Page 21 of Best Friend's Brother's Surprise Baby

“I’m not feeling too well,” I say. “Think I’ll skip dessert.”

Nico frowns. “But I bought your weird birthday cake ice cream.”

I smile at him. “Maybe tomorrow.”

I walk over to the bedroom, expecting to fall asleep easily, but I toss and turn until Nico comes to bed, wrapping me up in his arms. I’ve changed into a little nightie that I picked up at the store, and his fingers trail along the lace.

He hums against my hair, kissing the crown of my head, and then it’s easy to fall asleep, cradled in his arms.

* * *

Nico standsat the end of the bed, staring at me, the shadows in the dark room covering his face so that I can’t quite see him.

“What are you doing up?” I ask, yawning, stretching and sitting up. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” he mutters, and there’s something wrong with his voice, something liquid in his throat.

“Nico?” I call, suddenly afraid, suddenly cold all over, and I rub my hands along my arms to try and warm up. Instead, goosebumps pop out along my flesh.

“Go back to sleep. It’ll be easier that way,” he says, stepping closer to me, and when I look up into his face, the moonlight shines right on it.

Marco’s intense blue eyes look down at me instead of Nico’s sea green ones, but that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that his face has a line of blood trailing from his forehead, just like Bruno’s, blood filling one blue eye.

“Just close your eyes,” he says, his voice still liquid with all the blood. “It’ll be over soon.”

I wake up screaming bloody murder, and this time I can’t hide it from Nico because he has to put his arms around me just to calm me down.

I’m trembling all over.

“What happened?Principessa,what’s wrong?” he asks.

“A dream,” I breathe, gasping for air. “Bad dream.”

He frowns, looking at me. “Have you been having these bad dreams the whole time?”

I nod slowly, looking up at him with what have to be wide, scared eyes.

“You never woke me up,” he accuses.

“I didn’t want to bother you,” I whisper.

Nico pulls me closer, and I bury my face in his chest. “You’re never a bother to me,” he says fiercely.

“I’m always upset, always crying,” I sob against his chest. “You always have to take care of me. I didn’t want you to have to all the time.”

I don’t tell him that I don’t want to be a burden, that I want to be fun and light and for him to fall in love with me, but that’s all true, too.

I’m choking on my own sobs and Nico pulls away, looking down into my face.

“Look at me,principessa,”he commands, and I won’t do it, so he takes one hand and cups my chin, forcing me to look at him like he did the night my whole life changed. “You’re safe. I’ve got you,” he promises.

I take in a deep breath through my nostrils to calm down, blowing out through my mouth. Nico breathes slowly with me, and eventually, I begin to calm down and stop shaking. Nico draws me back into his arms and I feel exhausted, like I haven’t slept in days, and I guess it’s from all the nightmares.

“Wake me up any time you have a bad dream,” he murmurs. “I’m here to keep you safe, even from your own memories.”

My heart aches at his sweet words, and I nuzzle up against his chest. I think I’ll never be able to get to sleep, but between his strong arms, broad chest, and the sound of his heartbeat, I manage to drift off easily.

10

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