The Architect Of My Heart ( A Seth Rollins Love Story)

40.

I jolted awake, gasping out loud, my heart pounding against my chest. No not again. It's not real. "Marlie? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Seth asks, sitting up and rubbing my back.

"It was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep." I tell him and get out of the bed to go get a glass of water from the kitchen. I walk to the cabinet, taking a glass out and shutting the door when I saw his shadow and dropped the glass.

"Marlana, what's wrong?" Seth asks as he enters the kitchen in nothing but his boxers. Worry written all over his face.

"I saw his shadow. Outside." I point and he looks between me and the door.

"Stay here." He tells me and I nod. He grabs an object by the door and walks outside. My heart slams against my chest. I bend down to pick up the glass but cut my finger when I hear the door slam shut. "Marlana be careful!" Seth shouts and lifts me up onto the counter and finishes picking up the glass. When he's finished, he grabs another glass and fills it with water before handing it to me. He stands against the island in the middle of the kitchen and crises his arms, watching me.

"What?" I ask him and he looks up at me concerned.

"How long has this been going on?" I feel his eyes on me while I stare down at my cup and shrug my shoulders. "Marlana. I can't protect you if you don't tell me the truth." He says sternly and I feel tears from in my eyes. I make the mistake of sniffling and he walks up to me and lifts my head up to look at him. "Don't cry darlin. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice like that." He rests his forehead against mine and runs his hands up and down my arms. "I just want to protect you. You seem really shaken up and you acted like this wasn't the first time you've experienced this."

"It's happened quite a few times. This is the first time it's happened while you were here." His eyes fill with guilt and I know he's going to blame himself.

"Why didn't you call me?" I shrug my shoulders and look down again. "You didn't want me to worry. That's why you didn't tell me, isn't it?" He asks and I nod my head. He stands there, silent. His thoughts running around in his head. I realized just then that I'm causing him more stress by not telling him.

He walks into the bedroom and I follow him. He makes up the bed and then goes to take a shower. These are the moments I hate. Where he doesn't speak. I break down crying in the bed. I hate that I'm like this. I close off and don't tell people when I'm hurting. He will leave me. Everyone does.

My head starts to pound and my eyes sting from crying so much. I try not to make sounds once he comes back into the dark room. He sits on the bed and the urge to cry starts again and I can't shut it off. I start sobbing again and I feel the bed dip and he pulls me into his chest.

"Why are you crying?" He asks and I start crying even harder and grab the front of his shirt. I ball it into my fist and start having a hard time breathing. "Calm down please." He whispers and kisses my forehead.

"P-p-please d-d-don't l-leave m-me. I'm s-sorry I d-d-didn't t-tell you." I hiccup and stutter out.

"Baby I'm not leaving you. I just needed time to think." I raise my head up and release his shirt. He sighs and wipes the tears off of my face. "I know this is hard for you but you have to understand that you hurting and suffering in silence kills me. Especially when I can't be home to protect you. If I could take all the pain away from you, I would. I just feel helpless and as you get closer and closer to giving birth to our child it scares me that something could happen. I just want what's best for you and our child and I have to figure out something to where I can do this. I thought maybe the house would help but I think you need to not be alone. I need the two of you to be close to me."

"I love you. I do love our house but I think you're right. I think we need to be together. Not hundreds of miles away from each other."

"I love you too and I will find a way to make this happen. I'm sorry I was silent. It's just if something were to happen to the two of you, I would never forgive myself."

"I know and I should have told you about this."

"You didn't want me to worry."

"True but you not knowing is more stress than if I did tell you."

"It really is. Let's promise each other to work together on these things."

"I promise."

"I promise." He presses his lips against mine softly. "I love you Marlana."

"I love you, Seth."