DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.
NOTE: Hey, guys! So, first of all, THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL REVIEWS. I NEVER expected such love for this fic! Frankly, I expected like 1 review every 2 chapters, but this is mindblowing. Seriously :)
And second, I'll finish Shattered Heart first and put all of my other stories on hold temporarily. Every time I update other fics, I get plenty of requests to update this specific one, so there you go.
I hope I made all of you a little happier XD
Oh wait.
One more thing: I received a private message about the latest chapter. It's not anything big, but I just wanted to point this out. I updated the chapter like 2-3 days ago but I started receiving reviews today. If you're unable to read it because you thought I still haven't updated, you can follow this story which will send you an email right away whenever I update.
Thank you!
Stella ran. The only thing she felt at the moment was terror. Terror inside of her heart creeping its way in. She didn't know why she felt as if something is about to go horribly wrong.
"No..." she panted as she continued running down the seemingly endless hallway.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" she yelled at two people who were unlucky enough to get in the way. They seemed a little shaken at a random stranger's outburst being so conveniently directed at him.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" she yelled loudly as tears streamed down her face.
"They're dead..." an eerie voice whispered to her from behind. Stella turned around and gasped when she saw Brandon smirking down at her. "They're dead. You killed them. Don't you remember?" he asked mockingly.
"No! That's not true!" Stella yelled as she punched his chest. He continued smirking unfazed by her outburst.
"Yes, you did," he smirked. "Who knows? Maybe you caused the accident yourselves...YOU KILLED THEM."
"No, stop!" Stella covered her ears as more tears streamed down her pale face.
He grabbed her arms forcefully and turned her chin to look at him. "Yes, you did. You caused their accident. Now, they're dead...all because of you," he smirked.
"No!" Stella pushed him away and turned around running. But no matter how far she ran, she heard his voice echoing throughout the halls in a ghostly whisper.
"No, stop!" Stella screamed in terror as her throat went dry.
~ 1:00 AM ~
Stella sat up with a jolt. A gasp emitted from her throat as her brain went wild with fright and confusion. She panted as she felt her eyes cloud. She clutched her heart as fear seized her body. The air felt suddenly cold and frigid as she struggled not to cry. It's just a nightmare, Stel. Just a nightmare, she reassured herself.
She jumped a little when she felt a rush of cold air kiss her skin. It's just the air conditioner. Nothing more. Just the AC.
Stella panted. What kind of a nightmare is that? She struggled to get her breathing even. She turned to her right to see Brandon peacefully sleeping. Thank goodness. It's surprising that he's still sleeping considering that he's a light sleeper. He must've been equally exhausted from the extensive non-stop driving.
She looked at the digital clock on the nightstand between their beds. It eerily blinked with red digits... 1:03 AM...
She slowly lay back down before trying her best to fall asleep again.
And she did.
But not before she fell asleep with a small frown marring her features.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Stellaaaaaa..." a voice rang out. Stella opened her eyes to see none other than...Heather?
"Heather, what are you doing here?"
"You evil witch! You ruined my son's life! I hate you!"
"What?!" Stella said in shock as she took a step back startled.
"You're nothing but a spoilt brat! You ruined my son's life!"
"No! You two forced us to get marr-"
Stella emitted a pained cry when she felt someone grab her hair from behind. Tears stung her eyes as sharp pain emitted through her skull. She turned to see Brandon glaring down at her with malice in his eyes. "You BITCH," he whispered as he let her go with a sharp tug that sent her colliding against the floor.
Tears flowed down Stella's cheeks as she tried to ignore the hurt and pain she felt right now. She crawled back slightly as Brandon's powerful form hovered over. He took a step each second. "You ruined my life. I was supposed to marry the girl I love, but instead I get a night troll like you!" he yelled as his deep voice boomed off the walls.
"Brandon-"
"DON'T!" he snapped. "You don't have the right to say my name! You little...!"
Stella's vision blurred as tears furiously streamed down her cheeks.
~ 2:15 PM ~
Stella woke up with a sharp gasp. Tears formed in her eyes. Another nightmare.
Why was she being plagued by nightmares tonight? She frantically looked around before her eyes once again rested on the male brunette. Her eyes darted to the clock. It has just been one hour since she fell into another disturbed asleep.
Her heart raced rapidly as beads of sweat trickled from the sides of her head. Her breathing only picked up as she slowly started to hyperventilate.
