the turn of the doorknob, I expected Serena or Laney, but it was
Christopher. My eyes widened and I sat up straighter.

"Um…Hi,"
He mumbled from the door.

"Hi."
Suddenly my lip seemed like the best piece of bubble gum ever.

"Do
you mind if I come in?"

"Uh…sure,"
Closing my laptop, I sat Indian style.

As
he shut the bedroom door, I saw two brown bags in his hands. He sat on the bed
and opened the first one.

"I,
uh, got some coffee," he handed me a cup without looking at me.

I
took it.

"Thanks".
I spoke softly and pulled off the lid. While blowing on the coffee I saw him
from the corner of my eye. He was watching me. "What?"

He
dumped out the bag. There were regular creamers, flavored creamers, sugar,
cinnamon packets, etc.

"I
didn't know what you put in it." He shrugged. Then he took a white box out
of the larger brown bag and sat in on the bed between us. "I got some
donuts."

"Thanks."
I repeated.

Pouring
some vanilla cream into my coffee and then four packs of sugar, I felt
Christopher's eyes on me. Ignoring it this time, I sat back against the
headboard and sipped the coffee. This was…different.

It
was quiet for a while.

"Christopher
–"

"I
need to tell you," he said in a rush of breath. Pulling my mouth shut, I
started chewing on my ever so delicious lip again. Curiosity swallowed me up,
wanting to know what he was going to say.

"Mia,
I...I don't know where to start," he ran his hand through his hair and set
his coffee on the table next to the bed. His nervousness drowned out my
curiosity.

Putting
my right hand on his left bicep, he froze.