A/N: Hey guys! This chapter is a bit shorter (there's much more dialogue), but I hope that you like it! If you don't...feel free to let me know (kindly, please)! I think I'll be able to update about once a week, give or take a few days. Thanks again for the reviews, follows, and favorites!

"Thanks, Sabina, I had a great time tonight," Alex said as they walked down the lavish hallway to his room, their footsteps echoing behind them.

"Anytime, Alex. Perhaps we can do this again soon. A couple of the previews looked interesting."

He smiled and gave a nod. "That'd be great,"

Stopping in front of his door, she gave him a quick hug. Sabina still seemed a bit uncomfortable being so close to him since the earlier…incident. "Goodnight," she said.

"Sleep well,"

He thumbed the light switch and locked himself in his room, leaning his forehead against the cool wall as he desperately gulped down air. His heart raced with anxiety and he could feel heat rise in his cheeks.

What was wrong with him? Tonight was perfectly normal. He wasn't shot, tortured, or blackmailed. He saw a tolerable movie with Sabina and her mum, yet he was still feeling nervous and sick. And the morbid images filled with death and blood…they never seemed to stop flooding his mind.

Get it together, Rider. You're fine. You're not alone, remember?

He took careful, measured breaths, bringing his heart rate down enough so that he could no longer feel the steady pounding in his neck. Sufficiently stable, he undressed and pulled on his pajamas, climbing in between the borrowed sheets draped over his bed.

For a long moment, he just stared out the window. The city lights gleamed brightly, and he allowed his mind to wander, to enter another world where there was no death, hurt, sickness or malice...and allowed the peacefulness of his fantasy to lull him to sleep.

…

The neighborhood was serene. Most people were still in their beds as the inky black of the night sky melted into the bright hues of dawn. The air was crisp, refreshing. It held a certain untouched quality to it; as if it had not yet been disturbed by a single soul.

Alex knew this because he was standing by the window. He was standing by the window because he couldn't go back to sleep. Not after the nightmare he'd had.

He'd had nightmares before, of course. It was nothing new. But this one was particularly jarring. Mainly because he couldn't remember a thing about it. All he had was this feeling…this strange, sinking feeling in his stomach. He'd had that feeling before, too, but again, the ambiguity of why it was there disturbed him.

Alex was used to being in control of his emotions, his thoughts. With all the uncertainty in his life, his mind was the one thing that he could control. But now…with that gone? He was off. And he should really seek help, tell someone the truth of how he was feeling. Maybe if I just – no.

As soon as it was conceived, Alex crushed the thought.

He would not – could not – do that. Although the offer to talk with Sabina was there…his feelings were personal. If he shared his thoughts with others, then he would be showing his weakness – his vulnerability. And his strength was the only reason he had survived this long.

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts.

Enough of this self-absorbed misery – he needed to get a hold of himself, and quickly. Maybe if he unpacked some more of his things…

Yes, that would help. Distraction. That would solve his problem. So long as he kept himself busy, he would be fine.

He would be perfectly fine…

…

When Alex went downstairs to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, he wasn't really expecting anyone to be awake. But, to his surprise, there sat Edward Pleasure, his laptop on the table and a steaming coffee mug in his hand.

"Alex," he said, mildly startled. "You're up early. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," Alex lied, pausing at the cabinet above the sink. "May I get a glass of water?"

"Certainly," he said. "But, if you don't mind me saying…this is your house as well. You need not ask my permission for something like that."

Alex faked a smile. "Of course, Mr. Pleasure." He turned on the tap, the water splashing into his cup. Do not show your fear...do not show your –

"You can stay down here if you'd like," Mr. Pleasure said, interrupting Alex's mental chant.

"I wouldn't want to distract you." Alex replied hastily, not really in the mood for social interaction. He wanted desperately to seek solitude in his room, where he could be without the stress of maintaining his strong exterior.

"I'm just checking my email. It's nothing important." He gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Come, sit."

"Alright," Alex sat down, reluctantly. They remained still for about a minute, the ticking of a clock the only noise filling the room. Uncomfortable, he sipped on his water.

"I was thinking that we could go shopping today, to get the rest of the furniture for your room. There are some excellent shops downtown that may have something suited to your style."

"That would be…fun." This will keep me busy…he thought, relieved at the way this conversation was going. And despite his current emotional state, he couldn't help but think that his room was in dire need of some color and decorations.

"It's a plan, then." He set his coffee mug on the table.

"Thank you, Mr. Pleasure." Alex went over to the sink, gently depositing his cup. "I think I'll go dress before breakfast."

He smiled warmly. "We'll leave at around ten."