Shelly PoV
I smiled as Toren ate his mac and cheese in peace. He was finally back to his usual self. It was dumb of me to have taken him out.
Damien told me not to blame myself and that it was his idea to go out, but it was my responsibility to keep him safe and happy. I should've known better. But, at least, it was a learning experience. I'll just have to be more careful next time, and stick to quieter places.
"Rawr!" Toren shouted. "Me want more!"
I giggled and ruffled his hair. "Okay, okay. You can have mine."
Toren hummed. "Sis not eating?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm not hungry. Go ahead and eat it. But don't eat too fast, you'll get a stomach ache."
Toren hummed and ate his food as if nothing happened earlier.
"Sis, when can we go out again? Me had fun today! Except for the last part," Toren said.
I sighed. "We'll go out again, sweetie. But not right now. Let's just enjoy our dinner, okay?"
He nodded and continued to eat. I smiled. At least he wasn't scared off of going outside. That would have been a problem.
As we finished our meal, Toren yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"Tired, little Dino?" I asked.
Toren nodded. "Yep. Me wanna go to bed." He smiled. "Lullaby?"
I smiled. "Sure, sweetie. Let's go to bed and I'll sing you a lullaby."
I tucked him into the big fancy bed and sang to him until his breathing grew heavy. I stroked his hair as he fell asleep, his face peaceful and calm. I smiled and kissed his forehead. "Good night, sweetie."
I laid my head on my pillow and stared up at the ceiling. It was dark, and I could barely see anything, but I didn't mind. I liked the darkness. It was peaceful, like a blanket that wrapped around me. I felt safe in the dark. I felt like nothing could hurt me. But I couldn't shake this feeling that something bad was going to happen. It was like a knot in my stomach.
We were still in the lion's den, and I didn't know who we could trust.
But, for now, I was just going to relax and try to get some rest. I needed it.
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But my mind was racing. I kept thinking about Toren and how he was doing. Was he happy here? Did he miss our old life? He seemed to be adjusting well, but I couldn't help but worry.
Maybe I wad just projecting my own fears and insecurities onto him.
I sighed and rolled over, trying to get comfortable. But the bed was too big and the pillow was too soft. I just couldn't get used to it.
It's funny. My dream for so long had been to live in a big mansion with everything I could ever want. And now that I was here, it wasn't what I expected. Granted, the situation behind it all wasn't what I expected either, but that was beside the point.
This place was beautiful and luxurious, but it wasn't home. It didn't feel like home. I missed our small apartment and our small bed. I missed the sound of the cars driving by and the smell of the city. I missed the noise and the chaos. I missed the familiarity. I missed home.
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I yawned and stretched as I got out of bed. It was still dark out, and I couldn't tell what time it was, but I didn't care. I was still tired and didn't want to get up. But I had to. Toren was still sleeping next to me, and I didn't want to wake him. So, I got up quietly and made my way to the balcony. Cassian was in the garden again, sneaking around. What the heck is he doing at this time of night?
I watched him as he walked around the garden, his hands in his pockets, his eyes darting around. He seemed nervous, and I wondered what he was up to. Did he go to another late night party? His steps were steady, so I didn't think he was drunk this time.
He stopped by the pool and looked around. He seemed to be looking for something. What was he doing? I was tempted to go down and ask him, but I didn't want to get caught. So, I just watched him.
He took a deep breath and took his shirt off, throwing it on the ground. What the heck was he doing?! He was gonna swim at this time of night? And without proper trunks, too?!
I rolled my eyes and was about to go back to bed, when I saw him take his pants off and throw them on the ground, too. Now he was just in his boxers. I blushed and looked away, but couldn't help but sneak another peak. His back was muscular, his butt was perky, and his legs were toned. He was in great shape. I felt a stirring in my body and shook my head. No, Shelly. You're not going to ogle him. He's a jerk, remember?
I looked away and decided to go back to bed. But then, I heard a splash. What if he drowned? I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I went back to the balcony and looked down. He wasn't drowning, but he wasn't swimming either. He was just floating in the pool, staring up at the sky. He looked so serene and peaceful, like he was in his own world. I watched him, my heart pounding. I don't know why, but I felt like a creep. Like I was intruding on something private. Like I was watching something I shouldn't be watching.
And then, he started moving, swimming laps around the pool. His body moved through the water gracefully, like a dancer. As embarrassing as it was to say, I was mesmerized. I couldn't look away.