Counting Sheep

Hello, hello everybody! I am back. I am sorry I was gone for so long, but I had a really REALLY REALLY horrible flare up. I lost pretty much all and any energy and to be honest, I was in so much pain and so miserable that I didn't even want to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Its been really difficult lately, but I think I am slowly but surely coming out of this seemingly neverending flare up--THANK BAJEEZUS! So, thank you for being so calm, so patient and so supportive. I know I say it a lot, but it is so true. You are all just so wonderful and I am so lucky to have you guys! This chapter is a little bit longer just to make up for my absence and I am planning on the schedule to go back to normal! I will keep you all updated. I love you, so so much. XOXO -Hannah<3

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CHAPTER 23: Slowly the dark gauzy veil of sleep lifted itself from Layla's mind, making her eyes flutter open to reveal the walls washed in the radiant golden light of morning.

The sound of birds chirping their morning melody could be heard from outside, gracing her mind with tranquility-- along with the unmistakable knowledge that she hadn't had any night terrors.

For Layla, that was something.

Something that didn't happen often and during those rare times, she cherished each moment like it would be her very last taste. Turning her cheek to rest on the cool pillow, her gaze came to rest on Julian who still lay beside her.

She greedily took advantage of the fact that his eyes were closed, taking in every detail of his face and committing it to memory like a fine painting that you'd only get to see once in your life.

His face, though rough and rugged, was the epitome of beauty to her and the rough and rugged edges only made him that much more attractive.

She wanted to trace the line of his lips with her own, wanted to kiss away the dark memories that so readily haunted him as though they were ghosts hovering above him even now.

This man, somehow, had broken through the prison walls she had surrounded herself in—picked the locks with unimaginable skill, bent the bars as though they would melt as soon as they were in his strong palms.

It wasn't possible was it?

How could it be that someone already so seemingly beyond repair also fix another who was also broken?

How could anyone still have that ability to pick up their shattered pieces only to try and fix someone else?

Shouldn't their first priority be to fix themselves?

Layla mentally shook her head as a soft smile curled the corners of her lips. She figured that true heroes would always choose to fix others before they fixed themselves, even if by the time they were done putting back together the other person they ran out of glue and the only option they had now was to stay in those same broken pieces that you had started as, the looming threat of those pieces being scattered by a simple breeze of memories or emotions to be lost forever so that you will never be whole again.

Layla wasn't blind, either.

She had always thought of Julian as her beautiful broken man and that hadn't changed just because he had finally given into the feelings that plagued them both.

In his sleep, Julian tightened the steel-like band of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he sighed with contentment.

Her heart clenched and in that moment she knew and she promised herself that she would heal him.

She would heal him whether it be slowly or softly.

She would heal him even if it took an eternity of trying.