Chapter 79 - Why do you take them?

They hugged for a long while, each listening to the other's breaths, different thoughts racing in their minds. Nicklaus didn't want to let her go but he knew that her legs would start aching if she continued standing, so he reluctantly let her go.

Tiana's lids which were already groggy fluttered open, and she looked at him;

''Let's go to bed. ''

Nicklaus spoke tenderly at her and the sleep that were already clouding her gaze, disappeared instantly.

Go to where?

Her eyes glanced at the bed nervously as her fingers clutched around something and she realized that she was still holding onto Nicklaus shirt. Quickly, she dropped her hands to her side.

She knew that she shouldn't sleep on the couch anymore since they were now in 'good' terms, but at that moment, she couldn't pretend that she wasn't nervous or afraid.

Nicklaus noticed her uneasiness and smiled;

''don't worry, nothing that is going on in your mind would happen, okay? ''

Tiana's eyes lifted to him in surprise;

Does it mean that he wouldn't touch her?

''I won't touch you against your will, and I won't let you sleep on the couch either. You may sprain your neck and I don't want that. ''

Nicklaus concluded, his soft gaze watching her;

Tiana didn't know what to think but at that moment, she believed him, every single word from his lips, she found herself believing as though he had cast a spell on her.

''Okay. '' She nodded and let him hold her hand as they walked to the bed.

Nicklaus watched her lie down on the left side of the bed before lying down after her. They were a few feet apart from each other, but Nicklaus did not mind, as long as she was staying on the bed with him.

Just when he lay on the bed, he remembered that he had not taken his pills so he sat back up. Tiana lay on her side as she peered at him. Nicklaus sat down, pulling the drawer open, he poured a few white pills onto his hand threw them into his mouth, after which he drank from the bottled water on the table.

Tiana watched him close the drawer and lie back down on the bed. His eyes were closed as he faced the ceiling; he had an elbow over his forehead, his chest heaving lightly. She had seen him take those pills multiple times. Was he really unable to sleep well at night? ''

He was quiet, but Tiana knew that he wasn't sleeping. Although she knew it was personal and she really didn't care about it, she still wanted to know why and what made him take sleeping pills every night.

''Those pills, why do you take them? ''

Her voice was soft but Nicklaus heard her clearly. His body tensed as his eyes fluttered open. He didn't like to talk about his fears but if he wanted her to trust him, then he would have to open up to her.

Tiana waited for his reply, but Nicklaus gaze just stared at the ceiling, not saying a single word, and Tiana felt that she had crossed the line.

''I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that, I was just worried that it could be bad for your health…

''I can't sleep without them. ''

Her words stopped at the tip of her lips when she heard him, her eyes widening unbelievably.

''You mean that if you don't take them, you can't sleep at all? ''

She was baffled; she didn't know that he had such disability.

''Yeah. '' Nicklaus replied. He lay on his side as he peered at her surprised face.

''And even when I take them, my sleep is always a nightmare. I've not had a decent sleep in years. ''

Nicklaus completed, making Tiana's eyes widen in worry.

''My God! That's heart wrenching. ''

She exclaimed, her face scrunching up, as she imagined what he must be going through.

''What made you this way, were you born like that? '' She asked again, unable to curb her curiosity.

Nicklaus thought for a moment, then he smiled;

''I wasn't born this way, but I would tell you some other time, okay? ''

He replied and closed his eyes; ''Lets sleep now. ''

Tiana observed his expression for a while, then she looked away. Maybe he wasn't ready to talk about it yet, and she would not force him either, but that didn't stop her from wondering what must have taken away his sleep.

Was it what made him cold too?

She wondered as she closed her eyes; slowly drifting off to sleep.

Nicklaus eyes fluttered open after a while, his gaze falling on her features. He never believed that she would lay down beside him some day. Although they were a few feet apart from the other, it still coursed warmness through his heart. He didn't want to tell her everything at once. It would be too overwhelming for her and he wasn't ready yet. That was his darkest past, and he wanted to tell her at the perfect time.

He watched her for a long while, resisting the urge to reach over and touch her.

After a while he closed his eyes to sleep;

Tiana rolled around the bed normally when she slept; so in the middle of the night, she had rolled over to his side. As she neared him, his scent wafted into her nostrils, making her inch closer to what was generating the alluring scent. Shifting closer once more, her body touched Nicklaus. She pulled her head closer until her nose rubbed against his chest, and she stopped.

A smile slanted her lips as his scent calmed her nerves.

Nicklaus forgot what it felt like to have a decent sleep. His mind was never at rest while he slept, and that night it was the same, it was as though his mind struggled with his body while he slept. He was never truly asleep, because his thoughts were awake, but the drug forces his body to shut down. But strangely, in the night, he felt something he had never felt in ages.