"No!"
Charlotte Thompson startled awake in her bed, eyes flying open.
Outside, the soft morning light was seeping in, casting a fragmented shadow through the glass; it danced before Charlotte's eyes, leaving her dizzy.
It felt as though her vision was still a vivid red.
"What happened?"
Justin Battleson pulled Charlotte into his arms, finding her complexion slightly off and his gaze filled with concern.
He held onto Charlotte's relatively cold fingers, offering what comfort he could.
It took Charlotte a while to find her voice.
"I'm fine, just a... a bad dream..."
She pressed her hand against her eyes, her voice laced with exhaustion.
"Probably just due to working too much recently."
Charlotte brushed the incident off with a vague excuse, not wanting to discuss it further.
Justin Battleson's brows furrowed tightly. He didn't press her when he saw her reluctance to talk.
He planted a kiss on top of Charlotte's head before standing and heading out.