Page 77 of Deep In Love
I’ve tried to sleep, but the bed is cold and empty without Mateo, who volunteered to watch the video with Vivian when I could barely lift my head after nine p.m. He sent me to the room, and I’ve been wide awake ever since, waiting for him to return.
I don’t know what it says about me that it’s harder to sleep without him beside me, but I’m choosing to ignore it.
Mateo tiptoes around the room, getting ready for bed, and I rustle so I don’t scare him.
His five-o’clock shadow is growing into a small beard, and he yawns deeply before saying, “I thought you were asleep.”
I shake my head, lifting the covers for him to slide in beside me.
There’s no pillow wall tonight, hasn’t been since he held me until I fell asleep, but we’ve kept to our sides of the bed.
Mateo wordlessly puts on his mask and burrows into the covers. When he rests his arm behind his head, leaving the side of his bodyopen, I make the impulsive decision to scoot closer and lean my head on his chest below the crook of his arm.
He sighs, and my heart races with the small act of intimacy. I grow bolder, draping my arm over his chest so my body molds against his side. His free hand lifts to cover mine, to keep it firmly planted on his chest.
Sleep slowly drags me under until I hear the sound of his mask unclick and the pressurized air whoosh.
“Go on a date with me,” he whispers.
“What?”
“Tomorrow night, will you go on a date with me?”
“Okay,” I murmur against his skin, right before I fall into a deep slumber.
Vivian and Sofía chat in the lounge, paperwork spread out between them, and I creep toward the table, hoping I’m not interrupting.
“Hi.”
Ugh. That came out way meeker than I wanted. I was aiming for cool and casual, not flustered and ready to flee.
“Charlie, hi!” Sofía smiles brightly, clearing the table. “Please, sit.”
I slide into the seat, and I’m panicked again. Nerves eat at my confidence, and I pick at the cornflower-blue nail polish I put on this morning. Asking Vivian and Sofía for help means admitting there’s something happening between Mateo and me, and that makes it real.
“Sofía and I were going over the plan for the remaining ROV dives. We’ve had pretty good luck at these sites previously.” Vivianpoints to a handful of areas on a map. “Is there anything you hope to see? I can try to adjust them for you.”
“A whale fall, but that’s unlikely.”
Vivian surveys the map, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“I can’t make any promises, but this area”—she circles the map—“has had remains of whale falls on previous cruises. We can try.”
“Thank you.” I volley between Sofía and Vivian, then take a deep, calming breath. “I was hoping…well, I was thinking maybe…”
Fuck, I can’t get a freaking sentence out without stumbling over myself.
I groan, dropping my head into my hands.
“Never mind, sorry.”
I rise from the table to handle my embarrassment in private, but Sofía grabs my arm and drags me back into the seat.
“Does this have something to do with Mateo bribing me for a bottle of wine and a special meal from the chef?”
“What?”
A special meal?
