Heat crawls up my neck. I shift closer, the mattress dipping. Her shoulder brushes mine. She doesn’t flinch. Instead, she reaches for the blanket and pulls it over both of us without asking, like she’s decided we’re done pretending this is casual.
My chest does something stupid.
“Pick,” I say, scrolling. “Comedy. Action. One of those depressing Oscar movies where everyone cries in the rain.”
She makes a face. “No crying in the rain. I’ve done enough of that this year.”
The way she says it—matter-of-fact, like it’s just a weather report—hits me harder than it should.
“Comedy it is.”
She nods. “Something stupid.”
I smirk. “Perfect. That’s my brand.”
I hit play on a dumb movie we’ve both seen before. The kind where you don’t have to pay attention. The kind that lets your body unclench even if your brain refuses to.
Sloane’s head tips back against the pillow, her hair spilling over my shoulder, and for a few minutes we just…exist. Quiet. Warm. Safe.
It’s so normal it almost feels suspicious.
Ten minutes in, there’s a knock at my door—two quick hits.
“Brooks! You alive?”
I freeze like I’ve been caught committing a felony.
I call back, too loud, “Yeah, I’m alive.”
“That Sloane you got in there?”
Sloane bites her lip like she’s trying not to laugh.
I groan. “Beck, go away.”
A pause. Then a laugh. “Knew it. Have fun, Romeo.”
Footsteps retreat down the hall. My stomach twists, but before I can spiral, Sloane reaches down and threads her fingers through mine under the blanket. Warm. Grounding.
“Stop thinking,” she murmurs.
I huff. “I don’t know how.”
“I do,” she says, and then she leans in and kisses me.
Soft. Slow. Like she’s not asking permission so much as reminding me we’re allowed.
The tension in my chest loosens on impact.
When she pulls back, her eyes search mine. “You okay?”
I swallow. “I’m more than okay.”
Her mouth curves, satisfied. “Good.”
We go back to the movie, and this time I actually hear the jokes. Actually laugh. Actually feel my body settle into something that resembles peace.
An hour later, Sloane yawns and tries to hide it behind her hand.
