Page 54 of Dark Room Junkie

“No! Go away!”

His breathing became heavier and louder. He turned onto his back, breathing heavily, and flung his head from side to side. Tentatively, I reached out to him.

“Noé, wake up.” He turned away again before I could touch him. “Noé.” I gently touched his upper arm.

At that moment, he swatted my hand away and shot up. He recoiled from me, almost falling off the bed.

“It’s me. Alex,” I said, holding my hands up in a calming gesture.

Completely bewildered, he stared at me, panting heavily, and wiped the sweaty strands of hair from his face. As I reached out my hand to him again, he flinched and was on the verge of jumping out of bed. His eyes gleamed like those of a hunted, frightened animal.

“Calm down. You were dreaming.”

His hands trembled as he ran them over his face again.

“Should I get you a glass of water?”

He exhaled shakily, then threw off the blanket, jumped up, and hurried into the bathroom. Light streamed through the crack under the door, and I saw him pacing back and forth. The shadow then disappeared, which I took as a good sign.

He’s calming down.

I sat on the bed waiting for him, but time passed and he didn’t come out. I couldn’t hear the sound of water or the toilet flushing. There was no other noise coming from the bathroom, so eventually, I went to the door and listened.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned.

Nothing.

Should I just go in?But then I shook my head.Who knows? Maybe he’s not feeling well.

I cautiously opened the door and was almost blinded by the bright light. To my surprise, I found Noé sitting on the floor beside the shower, his head resting against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees, his eyes closed.

What the ...? Is he asleep?

“Noé,” I said and knelt beside him.

His long hair fell over his chest, and he was only dressed in boxers. This time I touched him even more gently. His skin was ice-cold, and he was trembling slightly.

“Noé. Come back to bed. You’ll catch a cold otherwise.”

He made some murmuring sounds and flinched when I placed my hand on his shoulder.

“Come on. Get up.”

Without opening his eyes, he nestled tighter into the corner.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

Is he talking to me?

“What for?” I asked when he blinked at me. But at my concerned look, he hung his head in remorse.

“What are you sorry for?” I asked and helped him up.

“That I woke you up.”

“Don’t worry.” I guided him back to bed and pulled the blanket over him. “It’s all good.”

As his head lay back on the pillow, he turned onto his side and tucked his legs up. I never would have thought I’d see him so vulnerable, awakening a protective instinct in me. I lay down beside him and gently brushed back a few strands of hair. He was already asleep again, his breathing steady.

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