♕Harley Anderson♕

I wake up in a cold sweat, my heart in my throat and my breathing rapid and uncontrollable.

I look around the room in an attempt to find Danté only to see him sitting up and looking at me in concern. Relief floods my system when I see him and tears spring to my eyes as my body trembles.

"Hey." He says, pulling me towards his chest and I bury my head before crying again. The image of him with empty eyes pops into my mind and I shiver as his words from my dream play-over and over: "I don't care about you."

He rubs his hand on my back and holds me gently while I try and calm down and when I do, he pulls back to look at me. His eyes trail over my features, twisting with worry. "Bad dream?"

I nod.

"What was it this time?" He asks and I avert my gaze to my legs tangled in the sheets.

Most of my dreams only involved my father, mother and Cyrus. If they weren't of my father being a monster and beating me, it was of my brother disappearing into blackness or my mother telling me she doesn't love me. I've never had another person show up in my dream however, this time Danté was in it. He was robotic, cold, and was watching me in the basement before telling me he didn't care about me. Even though I know it's not true, it still shakes me. It makes my heart ache because I can't live without him.

"You were in it." I mumble and he sits up straighter, watching me. "You told me you didn't care about me." I sniffle a little, not wanting to cry again. I glance at him and his features soften.

"You don't believe that right?"

I look away. "Of course not. But I haven't ever dreamt of anyone else other than my parents and brother so to see you in my nightmares, saying such things..." I trail off "It just makes me doubt myself."

He clips my chin and makes me look at him. "Don't ever doubt how much I care for you, okay? I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

I purse my lips and nod before leaning into his side and laying down. We lean back in the bed, pressing my body against his and breathing his scent to try and calm myself down. It's only my second night here and I'm already worrying Danté? Damnit.

Ever since my kidnapping, my nightmares have decided to make a reappearance and taunt me even more. I know it's because of being locked in that basement; it's triggered everything, including my anxiety that's at an all time high now. I just want to move on and be happy but life doesn't seem to want that for me. Is it so bad that I just want to be with Danté?

I sigh and I feel his chest rise and fall beneath my cheek. He doesn't say anything else to me and I don't either, trying to calm down and fall back asleep.

After a long time of caging my memories, I drift back off into a sleep that's much more peaceful than the last.

****

Slowly things go back to normal. I'm no longer cooped up in Danté's apartment and the nightmares are slowly subsiding. I'm back at work now and I visit Audrey when I can since I'm still exhausted from the emotional toll the attack has taken on me. Frank hasn't found anything on the guy yet despite two weeks already passing by. Knowing that some psycho who has it out for me and Danté is still running out there makes me feel extremely uncomfortable.

From afar, life seems okay, good actually, but it's still far from it. I'm trying to keep it together, not to break down and worry Danté more than I already have although it seems difficult. Along with that, living with him has being a whole other experience. He's being there for me every time I've had a nightmare and has never complained. We both take turns on making waffles for breakfast, him finally telling me his recipe. However, mine still aren't nearly as amazing as his. Most of the time he sleeps in the same bed as me so as to calm me from my anxiety attacks which, too, has being a different experience for me. I've never had someone there to calm me down and care for me since Cyrus left so to have Danté do exactly that is something I still need to get used to. However, on my good nights he takes his couch even though I feel like it should be me on that couch.

Every second I'm waiting for my stalker to hit again with something more, waiting for his next move. I've come to the conclusion that living in fear is something horrible and extremely tiring. It's all I've ever done and having to do it again is tearing me apart slowly.

Bit by bit.

"Harley? Harley!" A shrill voice interrupts my train of thoughts and I look to my side to see Allison watching me expectantly. I frown before raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"What's up with you girl? You okay?"

I nod my head, running a hand through my hair. "Yep. Just tired."

That has being my response since the very beginning. 'Just tired'. It's vague but also specific. You can be tired, not from lack of sleep but from sadness, guilt, anger, of just being here.

Allison casts me a sideways glance. "Uh-huh. Take a break girl, you seem preoccupied."

I roll my eyes and tie my hair up into a make-shift ponytail. "Says the pregnant fairy."

Allison playfully glares at me. "No need to remind me."

I laugh, grabbing my notebook to take the order of a new customer who has just walked in. "You need to take that leave now Ally."

"Yeah, yeah." She waves me off as I walk away with a light chuckle. I take the order of the customer before booking out and leaving due to my shift coming to an end. When I return to the apartment, Danté is home, talking to Mason on the couches.

