Coincidence.

Bailey

I startle awake by a scream and it takes me a second to realise where I am and that scream was coming from Eli. I head to the living room and turn on the lights to find him laying on the couch, tossing and turning as he keeps mumbling 'No, no, no'

A nightmare.

I debate waking him but I know sometimes it's not best to wake someone up mid-nightmare so I head to the kitchen and pour a glass of water. He lets out another scream and this one pierces through my heart and I can't take it anymore, grabbing the glass of water I head back to the living room and put it on the coffee table before gently shaking him "Eli."

He continues tossing and screaming so I put more effort into shaking him until eventually his eyes snap up and he immediately sits up. I frown as I rake a hand through his hair that's a bit wet of his sweat "It was just a nightmare, baby."

He lets out a long sigh and rubs his eyes "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't, I couldn't sleep at all." I grab the glass of water before he could see the lie on my face and pass it to him "Drink this"

"Thank you"

I watch as he downs the water before asking "What was it about?"

He shakes his head "I don't want to talk about it right now." I try not to feel offended that he doesn't want to speak to me but to some degree, I get it. He glances toward the clock and I follow his eyes. 2:57. "You should head back to the room and get some sleep."

I should but I cannot for the life of me find it in me to leave him right now. I ask softly "Do you want to sleep in bed with me?"

His eyes snap to mine "No that's fine. I'm good here."

"I insist, Eli."

He stares at me for a moment before nodding. He gets up, follows me to the room and we both get in bed in utter silence with a respectful gap between us. I lay on my side facing him while he lays on his back and even through the darkness I can see him staring at the ceiling. Or maybe I'm just imagining it.

"It was about my mother." He says after a while of silence

"What about her?" I ask gently.

He sighs "How she died. I was there when it happened."

I reach out in the darkness and take his hand into mine "Tell me what happened, Eli."

He turns around until he's facing me, still letting me hold his hand "Twelve years ago I had just graduated from college but I was so pissed that my mom didn't show up. Nobody did." He scoffs "It was a given that my dad wouldn't be there, I haven't heard from him ever since he took my powers and left. But it hurt not seeing my mom in the stands." I frown and squeeze his hand letting him know that I'm listening "I speeded home to give her a piece of my mind but when I got there my house was up in flames and the neighbours were standing there." His voice cracks and my heart breaks for him but I let him continue talking "How could they just stand there while I could hear her yelling from inside the house? I tried getting inside but the doors were locked, I couldn't even kick it down. I kept trying to get her out until her screaming just…stopped."

I blink away tears and swallow "I'm so sorry, Eli."

"I'm the one that's sorry that I couldn't get her out."

"It's not your fault." I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around him and bring his head to my chest as I repeat "It's not your fault."

"It feels like it is my fault." He says and I can hear the sadness in his voice "Her screams still haunt me, even in my sleep."

"I can't imagine how awful that must be. Did they find out what started the fire?"

"No."

"Oh, I'm deeply sorry." I close my eyes as I press a kiss to his head "If I could take away your misery and make it my own then I would."

"Nonsense, I would never want you to be in misery" he lays down on top of me and I wrap my arms tighter around him, holding him close to me as possible. He buries his face in my neck and lets out a satisfied hum "I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm glad to be here." I start massaging his scalp with one hand while my other hand rubs his back and suddenly something dawns on me.

12 years ago. House in flames.

I frown as I ask "What date did that happen, my love?"

"August 12th." My heart starts pounding in my chest and because he's lying on top of me, he can feel it. "What's the matter?"

"That's the same day my parents died."

He lifts his head from my neck to look down at me in the darkness "Yeah but you said you're the reason the house went up in flames."

"Right." I say but frown when I remember my mom's words when I did The Great Beyond ritual.

'I'm the one who made the fire bigger'

"It can't be." I mutter softly

"What?" Eli asks as he hops off me and turns on the light.

I sit up "When I was in the afterlife my mother said and I quote 'You may have started the fire but I was the one who made it bigger' which I didn't understand and I quite frankly still don't understand."

His eyebrows shot up "Well, shit. Do you think my mother was the one who started the fire too? Perhaps using her powers as well."

"I don't know, I don't want to assume."

"But it could be."

I nod in agreement "It could be. But I don't understand why they would do that? Killing themselves? That's a bit drastic."

"Well it's definitely not a coincidence that both our houses went up in flames the exact same day, the same year too."

I get out of bed and starts pacing around the room before I gasp and turn to him "Do you think it could have something to do with the sisterhood?"

He raises an eyebrow "What do you mean?"

"Our mom's had the same necklace which meant they were a part of the same sisterhood but I remember a while before she died, my mom stopped wearing it."

He tilts his head slightly "Mine too."

"Another coincidence?"

He shakes his head "Can't be. It's obvious the two are connected but how exactly."

I snap my fingers "My mom told me to look into the box I have and I found an address with a key. The chances that that's the key to the house is pretty high right now and I plan to go there tomorrow."

"I'm going with you." He says immediately.

"What? No, you don't need to."

"But I am." He steps closer to me and cups the back of my neck as I look up at him "I'm not letting anything happen to you, angel."

I smile "Angel?"

"Yeah, the kindest soul I've ever come across" he leans his face closer to mine "Do you like it?"

I hum "I love it."

"Good." He kisses me quickly "I'm going with you tomorrow and that's final."

"Alright."

He pats my ass "Now get in bed, I want to hold you."

I huff out a laugh "I didn't know you were the cuddling type"

"I'm not." He says as we get back into bed before wrapping his arms around me in a protective embrace and I sigh in contentment knowing I'm safe right here, right now. "Thank you, Bailey for you know…listening."

"No need to thank me, I'll always be here if you want to talk. I'll always be here, period."

"Perfect because I never want you to leave."

I hum as he presses a kiss to my head as he tangles his legs with mine. I never want to leave.