Midnight,and I can’t sleep. Of course.
But now I’m not alone.
I lie, stiff as a board, covers pulled to my chin, and stare out into the blue-black darkness of my room.
Callahan looks…ridiculous. The loveseat is maybe two-thirds as long as it needs to be for him to curl up in a proper fetal position
His eyes open.
And meet mine.
Oh.
I’m not sure if I say the word out loud or just think it. Either way, an impulse overtakes my body, and Isit upfor some reason.
So does Callahan.
“I…um.” I clear my throat. “Are you…”
Callahan blinks behind his glasses, not saying anything. Waiting for me.
“You don’t look comfortable,” I finish.
I look down at the mattress.
“You can…” I move over, towards the wall. Smooth out the covers in my wake. “Here.”
Callahan’s eyes go very wide. “You…”
“It’s a big bed,” I say quickly. “I promise you, I have no intention of…violating your honor, or anything. I just don’t like anyone being forcibly sleep deprived on my behalf.”
Callahan opens his mouth. Closes it. “I shouldn’t.”
Now I’m almost fed up. “Cal,” I say, scooping my bedhead out of my eyes. “Get in the bed.”
His eyes widen yet more.
But he does.
He sits on the edge of the mattress first, the whole bed rolling towards him as he bends over to…take off his shoes, I realize, and the small gesture of it feels weirdly intimate, like a real part of a bedtime routine, to the point where I look away, kind of embarrassed. I stare at the juncture between the wall and theceiling as he swings his legs up and lies down—like a tin soldier, on his back, hands folded on his stomach.
For a moment, neither of us moves.
I shift around a little under the covers, gently punching my pillow to ball it up under my head. I’m tired now, I realize. And Callahan is like a solid wall between me and the outside world. It’s…surprisingly cozy.
“Better?” I ask
“Yes.”
He rolls forward a little, and to the side, and I hear the lighttinkof something on the nightstand.
His glasses.
A warmth blooms in my chest. I don’t know why. That little gesture. That tiny sound.
It’s just…normal. Nice. Good.
So good that, the next time I open my eyes, it’s morning.
