Hannah’s chest rises and falls slowly as she enters sleep. I feel guilty for waking and confusing her, but as soon as I walked up the stairs and saw her fast asleep in the spot closest to the stairs, I knew I had to wake her. Perhaps it's the caveman in me, but I brought her here to protect her, so I’m going to do my damndest to do that, and if that means making her sleep on the far end of the bed, then so be it.
I don’t want to admit that the minute she crawled into bed on the opposite side, relief flooded my entire body like a warm caress.
I let her fall into a deeper sleep with Arson at her side before I crawl into bed. She doesn’t even move as the bed shifts, letting me know that she’s out like a light.
Her soft snores are another indicator that she’s passed out. That in itself is a relief. I could tell how tired she was, the deep purple circles under her eyes darkening with each passing minute. I turn onto my side, and I wish so badly that I could pull her into my embrace, to hold her and know that she really is safe and in my arms, but I can’t do that. I can’tcross the unsaid boundary I know she’s not ready for. Sleeping in the same bed as her already has to be a big step for both of us.
I didn't think to offer and sleep on the couch, though thinking about it now it would've been a first line of defense, but all I could think about was not leaving her side.
Arson cuddles up in the middle of us, letting out a huff, like he’s content now that both of us are in bed with him. “Good boy,” I whisper, giving him a head scratch. Sleep takes me fast, my body too exhausted to consider fighting it.
A clatter wakesme from a deep sleep. I sit straight up in bed, hoping my brain catches up as I nearly fall out of bed. The bed is empty to my right with no sign of Hannah, or Arson. I rise to my feet, ignoring the stiffness in my muscles. I reach for my gun from the side table, hoping I won’t need it, but thankful I have it.
“Shit,” a voice comes from downstairs, amidst another clatter.
The heavy weight on my chest eases as I recognize the voice. A soft woof sounds, and Hannah shushes him. “Shh, Arson. Your dad is still asleep.”
He woofs softly again, causing Hannah to shush him again. “I know you’re hungry, I am too, but I don’t know where your food is, and I don’t think bacon is good for you, buddy.”
He starts doing the thing he does when he’s really feeling dramatic. The only way I can describe it is howl-talking.
“Arson!” Hannah whisper-shouts. “You’re going to wake him up!”
I chuckle under my breath as I walk down the stairs. “It’s okay, freckles, I’m already awake.”
Hannah squeaks, clutching her palm to her chest. Arson bounds over to me, continuing his dramatic howling. “I know buddy, I’m sorry, I’ll get you some food.”
“I let him out when I woke up not long ago.”
“Thanks,” I reply and grab his bag of food from where I left it earlier in one of the closets, scooping him a bowl of food and placing it on the ground for him. He devours it ravenously.
“What time is it?” I ask, noting the pitch black outside.
“Three in the morning.” Hannah glances out the square window above the kitchen sink. “I woke up and figured I may as well make some food, I was starving. They left the kitchen fully stocked for us.”
“Wow,” I respond. “That’s nice of them.” I stride up behind her, taking the pan from her hands and setting it on the stovetop. I start the burner, noting the carton of eggs sitting on the counter.
“Are you hungry?” Hannah asks. “I can make some for you, too.”
“I can help.”
We work together in silence, me, cooking the bacon, her, grabbing some plates from the shelves and setting the table. She grabs juice, butter, bread, and fruit from the fridge, and cuts some of the fruit up for us.
I wasn’t hungry right away when I came down, but now that the food is cooking, I’m starving, my stomach growling. “How do you want your eggs?”
“Any way is fine,” Hannah replies, mindlessly butteringtoast.
“Over-easy?”
“Yep.”
I make the eggs, grabbing the two plates from the table to plate them, and bring them, and the bacon over to the center of the table. We slept for just under twelve hours. Hannah sits down next to me at the table.
“How did you sleep?” I ask. There are so many things that we should talk about and discover more about each other, but I want to focus on right now.
“Fine,” she murmurs, pushing her eggs around her plate. “I slept really hard at first, but then was restless, so I came down here. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“It’s okay, I really don’t mind.” I shovel some food into my mouth. “Arson can be annoying once he has something he wants.”
