Page 75 of Home With You

"Miles, no. You're exhausted and you've slept for less than an hour. Go back to sleep. I shouldn't have woke you up. I'm just gonna head out."

As I'm leaving, I hear him say, "I won't sleep unless you do."

I turn back. "I will. I'll sleep when I get back to the tent."

"And I'll be awake because I won't be able to sleep knowing you're out there freezing in that tent."

"It's not that cold."

He gives me a look that says we both know that's a lie.

"Okay, it's cold but I have the new sweatshirt you gave me. I'll wear that."

"You're not going," he says, walking to his dresser. "Take the bed. It's yours." He takes out a t-shirt and puts it on, then comes over to me. "If you need extra blankets, just let me know."

"I'm not—"

"You need to sleep," he says, taking my arm and walking me to the bed. "You can barely keep your eyes open."

"Same for you." I sit on the bed, already loving the feel of it. The firm mattress topped with some kind of soft squishy topper. The down comforter. The soft sheets.

"I'll sleep on the couch." He stands over me, smiling. "Do I need to tuck you in?"

"No." I look down at the white sheets and feel dirty just sitting on them. "I'll just sleep on top. I don't want to get your sheets dirty. My clothes are...well, they haven't been washed for awhile."

He holds his hand out. "Give them to me. I'll put them in the washer."

"I can't. I won't have anything to wear."

"Go in my dresser and take whatever you want. I'll wait downstairs."

He's gone before I can figure out what to do. I decide to do as he suggested and find something else to put on. I open one of his drawers and find a stack of t-shirts. I pull one out and quickly change out of my clothes. The t-shirt is so big it hangs down to my knees, making it more like a nightshirt.

"Done yet?" Miles calls out from below. I can't see him so he must be in the kitchen, which is right below the bedroom.

"Yeah. I'm done."

"I'll be right up."

I gather my dirty clothes and wonder if I should add my underwear. Washing it in the sink, I never feel like it gets very clean. I hear Miles walking downstairs and quickly slip off my panties and hide them in my dirty clothes.

"Here you go," I say, handing him the clothes as he reaches the top of the stairs.

"Anything else? This isn't very much for a load."

"That's all I brought. If you have stuff of your own to add, go ahead."

He goes back downstairs and moments later I hear the washer running.

"Need anything else?" he asks, appearing in the bedroom again. I'm now snuggled in his bed, lying on the soft sheets, under the warm comforter.

"I'm good," I say, smiling as I pull the comforter over me. "I like your bed."

He chuckles. "I'm glad."

"Wake me up when you need to go. I'll get out of here."

"Where am I going?"

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