Page 31 of Sin

It’s also hilarious that he put me to bed like a daddy.

“You carried me?” I suck in my lips. “That’s so cute.”

His smile grows rueful. “It was pretty cute of me, actually. I even tucked you in.”

God, he’s sweet. How did I never see this side of him until this last week?

“Well, this was a miracle, Ethan. Seriously. I feel like a new person.”

I feel like the old me, I would say if I could.

His expression grows serious. “I think we figured out something key last night. You need a change of environment to help you get into the habit of sleeping again.”

“How do you expect me to do that? I can’t switch rooms with one of the girls in the house just like that.” I snap my fingers. “Our rent is based on the size of our rooms.”

He stares at me for a long moment. “You should sleep here. In my room.”

Shock vibrates through my body. “Are you out of your mind?”

He shakes his head decisively. “I was just talking to my brother about this, and he agrees with me. If you were able to sleep in this room for a full night once, you should be able to do it again. Sleep works that way. Your body learns to associate an environment with sleep or lack of sleep. Which is why you’re having a hard time sleeping in your room. Your body has learned that you can’t sleep there.”

I frown. “Well then, how will I ever be able to sleep in my room again?”

“Hopefully, by sleeping here for a bit, you’ll break the association, which means you’ll need to stay here for a while. Let’s say a week.”

My head grows fuzzy. An image comes to mind of lying in this bed with Ethan’s big arms around me.

I swallow. “Where will you sleep?”

“I’ll take the downstairs couch.”

I snort. “In a frat house. You’ll never sleep a wink. No, we’re not doing this.”

He walks over to the bed and sits beside me. “I really think we should, Lily. Don’t worry about me. I work my body to death during workouts and practice. I sleep like the dead.”

My head grows fuzzy. This is crazy talk. What would it say about my mental health if I agreed to this? I’m such a mess that I have to steal someone’s entire room? No. I refuse to let Mason have that kind of power over me.

“I’ll just try Ambien again,” I say. “I haven’t tried it in months and?—”

Ethan groans. “Why do you think it would work now if it didn’t before? The one thing that’s worked so far is sleeping in my room. If you don’t try it, it’s because you’re a quitter.”

I snort out a laugh. “Very insightful, Coach.”

“It’s true.” His tone is surly.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Alright, fine. I’ll try it for a week, but I’m not making you sleep on the couch downstairs. If we do this, you sleep in your bed, and I’ll take the couch downstairs.”

He looks at me incredulously. “You think I’m letting you sleep in the main room of a house full of dudes? Dudes who get drunk almost every night? Absolutely not.”

Heat blooms in my tummy at the vehemence in his tone. He’s always been overprotective of me, but it never turned me on until that kiss.

“Then I can sleep on the couch in here,” I say. “I’m not taking your bed.”

His gaze drifts to the couch in the corner of the room, his cheeks darkening. Is he imagining what it would be like to share a room with me?

“If you’re comfortable being in the same room,” Ethan says, his voice strained, “then you take my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

I bite my bottom lip. “What will we tell your brothers?”

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