Shadows stretched across the floor, while a strip of pink light stole past a heavy curtain.She didn’t recognize this place.Where—?
Oh!Kyle’s place.Oh no!
She pushed upright, her head fuzzy, before weariness quickly dragged her back down.Just a few more minutes of rest.A moment longer of shut-eye, then she’d be fine.
Her stomach rumbled, but her need for sleep was greater.So she closed her eyes.
When next sheawoke it was to hear the sound of sizzling.The scent of bacon, too.Was she still at Kyle’s?What time was it?
She felt around for her phone, but it was gone.A quick hunt and she found it had slipped down the crack of the couch, between two cushions, and was out of battery.Oh no.Now she really needed to know what time it was.
“Kyle?”
He appeared a second later.So this wasn’t a dream.“Hey there, sleepyhead.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s Tuesday morning.”
“What?”She sat upright, felt a wave of dizziness roll over her.Blinked to clear it.“I’m going to be late for work.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Huh?What do you mean?”
“You got the day off.”
“What?”She glanced at her dead phone.“I don’t.I’m sure of it.”
“You do.”
“Since when?”
“Since I called the hospital and said you were sick.”
“What?Why did you do that?I’m not sick.I’m tired, that’s all.”
“Sick and tired,” he corrected gently.“Gen, your work hours are making you stressed, and soon you will be so tired that it’s only a matter of time before you’re sick.”
“But… you can’t make that decision for me.”
“Gen, I tried to wake you, but you refused to stir.That tells me something.”
“That’s only because your couch is so comfortable.”She frowned.“Why didn’t you wake me up last night?”
“Because that would’ve required lifting you, and I didn’t think my doctor would appreciate me bending over to lift someone at this stage.”
“Oh, you’re going to play that card, are you?”
“Yes.”
His face held a steady determination that she recognized from years ago when he’d stood up for her against his mother.This man could be a wall for her.A wall against her, too.
“Now, seeing you didn’t want to have my pasta last night—”
“That wasn’t true,” she protested.
He smiled.“Are you ready for an omelet now?”