Stella, without another thought, threw off the covers from her body before stepping down onto the soft carpet. She tiptoed to Brandon's bed.
Her eyes watered as she looked at him sleeping. He really was supposed to marry the girl he loved. The conversation in her dream or, rather, nightmare, was exactly what should've happened. What happened in real life was a blessing compared to that.
She sat at the edge of his bed softly. Reaching over, Stella poked him lightly in the shoulder. He twitched slightly but made no other move.
She reached over again and poked him. "...Brandon?" Stella kept poking with watery eyes. His eyes slowly snapped awake before he let out a sleepy mumble. "W-what?"
Suddenly, he blinked a few times before snapping his eyes fully. "Stella?"
He sat up on his elbow before glancing at the clock puzzled. Um...what is she doing up at this time? He turned back to her to see her upset and crying.
His eyes instantly glazed over with concern. "Stel? Hey, what's wrong?" he sat up before moving closer to her.
She sniffled. "...um...c-can I sleep b-beside you?" she asked shyly while averting her eyes. His eyes widened. She must've had a bad dream. What else could keep her awake and ask her to sleep beside him?
He nodded slowly before moving to give her some space. "Come on," he said gently as he opened the covers to let her in. Stella immediately seized the chance and hopped beside him.
He turned to her and faced her on his elbow. "What happened?"
"Do you regret what happened between us? Do you wish you could take it back?" she asked in a small voice as she started to cry.
He sighed now understanding her dilemma. "Yes, I do regret it. But there's nothing we can do anymore, okay? Stop worrying about stupid shit and go to sleep," he smirked.
She laughed between her tears.
"There. Now that you feel better, I should go back to my sleep," he smirked as he lay back down facing the ceiling.
He stiffened when he felt Stella move closer to him.
"Um...c-can you stay up with me for a while?" she asked softly. "Please?"
His heart melted at such a precious request. The way she asked him made him feel as if he's the only she trusted at the moment. He turned to her again. His breath hitched when he saw how close she was to him.
"Sure," he mumbled feeling a little disoriented at the dangerous proximity.
His lips formed into a small smile when he saw how eyes literally lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do you want me to turn the lights on?" he asked gently while keeping his eyes glued to her beautiful face.
"Can we?" she asked with a small voice.
He nodded as he sat up. She, too, sat up along with him as he switched on the lights. The dim darkness in the room instantly disappeared as a soft golden glow enveloped the room. He sat up against the headboard of his bed while she joined in the same pose beside him.
They were both silent but oddly, the hushed silence was comforting. Brandon, however, found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Stella. He didn't know why but she looked extraordinarily beautiful tonight. She was always beautiful, but...tonight...she just seemed to have a peaceful glow around. Ironic, isn't it? The girl who's had nightmares back to back in a single night glowed with beauty.
She seemed to have caught his gaze and turned to him. She blushed at the intense eyes that bore into hers. "Um...why are you staring at me like that?" she asked.
He smiled. "I'm thinking about how we met."
Her eyes widened. "Oh." A moment later, he saw her smile and draw her knees till her chest. "You were a jerk as usual," she giggled.
"And you were a downright klutz," he smirked.
She sighed exasperated. " One coffee spill is earning me way more taunts than necessary. Are you ever going to let that go?!"
"Never," he smirked. She pouted with a frown. He had to resist complimenting how adorable Stella seemed when she's pissed off. "What? You want me to forget how I met my wife?" he smirked.
She blushed. Probably at his reference of 'wife'. She looked stumped for words for a few seconds. "Your life would probably be better if you hadn't met me," she sighed.
His face formed into a small frown as she started to drown in the past again. Unable to help himself, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, earning a surprised squeak from him. "Hey, no more dwelling in the past. Whatever happened...you can't change it back," he said.
Stella's eyes remained wide as she remained in his embrace. She blinked a few times before relaxing when his grip on her remained gentle, yet firm. She, too, wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head against his chest. He was surprised by the reciprocation although he chose not to complain.
"Thank you," she mumbled against his shirt.
"So...feel any better?" he murmured against her, feeling a little disoriented by the proximity of her presence. She nodded against his chest with a small smile on her face. She drew her knees till her chest and leaned further into him, feeling oddly comfortable and not in the little bit uneasy. It was really odd. She was freaked out when Jason moved an inch into her 'personal space', but she found herself invading Brandon's space.
