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Chapter fourteen
Mikaela
“This is weird.” I stare at the ceiling, my hands over the sheets and my eyes wide open.
Ben sighs on the other side of the room. He’s sprawled across the couch, his feet hanging over the arm of the chair as he tries to shift into a more comfortable position. We turned off the film half an hour ago and since then we’ve remained awake, stewing in the silence in separate corners of my apartment.
“No it’s not.” He grunts, twisting again.
“Yes,” I groan as I roll onto my side and look over to him. “It is.”
Even from this distance, I can see his shoulders rise and fall in a silent huff.
“Why?” He asks.
“Why what?”
“Why do you think this is weird?”
I sit up, the cover falling from me as I push myself to the edge of the bed and grunt with the ache in my back.
“Because,” I sigh, “I can’t sleep and I know what will help me sleep, but I can’t ask for that so I feel weird and uncomfortable.”
Ben brings a hand to his face, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. He knows why I can’t ask for what I want.
“Okay.” His voice is low and strained as he gets to his feet and walks over to me. In the dim light of the streetlamp streaming through the window every line of his abdomen is strengthened and hardened and it really is a spectacular sight. My heart thumps a little louder with every step he takes and as I stare at him, approaching in nothing but old grey sweats, he rolls his eyes.
“Okay?” I glance up to his face and he’s biting back a smile.
“Stop drooling and move over.” He pushes me back a little, a smirk forming on his lips as he pulls the covers back. And then he groans. “And put on some shorts or something.”
I glance down at myself as he stares at me. I have a t-shirt on, and that covers everything that needs covering, but Ben’s eyes are lingering on the hint of red cotton that peeks out from under the hem.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I smile sweetly when I look back to him.
He rolls his eyes and climbs into the bed.
“I’m a man, Mikaela. And if I am going to hold you so that you can sleep, I need you to wear something that covers you up a little more so thatIcan sleep. Put on some shorts, please.”
I grin.
“Mhmm. Okay. One pair of shorts coming up.”
As I move over to my dresser, I swing my hips a little, smiling to myself when I hear a muffled groan from behind me. When I glance back to the bed Ben has a pillow over his face and I can’t stop the laugh from bubbling in my chest. “You okay there, Haston?”
“Yep.” He pulls the pillow away. “Just reminding myself you don’t want me.”
Another groan sounds as I bend over and I’m giggling.
“I never said that.” I shake my head and shrug my shoulders.
“Shut up and get into bed, Mik.”
Shimmying into a pair of shorts, I can’t stop the fizzing in my chest as Ben rolls to his side and pulls the covers back for me.
His eyes close as I crawl in beside him and his arm snakes around me, pulling my back against his chest and wrapping me up in him. I close my eyes as he buries his face in my hair and sighs.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I whisper, my heart pounding as he shuffles closer, his body warm through my t-shirt.
