Page 15 of Up All Night

Was this going to be another way she was going to bug me and keep me up at night? And why could I hear her so well? The vents must have been done poorly if we could be talking through them like they were tunnel walkie talkies.

“Were you already asleep?” she asked.

I placed my thumb and pointer finger on the bridge of my nose. “Almost.”

“How do you fall asleep that fast?”

“I close my eyes and don’t talk to people through vents,” I answered simply.

She ignored my answer. “I wanted to ask you if you still want to work out in the morning or are you too sore?”

Oh, so this was her way of getting out of training me tomorrow and having to wake up early. That wasn’t going to happen. Sore legs or not, I’d be there.

“I’ll be there, bright and early.”

“Oh, okay.” Even through the vent I could hear her disappointment.

There was silence for several seconds, and I thought she was done, but then I heard her say, “Are you sure? Sometimes it’s good to give your body a rest.”

“I’m sure.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that she didn’t want to train me, but I hadn’t realized she would rather not see me at all than have the opportunity to torture me.

My door opened, and Cannon poked his head in. “Who are you talking to?”

“Halle.”

His brows creased in confusion before Halle’s voice came through the vent. “Hi.”

A grin spread across Cannon’s face. “This is a fun development.”

“Isn’t it?” I asked, my voice full of sarcasm.

“I’ll let you two get back to chatting. I’m sorry I interrupted pillow talk.”

I grabbed an extra pillow and threw it at Cannon, but he was too quick, shutting the door before the pillow hit its mark.

“Can I go to sleep now?” I asked Halle.

“Oh yeah, of course,” she said as if she was just now recognizing that she was keeping me from being able to fall asleep.

“I’m not used to going to bed this early,” she added. “Although I don’t know if I’ve ever been this exhausted.”

“Not a morning person?” I found myself asking.

“Not exactly.” She paused. “It’s been a long day.”

“At the gym?”

“At the gym and at the dance studio where I teach.”

So Cannon had heard her right. She worked at both the gym and a dance studio.

“That does sound like a long day,” I agreed.

A part of me wanted to ask more about it, to hear why it had been such a long day for her, but I kept my mouth shut. We didn’t have that kind of relationship.

“Yeah, but such is life,” she said, sounding defeated. “Anyway, we should both get to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

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