Page 104 of Home With You

Bursting out of bed, I grab my jeans from the floor and put them on, then pull on a t-shirt and sweatshirt and run down the stairs. I grab my jacket, keys, and phone and go down to the street. It's almost midnight and even I don't feel safe walking the streets this late so I know Raine can't feel safe being by herself in that tent. There's no way she'll get any sleep when she's alone in there.

"Raine," I say, announcing myself as I approach the tent.

"Who is it?" she yells back in a deep voice like she's trying to sound like a guy. It doesn't work. She just sounds like a girl trying to imitate a guy.

"It's Miles."

"Miles?" She unzips the tent, holding a pocket knife.

"You know that wouldn't do much, right? It couldn't save you if some guy had a gun."

"Obviously, but it's all I have." She wraps a blanket around her. "Did you come here to scare me or did you just feel like visiting me in the middle of the night?"

"Just visiting." I smile and crawl in the tent, sitting beside her.

She gives me a funny look. "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you came here to make sure I didn't sleep either?"

"Were you sleeping?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. I wouldn't be able to either. I didn't feel too safe walking down here."

"You were scared?" she asks in a teasing tone.

"Hell, yeah. Only criminals walk around this time of night."

"Or friendly night owls."

I nudge her leg. "Are you saying you weren't scared?"

"Not at all."

"So you just pretended to be a guy and pulled a knife on me for fun?"

"Yep." She looks down.

"Raine, I know you were scared. Anyone would be. It's dangerous out here. You're not close to any kind of help if you needed it and you don't have a phone."

"Are you trying to scare me even more?"

"No, but I wish you'd admit it's dangerous instead of pretending it's not."

"What good would that do? You want me to live in fear so I can't go anywhere or get any sleep?"

"I just want you to be careful. Actually, what I really want is for you to stay with me until we can find you a place to live. We could be roommates."

She gives me a sideways glance. "With one bedroom?"

"We could put a cardboard divider in the middle of the bed. Just to make sure you don't try to have sex with me in the middle of the night."

"Oh, I'M the one we have to worry about?" She laughs.

"I see how you look at me."

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