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I get up, knowing it’s useless to stay in bed while I can’t sleep.
If I get up and expend a bit of energy, I might feel a bit more like passing out once I get back to bed.
I leave the bedroom, heading straight for the kitchen.
The blinds are open in the room, and the moon is full tonight.
That’s probably a bad thing for emergency services. I’ve heard ambulances in the near distance several times tonight. That’s not unusual for a weekend, but Thursday nights are usually calmer.
Not tonight.
If it wasn’t for everything else, I might feel tempted to blame my restlessness on the moon.
I don’t doubt that it has a strange affect on some people, but I know that’s not what’s keeping me awake.
Opening the fridge, I take out a bottle of water.
If I can’t sleep, I’ll run.
My pyjamas are basically lightweight sweatpants and a t-shirt. All I need to do is put on the sneakers I keep next to the treadmill. I close the fridge door and move back into the main living area of the apartment. My bedroom is next to the kitchen, and the hallway door that leads to the backstairs.
Echo and Spencer share a room on the other side of the kitchen, and they share a bathroom with Toshi whose bedroom used to be a storage space. Now, my personal files on Anchor West and Harlan are in a fireproof cabinet in the file room downstairs. The shared living space takes up the rest of the apartment, and makes it feel spacious.
I have my treadmill in the left corner, near the window so I have a view out over the city while I’m running. Spencer’s treadmill is close to mine. He doesn’t use it as often, but sometimes we run together.
The couch, armchairs and TV take up a good bit of space in the middle of the room, with the dining room table and chairs pushed into the right corner closest to Toshi’s bedroom door. It’s rare that the table is used for eating. Usually, Toshi and Echo use it to play card games when there’s nothing worth watching on TV, and they don’t have hours to spend on one of their X-Box game campaigns.
I’m tying my laces when I hear the door opening.
Toshi walks into the room and double takes when he realizes I’m in my armchair.
“Oh … Hey …” he starts, clearly shocked that I’m not in bed like usual.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I explain quickly. “I’m going for a run.”
“Oh, right. Cool.” He nods as he heads toward his room. “Well … good night.”
“Night,” I tell him, wondering if he was acting a little oddly or just being his usual occasionally jittery self. In the end, I shrug it off as I head over to my treadmill. If he wanted to talk about whatever’s bothering him, he would talk.
I tug open the blind at the window I have a view out of, and I get on the machine.
Hopefully, the physical exertion will do the trick and help me get to sleep.
Chapter Forty-Two
Leanne
Toshi leaves the office, and Spencer comes toward Echo and I, looking a little dazed. He rubs a hand over his face and then runs both through his hair. He takes in a breath and shakes his head.
“I had no fucking idea he was ready for this,” he admits.
“None of us did,” Echo tells him. “I mean, besides Leanne.”
“How did you know? You’ve known us for a day.” Spencer looks like he can’t believe it.
“I asked him about it when you guys were gone,” I admit. “There was just this vibe that was a little off, I guess.”
“He always felt unsure whenever I started trying to talk to him about fated mates,” Echo murmurs.
