ｃｈｒｙｓｓｉｅ

Chryssie was confused.

Pressing her cheek against the cold glass, she listened to the drizzle outside. It was only when lightning lit up the night sky that she backed away from the window, averting her eyes from the growing storm outside.

She could barely remember her life before Grayson. It seemed like it had been an eternity at least, maybe longer. She couldn't help but wonder what she was missing - probably just petty gossip.

She sighed when she realised that her former friends were probably just using her disappearance as a reason to direct attention upon themselves.

She never could understand why she had been friends with them in the first place. They had been so mean. Pulling her hair, claiming that she fancied boys she didn't with the sheer motive of embarrassing her, even stealing her books so that she would get in trouble with her teachers.

But despite their cruel behaviours, Chryssie felt sympathy towards them. Karma was going to knock them all on their arses.

Just like Rae.

She shuddered at the thought of the jewel-eyed menace. Some dark part of her was happy that Rae was dead and gone. It was almost satisfying, the way that karma had hit the egotistical maniac so hard.

And then Chryssie was horrified with herself for thinking like that. Maybe she was the one that deserved the karma.

Then she heard it.

At first, she thought that she had been imagining it. But no. It was too real to be imagined.

For a moment, she thought that she could just ignore it, but then the curiosity flooded her veins. She crept across the bedroom, out into the hallway. Her feet creaked on the old floors, and the pained moans grew louder as she drew closer to the door.

Slowly, she pushed the door open to see Grayson, feverish and groaning in his sleep, tangled up in blankets.

"I didn't - I didn't - FUCK!" he shouted, suddenly jerking awake, breathing heavily. His fingernails were dug deep into his palms as his hands shook uncontrollably. Chryssie winced even seeing it.

His gaze landed on Chryssie, and she could see the rage in his eyes mixed with horror. Such a beautiful green, marred by such ugly emotions.

"What is it?" he demanded, his voice sharp. He seemed almost ashamed of himself, but was quick to hide any evidence from her.

Every single nerve in Chryssie's body was telling her to run, yet she took a cautious step forward. "I couldn't sleep."

Her heart beat quickly when he didn't respond right away.

Maybe curiosity really did kill the cat.

~

Grayson was mortified by his own emotions.

He hated showcasing vulnerability. He was not weak. He was strong, he was always strong. Strong people didn't wake up shaking from nightmares to have witnesses. They didn't wake up shaking from nightmares at all.