Brandon secured his arm around her protectively while placing the other in his lap.
"We should both get some sleep," he said to her. He eyed the clock. "It's late, Stel."
She nodded but remained in the same stance. Neither of them moved. Stella, however, started to drift off. Warmth radiated from his body and served as a protective and fuzzy shelter for her. She didn't know if this whole comfortable touchy feeling is because of her emotional imbalance.
Frankly, she didn't care. Compared to the horrible nightmares she had, the reality was so much better. Much more pleasant. It started out as a nightmare, but now it was a summer breeze. Her eyes closed on their own.
Brandon patted her hair, which was slightly damp near her neck due to her waking up sweating. "Good night, princess," he whispered as he slowly watched her fall asleep involuntarily. She mumbled something incoherently before falling silent.
He watched her for a few moments with a fond smile grazing on his lips. Just a week ago, he literally acted like a savage during the evening with their parents. But today...he just couldn't his eyes off of her. Does this what letting go means?
He finally felt a sense of peace. Something he hadn't had in the recent years. He felt a sense of belongingness. He also didn't deny how the past few days were...happy. Innocently happy.
This road trip that he suggested was just something he thought of spontaneously so he could spend more time with her. A plane ride and a few days at home were fine, but this was more engaging and fun.
He spent a few more minutes watching her before deciding that it would be real creepy if she woke up and found out he'd been staring at her for a while now. He removed her head from him and lay her down on the plush mattress gently.
He pulled the covers till her chin before moving to the other side of the bed and keeping a distance between them. He switched off the lights before slowly letting sleep consume him.
~ The Next Day - 1:00 PM ~
"For real?" he clutched the steering wheel tightly as he struggled not to lose it for the hundredth time today.
Stella fumbled with the touch screen buttons of the GPS to get the dumb piece of technology to turn on. "Why would this thing turn off at the last second?!" she frowned.
"It wouldn't have if you had plugged it into the charging port like I told you to," he snapped.
"Well, excuse me! It was an accident!" Stella glared at him. He sighed and shook his head. "We were supposed to take an exit here somewhere. And with the worst co-pilot ever, I think I missed it," he growled as he looked over his shoulder to swerve smoothly into the right lane.
"Excuse me?! You're the one driving!" Stella hollered.
"You're the eyes and ears while I'm the feet," he retorted back.
"That isn't funny, you know. For God's sake, so we missed an exit. We can go back by taking another exit."
"And going an extra twenty miles! Twenty miles!" he exclaimed at the number.
Stella facepalmed. "For real? You do realize that we're driving like three thousand across the country, right?"
"Correction. I'm the one driving while you're stuffing your face," he scowled clearly not appreciating her gorging down on all the goodies.
Stella grinned. "Well I did offer to drive-"
"Which, if I had taken, I'm sure you'll lead yourself and me straight to the hospital," he cut in.
She sighed exasperatedly. "So I was saying, before I was interrupted so rudely," she glared at him smirking before continuing, "I did offer to drive. Since you rejected, I get to relaxxxxxxxx."
Stella smiled as she munched on some chocolate chip cookies. "Want some?" she offered. He took it from her before finishing it in two bites.
"Aren't you tired? I'm not a horrible driver, you know," Stella offered once again.
He shook his head. "I don't trust you, princess. No offense."
"Why bother saying 'no offense' when it's meant to offend me anyway?" she pouted. "Fine, but don't scream your head off later. For the record, we'll be stopping at another lodge tonight."
He looked at her incredulously. "For real? Stella, I told you it was a one-time thing!"
"You're right. It was," Stella grinned. He nodded before looking ahead.
"At that hotel," Stella smirked. She stifled a laugh when he turned to her with a sharp scowl.
"I'm the one driving and you're the one demanding a room," Brandon shook his head giving up on the useless debate.
"I don't want you to crash us somewhere due to a lack of sleep," Stella retorted.
"I would've stopped at a rest area, you know. I know when to get some sleep," Brandon defended himself.
"Well...! I want to sleep in a bed! Which I would be making full use of at this moment if you hadn't stopped us from going on a plane!"
"Grrr. How about we hop on a plane right now? I think there's an airport around here within forty miles," Brandon snapped.
"And leave my car in the middle of nowhere? No thank you," she said as she reached over to the back and reached a fresh pack of chocolate chip cookies.
"Stella! Save some for me!" he complained.