When I close the door behind me, both of them turn to me. I walk over to the both of them with a smile before pecking Danté's lips in greeting.

"How was work?"

I shrug. "Work was fine."

I avert my attention to Mason and give him a brief hug. "How you doing Harley?" He asks in concern.

From what I know, Mason was the one who helped Danté find me. I don't know how he did but since he's involved in a lot of illegal stuff, I'm assuming he helped in a rather peculiar way. However, no matter how he did it, I'm truly grateful that Mason cared enough to help me. I think Danté also feels a lot more comfortable around him now. They're both from the same world, illegal being their way of life, and the fact that Mason helped him automatically makes Danté see him as someone deemed trustworthy. I do too.

Mason doesn't know Danté's story but he clearly knows he doesn't have a good past if someone is after the both of us however, instead of pushing for answers, he rather supports Danté and lends him a helping hand. It can't really get much better than that.

"I'm fine. How are you?" I respond, leaning into Danté's side.

"I'm good."

"How's Samantha?" I ask, having liked his girlfriend when I met her. He shrugs.

"She's all good. Keeps asking about you though."

I laugh lightly before Danté grabs my attention.

"Mason is staying over for dinner." He informs me and I glance at Mason before looking back at Danté.

"I'll cook up some spaghetti bolognaise if that's okay?"

Danté pecks my lips. "That would be perfect."

"I can't stay too long. Sam's expecting me." Mason's voice interrupts us and I pull away from Danté before looking back at his friend.

"You can invite her if you want?" I say more like a question rather than a statement. Mason smiles gingerly.

"I'm sure she'd love that." He comments before pulling his phone out and texting her, I assume. I find my way to the kitchen and begin pulling out the ingredients to cook dinner while the boys continue to speak. I don't focus on their conversation except for when I hear Danté's laugh and I find myself smiling at the joyous sound.

Ten minutes later and a knock is sounding at the door. As I throw spices into the pot Danté answers it. I hear him greet Samantha before she steps into the room. When she sees Mason, she throws her hands around his neck and hugs him tightly.

"Hey babe." He greets and she smiles widely at him.

"How're you?"

I ignore the rest of their conversation, wiping my damp hands onto a cloth before she comes bouncing into the kitchen. Samantha is in all ways gorgeous. Her beautiful blonde hair is pulled into a tight ballerina bun and her blue eyes are only brought out more by the silver shimmering eyeshadow lining her eyes. Even in a simple pair of jeans and shirt she manages to look effortlessly elegant and the bangles on her wrists jingle as she hugs me.

"Girl," she drags out before taking a step back and looking at my appearance. "How have you being keeping up?"

I smile lightly at her. "I'm as good as a girl who was kidnapped could possibly be."

She laughs lightly but I sense the sympathy behind it.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask and she smiles.

"Water is perfect."

I pour her a glass and hand it to her. She takes a seat on a bar stool and turns to me as I lean against the counter.

"I'm sorry about ruining your night with Mason the other night by the way." I feel the need to apologize. Samantha waves it off.

"Don't sweat it girl. Besides, it's not like it was anything strange to me."

I raise a brow at her in questioning and she shrugs, settling her glass down.

"It's just, you know, danger isn't really something foreign to me anymore. Ever since Mason and I got together, it's being something a part of my life." She says and my eyes stray to the boys sitting on the couch and talking. "Mason isn't an innocent person which is why danger is something I've had to learn to accept. Even though I haven't experienced a kidnapping or seen one before now, it isn't that terrifying to me anymore."

Her words make me blink at her in surprise as I take them in. She's willing to live in danger and possible harm just because she's with Mason. Isn't that a little insane?

"Doesn't it... bother you?" I ask almost incredulously and she purses her lips before taking a sip of her water.

"This is Mason's world and if I love him as much as I claim I do, I have to accept it."

My eyebrows draw together as I come to a conclusion- we're both in the same boat. I, too, have being dragged into something much bigger because of my involvement with Danté and even though I wouldn't dream of leaving him, it's still an option. My eyes trail to the dark-haired boy in the TV room, smiling at something his friend says while he carries a weight that not many people have the strength to do.

I've being brought into another world just because I've seen the selfless boy inside of the ruthless drug dealer.

No, Samantha isn't insane for standing by Mason even though she's in danger because I'd do the same for Danté.

I will do the same for Danté.

•••
Surprise update from me in Portugal while I'm sick and lowkey missing home. Anyway.... I hope you enjoyed this update! The next one will be on October the 1st.

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