Letting out a deep breath, I tell her, “She makes me nervous.” When Tori smiles, I say, “I’m glad you’re enjoying my discomfort.”
“I’m just enjoying seeing a girl have this effect on you,” she admits before she stands up. “I’m heading to bed, but for what it’s worth, I really like her.”
I follow her out, and the house is quiet. I see my mom in the kitchen, turning everything off.
“You going to bed?” I ask her.
“Yes. It’s getting late. Is Candace still upstairs?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna go up there and get her. I think we’ll just crash down here and let Maddie take my bed.”
“Well, tell her that I’ll see her in the morning, will you?”
“Okay, Mom.”
We say good night, and I go to the hall closet to pull out some blankets and pillows. I toss everything on the floor, making a makeshift bed for me to sleep on and lay out a blanket and pillow on the couch for Candace. We had planned on her taking my room, but since Maddie is sick, I figure this is a fair alternative.
I pick up Candace’s bag and head upstairs to my room. Quietly, I open the door to see Maddie passed out, lying on top of Candace. When she rolls her head to the side and looks at me, I walk in and laugh. “Are you stuck under Maddie?”
“I didn’t want to move and wake her up. What time is it?” she asks.
“Past eleven. Everyone has gone to bed. I told Katie that I would check on you and Maddie.”
“I wanted to thank your mother before she went to bed.”
“Don’t worry about it. Here’s your bag,” I tell her as I set it next to the bed. “I made a big pallet of blankets and pillows downstairs in the living room. Since Maddie is in my room, we’re just going to sleep down there. We can watch a movie or something if you want.”
“Oh . . . umm . . .” she stutters, and I know she’s uncomfortable with the change in plans.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take the floor, and you can have the couch.” I walk over to my dresser to pull out a pair of pajama pants for myself and let her know, “I’ll be downstairs. You can use my bathroom to change,” before walking out and heading back down.
It doesn’t take too long before Candace is walking down in a black sleeveless top and a pair of pajama pants. She has no clue how sexy she looks right now, and I have to look away. I open the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
“You mind if I take the floor?” she asks.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. It looks more comfortable anyway.”
“Okay.”
She sits down and slides herself under the pile of blankets as I walk over and sit next to her. The thought of sleeping, even in the same room as her, has me on edge. It’s like dangling a piece of meat in front of a starved animal. It’s life’s sick revenge for taking things way too easily and now making me restrain myself in the worst way possible because I’ve never wanted anything more.
“TCM?” I ask as I flick on the TV.
“It’s all we ever watch,” she teases, and I like it. “Why switch now?”
“I think you’re starting to like my movies.”
“Maybe.”
We sit back and start watching a movie before I ask her, “Were you okay today?”
“I was. You’re really lucky; you have a great family.”
“Well, everyone really likes you, especially my mom.”
“She’s really nice. We had some time to visit earlier.”
She starts to grow tired as she inches herself under the covers and lays her head on the pillow by my side. When I look down at her, she has her eyes closed. Knowing she’s still awake, I don’t let that stop me from running my fingers through her hair.
I continue to do this as I zone out on the TV. My mind can’t even focus, and when I hear her breathing steady, I slip my hand under her head and gently move her to my lap. When I do this, she unconsciously wraps her one arm around my waist, and with greed, I savor the contact.
She seemed to enjoy herself today, and I’m grateful that I was able to give this to her since yesterday went horribly wrong, having to walk away from the only blood family she knows. The reactions she sparks in me are intense, and I know I need to heed Tori’s advice and be honest with her—soon. But I take this moment and just relish her being so close to me.
I don’t want to fall asleep, but when my eyes grow too heavy for me to fight, I reluctantly slip myself out from underneath her, laying her head back down on the pillow, and find myself alone on the couch. I lie there, across the room, the only hint of light coming from the last sparks of fire in the fireplace. It’s enough of a glow that I can still watch her, so that’s what I do—I watch her as she sleeps until I finally drift off.
Chapter Twenty
My eyes shoot open when I hear a hard gasp of air. Candace is panicked, trying to catch her breath as her body thrashes awake. I lurch off of the couch, and I’m by her side in an instant, pulling her into my arms.
“You okay?”
Her body is stiff with tension as she shakes under my hold.
“What happened, babe?”
“Bad dream,” she quietly whispers through her erratic breaths.
“Slow your breathing down, okay?” I tell her as I hold her against my chest. I’m slightly disoriented, still in a haze as my head catches up to my body’s sudden alertness. When she wraps her arms around my waist, I begin to rub her back, trying to soothe her from her nightmare. She scared the shit out of me, yanking me out of a deep sleep.