Page 117 of Love Arranged
“Nope,” she says, exaggerating thepsound.
I reach over and shut off the lamp, giving her the universal sign forplease shut up.
She lasts one whole minute before she speaks again. “What’s the other reason you don’t want to switch spots?”
I don’t turn to face her. “Who says there’s another reason?”
“I know you.”
Those three little words have a massive impact on my psyche, like a wrecking ball tearing through the fortress I’ve built to protect myself.
“So what is it?” she asks, and I wish she’d stop.
“Aren’t you tired?” I follow up with instead.
“It’s hard for me to fall asleep in unfamiliar places.”
“Likewise.” I flop over and stare at the dark ceiling.
“Did you check for hidden cameras?”
“Do you take me for an amateur?”
She giggles, and I find myself grinning at the sound.
“How about trap doors?” she whispers. “I heard a story about a human trafficking ring?—”
I screw my eyes shut. “Don’t start.”
“Sorry.” She flips onto her back too.
“What do you usually do when you can’t sleep?” I ask a minute later when I’m no longer tempted to get out of bed and check the lock on the door again.
“Listen to true crime podcasts.”
“Next you’re going to tell me you meditate to murder stories.”
“Only on Mondays.”
I make a noise in the back of my throat.
“Kidding!” She laughs. “I usually fall asleep with the TV on.”
“I knew you were too good to be true.”
She pinches my side, and I’m tempted to snatch her hand—strictly to teach her a lesson about touching me, ofcourse. It has nothing to do with her being the first and only person I like holding hands with. Nothing at all.
“A lot of people do that,” she says.
“I read somewhere that most of them end up single for life too.”
“But notall, which means I only have to find one man who doesn’t mind.” Her grin is so wide, I can make out her white teeth in the dark.
Her comment kills my smile. The thought of Lily falling asleep in bed with another man has the power to squash my good mood.
“Put the damn TV on and go to bed.” I force the sentence out through gritted teeth.
Her smile doesn’t waver as she follows my command. The glow from the TV turning on makes me squint, but my eyes adjust as Lily flips through channels.
