1.

ALORA

Someone was watching me.

His dark eyes and the unpleasant smile on his lips made me want to run. The kind where you removed your shoes and sprinted without looking back, but my legs wouldn't move.

"My doll," he called out to me. His voice had a disturbing raspy feel to it, almost like he had been screaming for a long time, and it made my skin crawl. "I'm coming for you, Alora. You belong to me."

Something about him felt familiar in a way I couldn't describe. Terrifyingly similar to something I couldn't point out. I hated how helpless I felt whenever I saw him, and my eyes prickled with frustrated tears.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice strangled with terror. I didn't know this man, nor did I understand why I was so terrified of him.

He said nothing but instead began to run towards me.

"Stop," I screamed, but he ignored me, cackling like a sinister character in a horror movie. "Don't come any closer," I cried, feeling my heart about to burst.

"Alora!" Someone yelled from a distance, but I was too terrified to look away. I struggled with my body, forcing it to move before he came closer.

"No!" I shrieked when his hands darted out, almost touching me. "Don't touch me."

"Ali!" The voice yelled again, and this time it sounded closer, louder, and more desperate.

Hands forced me into a sitting position as a blood-curdling scream tore past my lips. I thrashed blindly, scratching and pushing at the hands that tried to wrap around me.

"Fuck," the voice swore, "I got you, princess. I got you," Tristan whispered in my ear, his hands tightening their hold around me.

"Tris?" I asked with a small, shaky voice as I lifted my eyes to make sure it was my cousin and not the man from the nightmare with his arms around me.

"I'm here," he confirmed. "You are safe, princess. It was just a dream." He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, and my hold on him tightened.

I clung to Tristan, gulping big breaths while I trembled violently as I struggled to calm down. I felt another hand pat my hair gently and looked up to see my best friend, Ronan, looking at me with concern.

"Here," Ronan said after a while, handing me a glass of water and some pills.

I took them from him, drank the medicine and handed the empty glass back to him before leaning against Tristan again.

Ronan took a seat in front of me, his green eyes filled with worry. "Are you okay now?"

"Mhmm." I closed my eyes but opened them again before I could see the man from my nightmares.

"Are you sure you can resume classes tomorrow? You are a mess, Ali," Tristan said.

I pushed up into a sitting position, wiping the tears on my cheeks. "I'll be fine."

"Maybe you should take a week off," Ronan suggested. "It's college. No one's going to give you any hassle if you resume a week late."

I shook my head and glared at him. "No," I said firmly, "I have to start with everyone else. What use is starting over if I'm going to cower just before the starting line?"

It had been seven months since high school. Seven months since the bullying accident that forced me to lose over 50 kg. Three years since the mistake that almost ruined my life and an eternity since the whispers and nightmares that tormented me.

Tristan sighed. We've had this conversation a thousand times already. I knew he was worried, but I couldn't stop now. It would be much more difficult for me to start over again if I stopped now.

Tristan was more than my cousin on my mama's side. He was my brother. His parents died in an air crash when he was ten, so he was adopted by my parents.

"Ali, I know this is very important to you, but you have to consider your health." He took my hands, trying to convince me, "Why don't you consider going to school from home? The doctor..."

I yanked my hands from his and got to my feet. "I am not going to attend uni from home, Tris. I am fine," I insisted, glaring at him. "They are just nightmares, and I will overcome them."

"You've had those nightmares since you were a child. What makes you think it's going to go away in one day?" he snapped.

His words hurt more than I expected them to, but he wasn't wrong. "I'll be fine. I didn't push myself to the point of death to lose that much weight in a short amount of time so I could back down because of a stupid nightmare," I gritted out, pushing the numb feeling to the back.

"Ali, maybe you should listen to Tris. He..." Ronan tried to intervene, but I turned my glare to him.

"And then what?" I snapped. "You heard him. You know. I've had this since I was a fucking child. Should I stay home for the rest of my life until they decide to stop? What if it never stops?"

"Maybe we should leave tomorrow? We can still make it to practice," Ronan averted his gaze, turning to Tristan.

Tristan was a basketballer signed to a team in Manchester. He went pro last year and won Rookie MVP as well. He was able to convince his team to sign Ronan as well, and they were due at camp today.

Tristan, being stubborn, insisted he would help me move into the apartment I would be staying in throughout college.

"No," I refused, "I am not a child. I can take care of myself."

Tristan was not one to back down. His golden-brown eyes, like mine, peered at me intently, but I didn't waver and held his gaze.

I had always envied Tristan. For as long as I could remember, he was always the popular one in the middle of attention.

Tristan's 6'3 athletic build, thick curly hair, and tattoos scattered all over his body drew people to him like a magnet.

We were both a stark contrast to Ronan, who had pale skin, green eyes and blonde hair with a charming smile that made girls swoon.

Tristan sighed in defeat. He stood up and grabbed his backpack by the side of my bed and beckoned to Ronan to get up as well. "We've got to leave now if we don't want to miss our flight."

I broke out into a victorious grin, and he rolled his eyes.

"Are you coming with us?" Ronan asked, and I arched a brow.

"To the airport?" I asked.

I didn't mind going with them since the airport was close to my apartment, but I still had a lot to unpack before classes tomorrow.

"No," Tristan answered instead and pointed to my anxiety and panic disorder pill bottles in Ronan's hands. "You are out, and Mama Delani said to make sure you get them refilled."

"Mama said that?" I asked with disbelief. "I thought she didn't want me using them?"

Mama was against me using pills to manage my anxiety and panic disorders because she was scared that I might get addicted to them, which was ironic, as she was a doctor herself.

Tristan shrugged, "Pops managed to convince her to let you get them refilled since you'll be living alone now."

"Here," He handed me a prescription signed by both my mama and my personal doctor. "But she doesn't want you taking them unless it's absolutely necessary," he warned, giving me a knowing look as I snatched the prescription from him and tucked it into the back pocket of my shorts.

"Do you want us to drop you?" Ronan asked again, and I shook my head.

"I'll go alone so I can drive myself back," I answered, feeling better with the paper in my pocket.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?" Tristan asked again, and I rolled my eyes before I started pushing them towards the front door.

"Stay safe, Ali," Ronan said with a small smile and hugged me. "I'll miss you, so don't forget to text me every day, even if I'm too busy to reply."

"Promise," I pulled back and hugged Tristan, "Call me before you take off and after you land," I instructed and pushed them, then slammed the door in their faces.

"That spoilt brat," Tristan exclaimed with a dramatic gasp.

"As if that's not on you," Ronan scoffed. "Bye, Ali." He yelled through the door, and their footsteps began to fade as they walked away.

The smile on my face disappeared, and I sank to the floor, with my back to the door, and my hand found its way into my newly installed bohemian locs.

I pulled hard, hoping the pain would make me feel better. "I'll be fine. I made it this far."