Page 22 of Charming But Reckless

I looked into Sean's eyes. They were terrified and wide.

"We need you at the main house. Sol is having a nightmare, and we can’t calm him down this time."

I didn't hesitate to jump from bed and take off to the house. Sean ran behind me, his footsteps in cadence with my own. I was shocked since he was such a tiny thing.

The thought was fleeting because all my focus, all my determination, went into getting into the house. I could see lights on and since Sean had run to me, I didn't stop to knock on the door. I just burst through and ran up the stairs to where I knew the boys’ bedrooms were.

When I made it to the doorway, it was open. I could see Sol curled up in a ball shaking and sobbing. He was muttering something under his breath, his voice garbled.

Jackson and Beau were hovering over him, their hands not quite touching him but making it obvious they were eager to calm him. They would be there as a form of support if he needed it.

At the sound of my approach, they turned towards me.

"Oh thank God you're here," Beau said. "We need you."

I rushed over as he moved out of the way. For reasons unknown, I didn't hesitate. I felt like it was my duty to help Sol.

He was very clearly having nightmares. His eyes weren't open, and he wasn't responding to anyone calling his name. So I did what I would do for anyone else if I thought they needed my support.

I laid down beside him and wrapped my arms around him in a hug, cocooning him safely in my arms.

"You're safe Sol. I've got you. It's Orion. I've got you." I repeated the words on a loop as I squeezed him tightly, anchoring him back into reality.

It wasn't an instant change. He still shook and tears poured from his eyes.

However, slowly but surely, the shaking stopped. The tears slowed a couple of minutes after that.

When his eyes eventually blinked open, he turned to face me. His little hand came up to touch my cheek. When he pulled back, I saw his fingers were wet.

I mimicked the movement to show him he'd been crying as well. He gave me a nod saying much more than words ever could.

This wasn't the first time he had had a nightmare. It wasn't the first time that he'd woken up to find himself crying this way.

"You're safe." I told him.

It was a reminder to him and to me that no one was going to take him away from here. The promise was one that I could keep.

I knew the others in the room might have thought it foolish especially given his past. I couldn't not say it though. He needed reassurance, and my job as a protector was to provide that for him. I would tell him every single day just how safe he was with me by his side.

One day when we found his father, I might not get to be as involved. His situation would change again.

But he had me for the time being. As the primary person ensuring his care, I did what I thought best.

“Can I tell you a story about one time when I had nightmares?” I asked.

His little head moved up and down slowly.

I dove into the tale. “When I was around your age, I had a best friend who lived pretty close by. He and I would roam our small town together because we didn't have any other friends. The kids in our grade would tease me for not having a dad. My mom and he had split up when I was a baby, so they used that to their advantage since most of the other families were cookie cutter — you know with a mom and dad.”

Sol frowned. I suspected he understood what that life was like since he told me his mother passed away.

I continued my story. “My friend was like me in some ways, but instead of not having a dad, he didn't have a mom. That and his dad wasn't the nicest man around. He had some issues and would take his anger out on my friend. I tried to protect him from it, but it was hard when I was just a kid, and no one wanted to listen to me. It also sucked because his dad knew people who were supposed to protect him and made it to where they didn't.”

Jackson and Beau were still in the room. I suspected Sean was close by listening to the story too. It's why I didn't share that this was about Arick, Sol's possible father.

I figured they knew anyway. Or at least they knew that it was someone really really close to me who was no longer in my life.

My voice held a note of sorrow in it, not just for what I was saying but for how life had panned out since.

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