Chapter 3: Aftermath
Chapter 3:
“AHHHHH!”
As Luis rushed into the bathroom he slipped on the wet floor. His legs hit the end of the freestanding bathtub and knocking him off his feet and he fell into the bathtub sending water and bubbles flying. Luis looked up and found himself looking into Sheridan’s wide, startled eyes. Luis had fallen right on top of her and their faces were only an inch apart.
“Are you ok?” Luis asked, barely getting the words out. He stared into her eyes afraid to move his gaze. He could feel her warm body against his bare chest and was quickly loosing control of his thoughts.
“Um, I was until you landed on me. What’s going on?” Sheridan said, still a bit startled.
“You screamed and I came to see if you were all right and I slipped.”
“Oh,” Sheridan said, “I think I fell asleep, I must have been dreaming.”
“Are you sure you’re ok?” Luis asked, “I didn’t hurt you when I fell on you did I?”
“No, I’m fine, but you’re bleeding.” Sheridan slid her arm out from under Luis and grabbed a washcloth that was lying over the side of the tub and wiped the blood from a small cut on Luis’ forehead.
“I must have hit my head on the side of the bathtub.”
“So are you planning on getting up,” Sheridan said even though the last thing that she wanted was for Luis to go anywhere.”
“Oh, yeah,” Luis said, “I’m just trying to figure out how to get out of here.” He reluctantly pushed himself up out of the water, forcing himself to close his eyes. He stepped onto and turned around and grabbed a towel. He held it out in front of him, his eyes closed again. Sheridan slowly stood up and stepped out of the tub. She took the towel from Luis and wrapped it around her body.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Luis opened his eyes and tried to keep himself from staring at her, standing there wrapped in a towel with water dripping from her short blond hair. Sheridan walked toward the bathroom door.
“Take your pants off,” Sheridan said.
“Huh,” Luis said surprised.
“Your pants are soaked and I don’t want you dripping all over my house, so take off your pants and put on something dry.”
“Oh, okay.” Sheridan went into her bedroom and Luis changed into some sweatpants.
After a short time Sheridan emerged form her bedroom dressed in a nightgown and a robe. “How’s your head? She asked Luis.
“It’s ok. How about you, are you ok?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Sheridan answered, “Come sit down and let me clean that cut.” They both sat down on the couch and Sheridan put some peroxide on a cotton ball. She scooted close to Luis and dabbed the cotton ball across the cut on his head.
“Oww, that stings,” Luis said.
“I’m sure you’ll live,” Sheridan said, “it’s just a little cut.”
The little hairs on the back of Luis’ neck stood up as Sheridan’s warm breath flowed across his cheek while she spoke. Having her so close was driving him crazy. He flashed back to when they were in the bathtub, except this time instead of getting up he started kissing her.
“Earth to Luis,” Sheridan said.
“Huh,” Luis said coming out of his daydream.
“I said do you want me to put a Band-Aid on it.”
“No,” Luis answered, “It stopped bleeding so I think it will be fine.”
“You should really be more careful,” she said, “if you’d hit your head any harder you might have needed stitches.”
“Well if you had a bathmat the floor wouldn’t have been wet and I wouldn’t have slipped.”
“I can’t believe you’re trying to make this my fault Luis. You should have been watching where you were going and I never asked you to come barging into my bathroom.”
“Well excuse me for trying to make sure you’re ok when there are people out there trying to kill you and I hear you screaming.”
Sheridan jumped off the couch with a huff and stomped off into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Luis smiled, ‘At least she’s back to her usual feisty self,’ he thought. Then a pillow and a blanket smacked Luis in the back of the head and Sheridan’s bedroom door slammed again. Luis just laughed and then spread out on the couch and went to sleep.
Sheridan took her robe off and threw it across the room. ‘He is so infuriating,’ she thought, ‘he can’t even manage to be civil to me for more than an hour. So why can’t I stop thinking about him.” She sighed and climbed under the covers. She was dreading going to sleep. She had told Luis that she was dreaming in the bathtub but she’d been having a terrible nightmare about Antoine. That’s why she screamed. Now she was afraid that the nightmares would return when she went to sleep. She thought about getting up and getting a drink, but she didn’t want to have to see Luis again. She flipped the lamp off and tried to push the thoughts of the day’s events out of her mind.
