Chapter 11: Stay With Me

-Ronan-

I don't know how long I spend on the bed, holding Ara as she drifts off to an uneasy sleep. It's been so long since I've rested with someone that there's something comforting in having a warm body next to me.

In a way, not sleeping is a blessing and a curse.

Getting in the mindset to rest, to really shut myself down and relax my mind, has always been difficult for me. And humans do it effortlessly. They have to sleep, or they die.

After one or two hours, Arabella's breathing finally slows down and her eyelids flutter, which means she's finally in deep sleep.

I slide my arm out from under her, and I freeze when I feel her arm press down on my chest.

"Stay with me," she mumbles, still completely asleep. "I don't wanna be alone. There's pancakes."

I laugh, realizing she's dreaming, but it also makes me wonder who she's dreaming of. In her head, she's asking someone to stay for breakfast.

There's so much I don't know about her yet.

And why shou