Avenging You

Chapter 29

Parker

Hunter plagues my nights.

It’s been a week since he started, and I’ve gotten very little sleep. I always have to have either AJ or Ryan with me when I sleep and if I ever fall asleep without them then Hunter torments me. Sometimes he wants to talk, other times he shows me images of Ashton’s death or Nikki’s or Bella’s and then he tells me that this is everyone’s fate if I don’t surrender.

I can see that AJ is getting really worried about me, but even he is getting burnt out having to use his powers so frequently with him. It breaks my heart that he has to try to protect me, but at the same time it’s really sweet seeing how much he wants to keep me safe.

I love how much he wants to protect me it is so sweet watching him get so protective.

Lately, when Ryan and I go outside to talk it ends up with me falling asleep in his lap and he spends at least an hour being in my head and protecting me from Hunter. Sometimes he does it longer and other times he falls asleep too and then the protective wall falls, and Hunter comes to me.

I don’t understand how Hunter even has the ability to keep doing this. Surely, he is just as exhausted as I am. But my guess is because I injured him that he is unable to attack in person so he’s trying to make me mentally weak so when he does a real attack then I’ll be too exhausted to fight back.

I feel Ryan stroking my hair and he says, “Close your mind, Parker.”

I take a deep breath trying to relax and focus on the sound of Ryan’s heartbeat. I’m lying on his chest in my room- everyone knows we’re in here because I need to get some sleep and so does AJ. Anytime AJ goes to bed with me he says he can sense the gray in my head, and he is unable to go to sleep without getting rid of it.

Most nights I’m going to bed with Ryan while AJ takes Ryan’s bed out there with Skye so he can get some sleep without my energy interrupting him.

After a moment passes, I say, “I don’t get it.”

He chuckles and says, “Parker…”

“Don’t ‘Parker’ me.”

He sighs and repositions and touches my face and I look up into his blue eyes. He caresses my cheek and says, “I’m going to keep you safe, Parker.”

I sigh, “I know, Ryan, I don’t question your ability to protect my mind. I just don’t understand what the point of this is.”

He grumbles, “The guy’s sadistic, Parker, there is no point.”

I shake my head disagreeing with him as I say, “There’s always a point when it comes to Hunter.”

We fall into silence and I close my eyes and focus on the sound of him breathing and his heartbeat. In these moments I can just feel our bond getting stronger.

Every night that we are together our relationship gets strong and it makes me wonder what would’ve happened if he had been with me and AJ all this time.

Right now, it’s past midnight and we are outside, and my head is in Ryan’s lap as he plays with my hair. He says, “Sleep Par, I’ll keep you safe.”

I take a deep breath, but don’t respond and force my eyes to close. I need to relax and get rest while I can because I’m sure Hunter will haunt me tonight the second that Ryan falls asleep.

Ryan

It’s been a week since the attack.

Hunter is entering Parker’s head anytime she falls asleep and she’s getting very little sleep. I’m doing everything I can to help her. It’s been about two days and we started having me sleep in the same bed as her because anytime AJ slept with her, he never could rest because the second Hunter entered her head, he would have to use his powers to push him out.

I’m proud of the little guy because he doesn’t ever complain about it. But it is obvious the toll it is taking on him to constantly have to push himself to use his powers.

Since we’ve started our relationship we have settled into a pretty good routing. During the day we are strictly platonic, so we never try to sneak kisses or anything like that. It’s not worth AJ finding out before we’re ready for him to.

I know he wants something to happen and I know that he thinks us staying the night together will help develop something, so we have to work hard to stay neutral in front of him.

We had been meeting outside of the bunker at night, but with how exhausted Parker is now all our time is spent with me protecting her.

I don’t mind it I just enjoy getting to be in her presence, but there are times she complains that we aren’t even being a couple because I’m having to protect her and watch her sleep all the time.

I can’t help but laugh when she says that. I know it’s not romantic, but our relationship isn’t really normal. We already know pretty much everything about one another so it’s not like there’s a ‘getting to know you’ phase.

She stirs in my arms and I kiss her head and watch as she immediately relaxes and has a small smile on her face.

I really think I’m falling in love with her. But I want to give her more time.

I know she needs more time.

Yet… I still could’ve sworn she said she loved me last week. But she was really tired I’m sure she didn’t know what she was saying.

I take a deep breath and keep playing with her hair. It’s become a habit of mine while I guard her mind and it seems to keep both of us calm.

Hopefully she’ll get enough rest tonight and we can start planning our next steps tomorrow.