I’m your fated mate?

LACIE POV: I wake up gasping for air and covered in sweat, quickly looking around my room to confirm I’m alone. Oh. It was just another nightmare. I shake my shoulders, trying to clear negative thoughts. “Chill Lace,” I tell myself, “No one’s here, you’re all good.” Laying back down I try to calm my breathing and nervous heart. Great. It’s gonna be another sleepless night. After my breathing settles, I turn over in my bed, glancing at the clock. 3:28am. Ugh. Of course it’s 3am, why would I expect anything different? Groaning, I sit up and stretch my arms out, cracking my neck like I always do to try and relieve my stress. Just one of the weird ticks that I have. Well, I might as well use the bathroom now that I’m awake. Walking to the bathroom door, I pause before opening it and listen carefully. It’s a silly habit, but I still always worry I’m not alone in the darkness... always scared of what’s behind the door. You can blame childhood trauma for that. Rolling my eyes at the irrational thoughts, I open the door and flip on the light to my small bathroom. Quickly, I do my business. While washing my hands in the sink I splash some of the cool water on my face and glance up. “Get a grip girl, you look like sh*t,”I whisper, taking in my blood shot eyes and the dark circles under them. I stare at my reflection for a minute, looking into bright green irises and scowl at the freckles scattered across my cheeks. I sigh. The nightmares always seem to get worse close to my birthday. They started when I was thirteen and it's always the same weird dream. Just a dark scary hallway with voices calling to me but that’s all I can ever remember. Not that I don’t have other nightmares through the year, but those are normal and I remember them. But these ones? They are different and I always have an uneasy feeling in my gut over them. Ugh! Why can’t I be normal? Sighing again, I shake my shoulders and turn off the bathroom light. After closing the bathroom door, my heart races as I scramble to my bed, back to the safety of my covers. I’m anxious for my eyes to adjust back to the dim light. The darkness has been a fear of mine since I was a child, but that fear always gets worse when I have my nightmares. Call me what you want but I have no shame in keeping a nightlight in my room. Jumping back in bed, I snuggle deep into my covers and close my eyes tight. “Just nice and easy breaths, nice and easy,” I softly chant to myself, filling the dreadful silence. I look over by my clock and grab my phone that has been charging, scrolling through my playlist until I find the rain soundtrack I added years ago and press play. I snort, finding it ironic that it’s the 10-hour long version when its only ever made it to 4 hours before I have to turn it off and be a productive human being. I close my eyes and focus on the sound of the rain, taking nice calming breaths like my therapist taught me. Soon, I drift off to sleep once more. --- --- --- --- --- I wake up to the sound of my alarm. Oh yay. It’s 5:30am. Time to start my day. I’m still groggy as I search for my phone. It slid down the side of the bed, but I can hear it still playing the rain from last night. I sit up and stretch my arms above my head, so far that I see black spots flicker through my vision, and crack my neck again. Standing up I slightly tilt off balance, the black spots coming back. That’s anemia for you. I roll my eyes and walk to my dresser, rummaging through until I find my favorite black bra and a black pair of underwear to match. I step over to the bathroom and close the door, locking it behind me. I check the handle once more to be certain it’s locked before I undress. I turn the shower on cold so I don’t get lost in my thoughts and scrub my skin raw again, washing my curly hair and applying plenty of conditioner so it can be slightly more manageable. I dry off and wrap my hair in a towel, putting on my undergarments before cautiously walking back into my room to finish getting dressed. I know I’m home alone because Mom is still at work, but I always have that panicked feeling while I’m alone, as if someone will attack me at any moment. I shake my shoulders as I search my closet for my favorite jeans and a black tank top before I sit at my vanity. My room may not be the biggest in the world, but I do like how I can fit my grandmother’s vanity and dresser that she had passed down to me in one corner, while still having room for my bed and desk on the other side. My mom's parents were always very nice and helped raise me since my mom had me so young. When they passed I got some of the things from their house and the memories that came with them are always pleasant. I look at my reflection and pull my hair out of the now damp towel. Wet tresses fall down my shoulders and back. I smile to myself, happy it’s finally getting long again as it almost reaches the middle of my back. I rake the comb through my curly brown hair, trying to get the tangles out, then up it goes in a high pony tail. “Swear these curls cause me more trouble than good. Well, that’s as good as you’re gonna get, sis. Just leave it alone before it gets frizzy,” I admonish myself. I scowl at my image in the mirror, noticing all the imperfections of my face. Why do I have to look the way I do? Compared to others, I’m nothing to write home about. Brown curly hair, green eyes. Tall muscular build. My skin tan and freckled from all the time spent outside at the ranch. I win in the curves area with my large breasts and wide hips but that’s about it. I glance at the picture of me and Mom hugging and making silly faces. It makes me smile. Looking at us, you would never think we were related. Mom has a petite slender body with golden blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. She was only seventeen when she had me so we look more like best friends than mother and daughter. I shake my shoulders and crack my neck. Time for a bit of mascara and my signature black liner before putting on my socks and boots. I glance at my phone when I grab it off the charger. 6:17am. “Damn it!” I growl, hurrying out of the room. My stupid pity party this morning is making me run behind and I can’t get to the stables late again. I run downstairs into the kitchen and stand there a moment to think up my game plan. Not having time to cook breakfast, I rummage in the fridge and grab a couple pieces of lunch meat, stuffing them into my mouth, I find a peach as well. I work on that while I search the kitchen, gathering all my stuff for work and shove it into my backpack. Mom walks in the door just then and kicks her shoes off. “Lacie, why haven’t you left yet? I thought you were worried about Daisy,” she says as she comes up beside me and gives me a hug. I smile, returning the hug while I finish chewing a mouthful of peach. “I didn’t sleep well. You know how it is,” I mumble as I shrug my shoulders. She gives me a sideways glance but shakes her head and walks to the fridge. She knows how bad my nightmares can get. Unfortunately she can’t help them, no one can, not even therapists so we kinda just leave it be. “Well, tell the Langleys I said hi. I’m gonna go head to bed after I eat, I’m pulling an extra shift tonight because the ER has been so understaffed recently.” “Don’t overdo it Momma Bear, they might be understaffed but you need to have a life too,” I say as I kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you later. Love you to the moon!” “Love you too Baby Bear,” she says quietly with a tired look in her eye. I grab my favorite baseball cap off the rack, snag my keys, and I’m out the door. I jog to the carport to my old white truck. It was a gift from the Langleys for my 21st birthday. It was their old one, but hey it was new to me! Hopping in I take a deep breath through my nose taking in the scent of alfalfa and horse manure. Some find it gross. I find it soothing. I throw my truck into reverse and head out to the ranch.