Eleven

Ruby

I could hear muffled voices through the darkness around me, but I was comfortable. I didn’t want to give in and wake up. I wanted to remain asleep, swaddled in the warmth around me.

I wanted to tell the voices to be quiet, but my eyes cracked open regardless. The talking around me stopped. I groaned as I swallowed. My tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth and I sat up, rubbing at my temples.

“You’re awake.”

No shit, can I go back to sleep?

That’s what I wanted to ask Xavier, but I remained quiet. The moment I had opened my eyes I remembered some of what had happened. I just wasn’t sure if everything I remembered was from reality or a dream. I inhaled deeply and swung my legs off the sofa to curl my toes on the cool marble floor, my eyes wandering from Xavier to Mathieu. Xavier was standing beside the chair Mathieu was sitting in. Mathieu crossed his legs, his steady eyes watching my every move.

I preferred sleeping forever over facing what I’m about to. “What di