All Chapters of Wrapped The Bully Around My Fingers: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

I was abruptly awakened by the jolting movements of Lucas as he became ensnared in the grasp of a nightmarish dream. I lifted my head, my eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room as I took in the sight of his tensed body and the sound of his soft moans. I felt a sharp pang of concern, and my hand instinctively reached out to touch his arm, trying to gently wake him up. As my fingers brushed against his skin, I could feel the cool sweat that had gathered on his brow and the fast beating of his heart. “ Lucas ” I called out gently, I could hear his faint gasp and soft murmurs. I leaned in closer to him, trying to hear him more clearly. “ Rosie.. ” “ Rosie.. I love you, I love you! ” My hand paused on his arm, my entire body freezing in shock. I sat back in stunned silence, my eyes wide and my heart clenching in my chest. The name "Rosie" echoed in my head, a stark reminder of the fact that he was still carrying a torch for her, even in his dreams. I felt a wave of hurt and betr

The kiss left me wrecked. Pearl’s mouth on mine was fire and fury and forgiveness, and when we broke apart, I barely remembered how to breathe. Her hands were still clutching my shirt like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hold on or push me away. I didn’t move. Neither did she. We just stood there, caught in the silence we’d both been avoiding for too long. Then, slowly, she let go. We sat on the edge of couch, side by side. Not touching. Not speaking. The kind of quiet that only exists after you’ve torn each other open. My chest rose and fell, too fast. Too hard. Like something was climbing its way up from beneath my ribs. Pearl said nothing. She didn’t need to. That’s when it started. First—the cold. It snuck in through the walls like mist. I blinked, and the light in the room dimmed. Pearl didn’t react. She sat, steady and warm beside me, like she didn’t notice the shift. But I did. I always do. My fingers curled into my knees. No. Not now. The hai

The quiet stretches, but it’s different now. Less empty. Less like the space between us is a wall I can’t break down. His hand is still under mine, his skin warm but tense, like he's waiting for something. His thumb brushes against my fingers, slow, almost unsure. “Pearl,” he says, his voice low, almost a whisper. “I don’t... I don’t know how to make this stop. I don’t know how to fix it.” I squeeze his hand gently, as if that’s enough to tell him I don’t need him to fix it. I don’t need him to have all the answers. “I don’t need you to fix anything, Lucas,” I say softly, watching him, seeing the way his eyes search my face like he’s looking for something—something familiar, something safe. I lean in just slightly, so our faces are close but not touching. “I just need you. Whatever this is, whatever you're feeling, I need you to be here. With me.” He looks at me, really looks at me for the first time in what feels like forever. The edges of his mouth twitch, almost like he’s

The next morning, I move like nothing happened. I pour coffee, feed Apollo, fold a blanket left on the couch. Lucas is in the shower, and I can hear the water running upstairs like white noise. Safe. Familiar. Grounding. But every now and then—just in the gaps between movements—I feel it again. The weight. Not heavy enough to drag me down, but just enough to notice. Like walking through air that's a little too still. Like forgetting what you were doing mid-sentence. Like something watching from the corners, but only when you don’t look directly. I tell myself I’m fine. And mostly, I am. But the dream clings. Not in vivid images—those faded as soon as I woke—but in texture. In the way I flinch when the kettle whistles. In the way I glance at the kitchen doorway without meaning to. In the way Apollo follows me from room to room, tail low, eyes tracking the corners of the ceiling as if he remembers too. I don’t tell Lucas. I make him breakfast. I brush my fingers throug

Apollo whined softly as I knelt beside him, his blue eyes watching me with quiet protest. His paw pressed against the doorframe like he understood what it meant—that he couldn’t follow me past this point. “I know,” I whispered, running a hand gently down the sleek curve of his back. “I don’t like it either. " He nuzzled my wrist, and I swallowed hard. “I’ll be back after classes, then we'll go back home, alright? You’ll be safe here.” My voice sounded too sure. Like I was convincing myself more than him. He tilted his head, ears flicking at some distant sound, but stayed close—refusing to move from the doorway. “I have to go,” I said, brushing my thumb just under his chin, where the fur was softer. “You know the rules. No panther cubs allowed in Elite Garden’s holy halls.” my phone ringed again, I looked down it was Lucas calling me. " yes, I am coming. ” That almost earned a huff from him. Almost. I smiled down at him. " it's your dad, the classes are going to start