A few hours later…
“No, no don’t.”
Luis woke up on the couch. He though he heard a noise, but the house was silent. Then he heard it again. It sounded like Sheridan. He got up and walked towards her bedroom door. He could hear her crying out. He opened the door and went into her room. She was tossing and turning in her bed.
“No, please don’t. Luis where are you? Don’t let him, make him stop.”
“It’s ok Sheridan, wake up. It’s just a dream,” Luis said. He tried to wake her but she wouldn’t wake up, she just kept calling out in her sleep.
“Help me Luis.”
“I’m right here Sheridan,” Luis said stroking her hair gently, “you’re all right. No one can hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” Suddenly Sheridan grabbed Luis, pulling him down onto the bed with her.
“I knew you’d come for me, I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me,” Sheridan said hugging on Luis, still asleep.
Luis wrapped his arms around Sheridan. “Shh, I’m here now and everything’s ok. I gonna take care of you.” Sheridan sighed and fell back into a dreamless slumber against Luis’ chest. Now that Sheridan was back asleep Luis knew that he should go back to the couch and go to sleep, but it just felt so right lying there with his arms wrapped around Sheridan. He couldn’t bring himself to leave her so he slid his legs under the blankets and tightened his hold on her.
Sheridan slowly awoke with a feeling of warmth. She could feel Luis’ arms wrapped around her and his chest against her back. One of his arms was under her neck and the other was draped across her chest. Sheridan ran her fingers across Luis’ arm and he stirred but did not wake up, he just tightened his embrace around her. Sheridan laid her head against Luis’ arm. She didn’t remember Luis coming into her room, but she was glad he was there. She did remember her nightmares though. She figured she must have been talking in her sleep again and Luis heard her. The nightmares were so real; it was almost as if she could still feel Antoine touching her. She didn’t want to think about it anymore. She just wanted it all to go away and she started to cry. Her tears rolled across her cheeks and onto Luis’ arm, waking him from his slumber.
“Hey, don’t cry,” Luis whispered, “You’re ok. I’m right here. No one can hurt you now. Did you have another nightmare?”
“No, is that what happened? Was I talking in my sleep last night?”
“Yeah, you were really upset,” Luis said, “I tried to wake you up but you wouldn’t and then the dream seemed to stop and you were back asleep. I…. I guess I just fell asleep with you. I should go.”
Luis started to get up but Sheridan quickly turned to face him and grabbed his arm. “Please don’t go Luis,” Sheridan cried, her eyes pleading as another tear rolled down her cheek, “I need you.”
Luis lay back down with her and wiped the tears from her face, “I’ll stay with you as long as you want me to.” She laid her head against Luis’ chest and he rubbed his hands slowly across her back. After a few minutes Sheridan pulled her head up and looked into Luis’ eyes. “Thank you,” She said quietly.
“You don’t have to thank me,” Luis said, pushing the hair back off her forehead and letting his fingers linger through her soft blond hair.
“I don’t just mean now,” she said, “I mean thank you for saving my life, for worrying about me. I know I should have said it before, but you are always there when I need you. No matter what I say or do to you, you never abandon me.”
“I would never do that Sheridan,” Luis said staring mesmerized into her beautiful blue eyes, “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I’ll never leave you.” Luis leaned in and kissed Sheridan gently on the lips. “I’m sorry,” Luis said, “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Don’t apologize Luis, just kiss me again.” Luis leaned in and kissed Sheridan again but this time she responded, continuing the kiss. She slid her hand up the back of Luis’ neck letting her fingertips play in Luis’ hair, while Luis’ hands glided across the back of Sheridan’s silk nightgown. But unnoticed by them both, the door to Sheridan’s bedroom was slowly opening.
To Be Continued…
