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I sink into his side, and he wraps an arm around my shoulder. We finish our desserts in no time, and my eyelids can barely stay open anymore.
“I’m ready for bed,” I manage around a yawn, and he takes my plate and stands.
“You head to bed. I’ll clean up, then I’ll be in there. If that’s okay.” He adds the afterthought, glancing to me for permission as I move to my feet.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” I answer in confirmation.
He smiles a small, triumphant grin, and I can’t help but mimic it as I head to my room and straighten up the bed. The clinking of him loading the dishwasher is comforting—the feeling of another person’s presence is nice, but not that it’s just any person, that it’s him. I tidy up my room while I wait and then sit on the side of my bed and check my phone. My notifications have blown up. I’m in a group text with Amber, Phoebe, and our friend Ava, and they’ve been sending repetitive messages.
Phoebe: Wait. What is this?
Her text is followed by a screenshot of Jack and me with someone at the pumpkin patch. So people are apparently posting us all over social media.
Ava: I thought this wasn’t a thing now.
Amber: I knew it was still a thing. Called it.
Their banter goes on and on, and they share that there are now memes of Jack. Speak of the devil, and he appears shirtless in your doorway.
“Ready to get some sleep?” He braces his hands on the doorframe, arms stretched above his head, and while I want to be ready for more than bed, I can’t change gears yet.
“We’re all over social media, Jack.”
“Oh, don’t look at what they say.” He shrugs it off, sauntering over to the bed. “Which side?”
“I like to be near my nightstand. So you get the wall.”
“Works for me.” He throws himself across the bed, making himself comfortable.
“So you just ignore all of this?” I wave my phone at him.
“I do. It makes me nervous. Someone manages my page now. I only deal with my personal one and don’t add anyone I don’t want to.”
I take a deep breath, staring down at the screen for a moment before locking it and putting my phone onto the charger. “Alright.” I grab my magnesium and spray my feet, then take my melatonin gummy before climbing under my weighted blanket.
I roll over to find Jack practically nose to nose with me. His breath still smells like apples and caramel.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, all things to help me sleep. Helps my nerves.” I kiss his lips softly. “You taste as good as you smell.”
He pulls me into his arms, and I tuck my head under his chin, my legs sliding between his knees, and we lie there so long I think he’s gone to sleep, but then he whispers, “I’ve thought of this moment so many times the past four years.”
“And does it measure up?” I nuzzle his neck.
“It’s a fucking dream come true.” He kisses my forehead.
My eyes grow heavy as my melatonin kicks in, and I slip off to sleep to the low rumble of him humming.
THIRTEEN
When the sun shines brightly through Rachel’s curtains, it’s all I can do not to throw my pillow over my eyes and sink back into the best sleep I’ve had in ages. Four years to be exact. But now we have to get some pumpkins carved, so I roll over to see if Rachel was woken by the blinding rays as well. Because let’s be real, the way we fell asleep was nice, but there’s no way we could sleep like that all night. A few times, we stirred awake enough to share a kiss, but she’s a belly sleeper and I’m a side sleeper, so cuddling all night isn’t in the cards.
She’s still sleeping, her head turned my way, and I can feel one of her knees against my stomach. I peek under the covers and see that it’s bent, her foot pressed against her ankle. What a way to sleep. I actually really liked her weighted blanket. Maybe that’s part of why I rested so well.
“Rachel.” I trace her cheek with my finger.
She grumbles, turning her head away from me, and I chuckle.
