Page 233 of The Perfect Spiral
“Done and done! Oh my god! I’m so excited! It’s been a while since I’ve been out with my best friends! First round of shots is on me!”
She claps her hands together, grinning like she’s won the lottery. She finishes off my omelet, and I lean back in my chair.
Sipping the bitter coffee, I feel my eyelids growing heavy. I stifle a yawn.
“Maybe you should go upstairs and lie down for a bit, Alex? You look exhausted,” my mother suggests, her voice filled with concern. I miss my mom.
“I won’t sleep. I don’t sleep anymore—”
“Go up and try, baby. Even for thirty minutes.” The screech of a chair interrupts us. Knox rises to his feet, announcing he’s going for a shower.
I sit and ponder whether I should go and lie down. I really should, but I know I’ll have a nightmare. Like always.
After ten minutes of listening to the gossip around the table, with Lauren silent, I decide to head upstairs. I kick my door closed and crawl back into the cool sheets.
Pulling them over my body, I lay on my side, my back to thedoor. Spots of light filter in through the blinds, brightening the room slightly.
My door opens and then closes. I hear the click of the lock and the soft tread of footsteps approaching my bed. I feel a dip in the mattress beside me. A heavy arm snakes around my waist, pulling me against a familiar hard body.
He nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck, leaving a small peck on my skin. I shiver under his touch. God, I miss him.
A few moments slipped by as I wrestled with the decision to face him or not. I chose to face him. Just one more cuddle. That’s all I craved. Just one more.
So, I turned to my side to face him, and his bright blue eyes met mine. Our faces were so close, our breaths mingling.
“Hey,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He reached out to brush a loose strand of hair from my weary face.
“Hi,” I responded. He drew me closer to his chest, and I rested my cheek against it, feeling his warmth envelop me. Our legs entwined, and I shifted closer to him.
Breathing in his cologne, my stomach twisted in knots. This was exactly what I needed. His arms cradled me just like they used to.
“I miss this, baby doll,” he murmured, resting his chin on the top of my head. I kissed his chest involuntarily, feeling him tense for a moment before relaxing and returning the kiss on my head.
Although I missed it too, I couldn’t tell him that. I remained silent, feeling my body surrender to exhaustion and drift into a deep sleep.
Chapter 83
I woke up, unsure of the time. He was still there, asleep beside me. He must have been exhausted too. I felt his even breath on my cheek and looked up to see his eyes closed.
We slept. I slept. Without any nightmares. I smiled to myself, watching him sleep.
As if he sensed my gaze, he opened his eyes, those blue orbs staring back at me. He smiled at me and gently rubbed his thumb across my cheek.
“You sleep alright?” he asked. I nodded, pulling the covers up to hide my face.
“Me too,” he said softly. We lay there for a few moments, gazing at each other. His arm pulled my waist closer to him. I rested my palms on his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly.
He just woke up? Why was his heart beating so fast?
“Your heart... it’s beating so fast. Are you sick?” I checked his forehead for a fever with the back of my hand. He didn’t have one. He shook his head, assuring me he was fine.
“What time is it?” I reached over to grab my phone from the dresser, but he pulled me back to him.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. He stopped me from checking the time.
“I do, I need to start getting ready for tonight,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Why? I told them I was going, I can’t bail now, Knox.”
