He hesitates.
I lie, "I'm a little tired. A blanket sounds nice right now."
Approval fills his expression. "Okay."
I move to the couch.
He puts a blanket over me.
I pat the seat next to me. "Sit. You're making me nervous."
He stares at the seat, but finally sits.
Happy, I curl one knee up, leaning slightly toward him. The warmth rolling off his body hits my skin, and the air between us thickens.
He exhales, slow and controlled, like sitting this close to me takes more discipline than anything he's done today. His eyes dart over me. He says, "You're shaking less."
"Because you're here. Taking care of me," I add.
He closes his eyes briefly, as if that admission affects him more than he wants it to. Then he opens them and says, "Blue, we need to talk about what happened in my office."
I whisper, "I don't want to talk. Not about that."
"We have to."
"No, we don't." I lean in closer, lowering my voice. "You walked me home. You sat in my kitchen and made me eat. Now, we're sitting on the couch together. That's what matters."
His pupils flare into a tiny, traitorous reaction that he tries to mask. His throat flexes as he swallows. His tone's rougher than before. "This isn't what you think it is."
My pulse jumps. "Then tell me what it is."
He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He looks torn, almost pained.
It's intoxicating to know I can do that to him.
He finally repeats, "I'm worried about you."
"I know."
"I'm trying to help you stabilize."
"I know that too."
"You need rest."
"And you need to stay."
He freezes, not in shock but in dangerous awareness.
"Blue…"
"I won't sleep if you leave." The words fall out soft, honest. "I want you here. I'm calm when you're here."
He looks away. His jaw clenches, and he wrestles with whatever code of ethics he's built his life on.
When he finally looks back, the decision is already made in his eyes. "I'm not leaving yet."
My world steadies instantly. A warmth spreads from my chest all the way down to my fingers, a slow, blooming heat that makes me bold. I shift my foot under the table until my toes brush his.
