17 Chapter 17: A Luna

James woke to find Elizabeth curled against his chest, shielded in his arms. He remembered waking up like this more than once before. But the time that came back to him is the first one. When he couldn’t even see her face.

She was absolutely beautiful, even when she slept.

He remembered when he’d woken up after passing out, almost a full day later. She’d stayed with him the entire time, not wanting to let him lose her warmth for even a moment. She’d been starving, not having eaten for so long, but she had kept herself glued to his side.

He had woken up that morning knowing something was different. About him, about her. He hadn’t felt in danger in her home before that, but that morning was the first time he’d felt truly safe in a very long time.

James glanced down at her again, frowning. She was not sleeping peacefully.

Her eyes moved rapidly, her heartbeat erratic, fast and then slow. Her breathing uneven.

‘A nightmare?’ James thought.