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With my head down and arms still trapped inside the blanket, I rush to him, his free arm opening to take me in as I cling to his front the best I can. “Be safe out there,” I mutter against his chest, holding myself against him until I can chill the fuck out and pull my face back without starting to cry first.
“I’ll be back before you know it.” His lips press against the top of my head once before pulling back, reaching for the door.
“Promise?” I call out.
He turns over his shoulder, winking at me as he slowly shuts the door. “Promise.”
~
A warm hand runs along my back, up to my neck before grasping my shoulder, and it takes me a minute to remember where I am and who would be touching me.
I open one eye, seeing I’m still in Allie’s room. Emmett is on his knees next to the bed, a look of adoration mixed with incredible fatigue on his face as his arm still rests on my shoulder.
I was about to go to sleep when the power went out. I texted Emmett and told him what happened but that we were fine, and I’d let him know if it got cold in the house. I went upstairs with the intention of sitting outside Allie’s room to listen for her calls if she woke, but once I peeked in and saw how dark it seemed with her night light off, how quiet with her sound machine unable to play music, I became worried. It was probably my mind playing tricks on me, but it felt ten degrees colder in her room already. So, I went to Emmett’s room, pulled the plush gray comforter off his massive bed and bundled it in my arms, dragging the tail end down the hall back to Allie’s room.
I scooted her little body to the inside wall and curled up behind her, putting the comforter over the both of us. I meant to lay there and scroll my phone, but no one told me that lying next to a sleepy, cuddly toddler is like a sedative. I fell asleep within minutes.
Emmett stands as I sit up, pulling the comforter up and offering a hand to help me out of the bed. I readjust Allie’s blankets, making sure her seven favorite stuffed animals are within reach. Looking around one last time, I pause to hear the hum of the furnace and the faint music from her sound machine before quietly shutting the door behind us.
As soon as we are a few steps down the hall, I reach out to grasp Emmett’s arm. “Sorry, I don’t know if you’re one of those parents that is weird about making their kid sleep alone. I didn’t want her to wake up scared, or cold, or worried. I wasn’t expecting to fall asleep in there.”
“You never have to apologize to me for caring about my child.”
“What time is it?” I ask through a yawn, my eyelids growing heavy.
“Almost three.”
“Are you home for good? Or could you get called out again?”
He rubs the meaty part of his palm against his eyes, the hours of sleep deprivation etched into his beautiful face. “Hopefully home for good. My regular shift starts in less than four hours. There are still crews out working that can cover.”
“Damn. Well, I’ll head out so you can get to sleep.” I go to walk past him, but he reaches an arm out to stop me.
His palm lays flat against my stomach, fingertips pressing into my skin.
“Don’t you dare drive home right now.” His voice is low and raspy, face tilted down to touch my ear. The hallway is wide, but impossible for two people to be standing there with any real space between them. “I’d never sleep knowing that you’re out there driving, half out of it, with snow-covered roads.” His hand moves from my stomach to my forearm before he slides it down to grasp my hand and leads us to his bedroom. “Take my bed. I changed the sheets earlier thinking you’d sleep in there. I’ll take the couch.”
He lets go of my hand as we reach the threshold of his room. I pause behind him, taking an extra moment to look around now that I’m invited in. The sheets are gray to match the comforter, everything is kept simple, like him. I can still smell the lingering of his cologne, not sure if it is lingering in the room or if it’s on his bedding. I tilt my head down to smell the neck of my sweatshirt, wondering if maybe it’s on me now that I slept under his blankets.
He fans the comforter out across the bed before grabbing a pillow and tucking it under his arm. “You’re welcome to sleep in as late as you want tomorrow. If you’re passed out when we wake, I’ll try to keep Allie quiet.”
He goes to move past me, and it’s my turn to reach an arm out and grasp him by the elbow.
“I won’t let you sleep on a couch that’s half your size when you’re only going to get a few hours at best.” I tug him with me as I walk toward the bed, letting go once we reach the foot of it. “This bed is plenty big enough for the both of us, and we’re friends, right? Friends can share a bed.” I lift the corner of the duvet and climb in, shivering a little, unsure if it is from my fake attempt at being cool about sleeping next to him, or if it’s from the chill of the winter air.
Emmett stays silent, crossing to the other side of the bed and tossing his pillow down. He pulls the blanket up and lays down next to me, all the while watching my face, searching for what’s next.
I roll over so my whole body faces him, reaching to pull the comforter up to bundle me in. He helps grab the excess, pulling it up and over my shoulder, using his hand to tuck it under me until I’m wrapped like a burrito.
He lays his head on the pillow, and tucks an arm under it, mirroring my position.
“Is it weird sleeping in this room knowing how many times your parents banged here?”
The laugh that rips out of him is so unexpected, it forces one of my own.
“Christ, Jenna, only you would think of something like that.”
“It was the first thing I thought of when I walked in.” I watch the laugh fizzle from his face, and his eyes grow heavy, so I roll over, pulling my knees up to get comfortable.
