Thirty: The 'Dirty'

Gabriel had snuck out before I woke up the next morning, leaving me nothing more than a text to inform me that he doubled my security and that I had nothing to worry about. Oh, and that he loved me. I would never grow tired of hearing or reading those words from him.

What he didn't understand was that my concern wasn't for myself. It was for my family. It was for him. It was for his people. It felt like a bad omen. As if there was something about to happen that I needed to prepare for. I just didn't know what it was.

Elena was sitting on the couch when I stumbled down the stairs in a groggy haze. While I slept, it was not a quality slumber. Throughout the night, or rather, early morning, I continuously woke up with the need to reassure myself that Gabriel was still there.

He was like my comfort blanket. A very big and heavy comfort blanket. Whether it was his way of cuddling or if he just preferred to lay on his stomach and my small bed didn't leave him enough room, I found myself s