Jared’s eye cracks open. “I promise you, your couch is fine. Really comfortable. You need to sleep.”
“Your feet are hanging off the edge.” I fold my arms.
“Em.” He sits up and runs a hand over his face. “I promise you, I’m fine here.”
His hair is damp and rumpled from the shower, the white t-shirt and gray sweatpants he changed into earlier doing nothing to hide the sleek muscle beneath.
I can feel myself flushing, but I stand firm. “There’s space for both of us. We can build a pillow wall down the middle if you’re worried.”
He groans. “You’re a menace. No, Emmy.”
I point behind me. “Get in the bed, and I promise I’ll go straight to sleep. It doesn’t mean anything, apart from you not waking up bent out of shape like a pretzel.”
He doesn’t say anything.
“Please.” I bite my lip, letting the thoughts in my head out. “It’s dark. I don’t… I don’t want to sleep on my own.”
How pathetic, Emmy. Also, you sleep with a damn nightlight.
But Jared sits up at that. “You know I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I know.” My bare toe pokes at the floorboard. “But you can’t outrun what’s in your own head.”
He studies my face. “Okay. But straight to sleep.”
He’s surprisingly bossy. “What about a movie?”
“Emmy.”
“Fine.”
I scoot over to the left side of my double bed, leaving the right free for him. Jared gingerly climbs in on his side. “This bed is smaller than the couch.”
“That is such an exaggeration.”
Maybe. He takes up so muchspace.
I shift, almost rolling into him. The sound he makes almost sounds like a growl. “Emilia. Stop moving.”
“Sorry.” I roll onto my other side. My throat aches. So does my face. I can’t see myself getting much sleep tonight. The pain is the least of the thoughts that float around in my head.
“Did you take your painkillers?”
“Yep.” With minimal success. Sighing, I roll onto my back.
Jared stays silent as I stare up at the ceiling. “What are those?”
“Turn off the light and find out.” His voice softens.
My hand creeps out, searching for the switch. My words stick in my swollen throat.
“Oh.”
That's all I can manage. Above me, the little stars glow, creating a soft ceiling of light. “Jared.”
We lay next to each other in the darkness, looking up. My fingers creep across the bedding. Searching.
His hand finds mine. “Sleep now. I’ve got you.”
