Page 149 of Saving the Halfback

Giving up on sleep, I climbed out of bed and quietly opened my door to the empty hallway. It was dark still, but the moon was nearly full, lighting up the hall. I walked over to the guest room and deliberated for half a second before quietly pushing the door open. I slipped inside and closed the door behind me, not wanting one of my parents to come out and see me in the hall.

The drapes were blowing as cool air came in through the open window. It was freezing outside, but they also had the ceiling fan going on low. I smiled at the two of them. Ethan had a sheet that he’d half kicked off. Chase was wrapped up like a burrito in the comforter. Between them was a pile of pillows that Ethan was spooning.

I took my phone out. The light from the moon and the night vision mode was enough to snap a couple pictures without usingthe flash. How had Ethan slipped into my bed so easily? Would I scare them if I snuck onto the edge? It was cold in here; I might have to go back to my room for a blanket.

“Come on,” Ethan whispered. He opened his eyes, looking wide awake now, and reached out a hand to me.

“Were you even asleep?” I asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake Chase.

“I woke the moment you touched the doorknob. Old habits and all.” I took his hand and crawled over him, wiggling until the pillows were pushed out of the way, and I was now the one he was spooning. I liked sleeping like this. Ethan was so comfy to snuggle. “You better keep those pictures to yourself,” he whispered in my ear, sending a chill down my arm and legs.

“To my grave,” I promised, shivering slightly.

He reached over me and grabbed Chase’s blanket, pulling on it and unraveling it. “What the hell, dude,” Chase grumbled. “No funny—” Chase’s eyes landed on me, and he froze. “Oh.” He stretched and then untangled himself from the blanket before spreading it over me and wiggling closer to me. “Ethan likes to sleep in the arctic,” he said, closing his eyes. Chase’s hands found mine under the blanket.

“I overheat easy,” Ethan said.

Outside, the dog barks were louder than in my room. I flinched and Ethan sat up.

“If it’s too cold, I can close the window.” Before I could make a sound, he was already up, crossing the room.

“It’s not that,” I said. He closed the window, anyway, and the barks quieted. I frowned. If they were in my head, why would they get louder or quieter depending on whether the window was open?

“What is it?” Chase asked.

“The barking,” I mumbled, half to myself.

Chase slipped his arm under my head and turned onto his back, so I was now lying on his chest. “It’s just the neighbor’s dog. He barks every night.”

“Mine,” Ethan grumbled as he slipped back behind me, putting his hand on my hip but not taking me away from Chase.

“You hear it too?” I sat up.

“The dog?” Chase asked.

“It’s worse than the in-town dogs,” Ethan said.

“Wait, wait, wait. The barking. The dog barking. You hear that?”

Chase smiled. “Yes, Bailey. He wakes us up most of the time, but I’m starting to get used to him.”

“It’s not the neighbor’s,” I said.

“B, could you stop talking in riddles and tell us what is on your mind, so we can go back to sleep?” Ethan begged. Begged! Ethan. He must be really tired.

I settled back down on Chase’s chest. “It’s nothing… I just…thought it was in my head.”

They were silent for a long time until Chase started skimming his hand up and down my back. I moved closer to him, sliding my leg onto his hip, when I felt his hard length twitching. Was I supposed to—? Should I?

Chase hooked my leg with his arm and hiked it up higher on his belly, using his other arm to pull me closer. “Go to sleep, Bailey,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead.

Ethan shuffled closer, his hand finding my hip again, the heat from his chest warming my back.

Sleep came easily for me.

55

Bailey

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