“That’s what I was trying to get at.” He crosses his arms. “Or was me dragging you to it not clear enough?”
“It was not. This is a time when tellingdoeswork.”
“Would you have listened?”
“Maybe after a fight.”
He laughs, but gestures to the bed. My body tenses. I still don’t know what I’ll do in my sleep. When Rob and I shared a bed, I didn’t have too many issues, but I’m starting to realize that I didn’t care about Rob like I do Nate.
“I’m a bed hog,” I warn. “You may not get any sleep.”
“Like I’ll get great sleep on that couch.” He rolls his eyes. “And I know you hog the bed. You did it all the time when we were kids. You hog blankets too. Actually, you’re pretty inconsiderate allaround.” I throw a pillow at him. He takes it and puts it on the bed. “Listen,” he adds, “I don’t want you to ever feel like I’m repulsed by you ever again. And this is the most logical solution. That being said, if you don’t feel like you wanna do this, I completely understand. I still won’t let you take the couch, though.”
I consider it. I enjoy Nate’s openness. He wouldn’t be too angry if I woke up cuddling him. He would probably run back to the bathroom, though.
I can deal with that.
“Fine, but you don’t get to act like you won this one.”
His lips stretch into a smirk. “That’s exactly how I’m gonna act.”
“Then I’ll stay on the couch.”
He groans and then shuts his mouth. That’s when I finally get up.
The bed is a queen, the same size that we used to share when we were kids. In my house, I’d quickly upgraded to a king-size bed, so it still feels small to me, especially when I’m sharing with someone else.
When I was with Rob, it felt like I couldn’t get enough space from him. He snored loudly and was more of a blanket hog than I was. As Nate lies down next to me, I realize I don’t need the space. In fact, I don’t need anything else than this.
He turns the light off. “Just like old times, huh?”
Back then, being in the same bed was a need. Graduating high school was a dark time in both of our lives. And the only way we survived it was by sticking together.
Tonight isn’t just for survival. We could sleep separately and be fine, but we’re choosing this. Both of us.
“It’s not exactly like old times,” I say.
“Yeah, being on a boat is different.”
The dark makes me brave. I grab his arm, which is resting on his side, and drape it on my hip. “There. Now it’s like old times.”
Nate is silent for a long while, and I wonder if he’ll tug away or make an excuse for space.
But instead, he laughs. “You’re right. I forgot the most important part.”
“You’re like a weighted blanket,” I say. “It’s nice.”
“Seriously? Are you objectifying me right now?”
“Shh.” I turn only so I can put my hand on his face. “Blankets don’t talk.”
Nate scoffs as I roll back around. “This was all a ploy to get me to be quiet.”
“And it’sstillnot working. You’re lucky my parents aren’t here. You know you’re the reason we kept getting caught when we were kids, right?”
“Me? I seem to remember you reading me your entireNancy Drewbook.”
“You asked!”