"There's like a gazillion packets in the back, you dork. But here you go anyway," she chided as she gave him one.
"This is gonna be a long, long ride," he muttered.
"You're right. By my estimate, it'll take us another week."
He resisted the urge to slap his own forehead at her response.
~ The Same Night - 10:30 PM ~
Right now, they've just entered the state of Colorado. "There! Straight up ahead!" Stella pointed excitedly.
Brandon simply nodded, slightly exhausted. Stopping at a hotel was definitely a good idea. To him, it seemed like a fantastic idea at night and a terrible night in the day. Not complaining anymore, he drove in and parked at the nearest parking spot available.
He got out and immediately sighed in relief. He had been driving all day, making only occasional stops to eat, go to the bathroom, and stretch. He rolled back his stiff shoulder blades, closing his eyes in relief momentarily. With a sigh, he walked over to the trunk as Stella got out of the vehicle. He took her stroller as well as his.
He picked up with ease, not even bothering to utilize the fact that both of the suitcases had wheels. They both made inside the large building.
"Excuse me? Can you give us a room for two?" Brandon asked as he approached the reception.
Stella silently stood beside him and watched as the receptionist gave them their keys. Brandon took them.
Stella frowned when she saw how tired his eyes looked. He put the keys inside his pocket before picking up the suitcases. She followed him quickly before touching his arm.
"Give me the luggage. I'll carry them," Stella offered.
Brandon shook his head. "It's fine. Let's just go."
"But-"
"I'm fine, Stel. Besides, what kind of a man would I be if I can't carry my girl's luggage?" he spoke with a smile. He continued walking, leaving her with eyes slightly widened.
...Did he just? She wondered. She swore she did just heard him call her his girl. A soft blush bloomed on Stella's face unknowingly. Maybe he just said in the heat of the moment. Yeah, that's it, the blonde thought before following him again. He's just tired and he's being super nice despite that.
A few later, Brandon found himself setting down the luggage. He stretched slightly before walking straight to the bed and sitting down. A second later, his eyes snapped open as he stood up and turned out.
His jaw dropped a little as he looked before him. There was only one bed. His eyes darted over to Stella's who seemed to following his trail of thought too. Unlike last night, this was no suite room.
"Sorry. I'll go and book another room," he said apologetically as he took a step towards the door.
She stopped him. "It's fine. Um...I mean..."
He turned to her.
She blushed a little. "We sort of slept on the same bed last night. I'm fine with it...unless you have a problem."
"Are you sure?" he asked with concern.
She nodded.
She saw mild relief escape his eyes.
"Go and change then," he pushed her towards the bathroom near the door. It didn't take long to follow that instruction. She grabbed a nightgown and went to the bathroom to change. She locked the door behind her and looked at herself in the mirror.
She wasn't exhausted, per se, but she did feel a little restive. Her face looked a little tired. Brandon must be completely fatigued. He had been driving all day without break and with concentration. She quickly changed and grabbed her old clothes to put them aside. She washed her face with lukewarm water slowly, relishing the warmth.
A few minutes later, she opened the door to the bathroom and closed it behind her. She yawned as she took a few steps inside only to stop. To her surprise and not really at the same time, she found Brandon already changed into night clothes and calmly sleeping. He slept to one side of the bed. An arm rested under his head while another was on his stomach. Stella, silently, tiptoed over to the bed before quietly slipping in beside him. She pulled the covers till her chin.
Curiously, Stella scooted a little over to him and watched his face for a moment. She was stunned momentarily by how handsome he was. His hair gently brushed over his eyes giving him a mysterious yet powerful appearance. His jaw looked as if it's been so perfectly sculpted. She smiled softly to herself. Were they friends? It didn't seem that way. She didn't know what name to give to their intricate relationship, but she frowned as she thought about the future.
She'll miss him when she resumes college in a little less than ten days. She frowned as a realization abruptly hit her in the face.
She suddenly dreaded going to Princeton.
And cut! That's a wrap for today, folks. Two hours. Two hours to write this chapter. *Sleepy yawn*
But I hope my effort was worth it and that you enjoyed it :) Good night, guys :)
P.S. I do apologize for not proofreading my chapters for those silly typos and grammatical mistakes. Rest assure that I am fluent in English, so they're just mistakes and not discrepancies in my grasp of the language. It's just that the chapters are too long and I'm tired. So if you guys see any, please do feel free to point them out :) Thank you.
