Page 20 of Fall Twice

I rest my head against the pillow with my hands tucked under the soft cloud. This should be a horrible idea, but it feels like this may be the way it is supposed to be.

“Good. It’s probably better that you’re here rather than tipsy in the back of a cab. Not sure why I didn’t suggest it.” He reaches out to comb strands of hair behind my ears, a feathery touch that I welcome.

“Doesn’t matter. We ended up here in the end.”

The corner of his mouth pulls. “We did.”

“Thank you. I didn’t want to sleep alone. I’ve been doing it for months, but I guess I miss contact with another human,” I admit. I close my eyes slowly then open them to look into his eyes again. “Not that I’m going to cuddle or anything, I just wanted to feel someone next to me who isn’t the size of a six-year-old,” I explain.

Reid sighs. “I can imagine.” He quickly glances around his room. “I guess I forgot what it’s like too.”

My brows knit together as I grin. “Oh please, you haven’t had anyone here?” Before he opens his mouth, I slam my finger against his lips to hush him. “Wait, don’t tell me.”

He grabs hold of my hand to pull me away. “Then I won’t. Instead, I’m going to ask you if you want a shirt of mine to sleep in?”

I snort a laugh. “If I undress out of anything then we have no hope of making tonight work.” Because we both want to explore this chemistry crackling between us, that I’m certain of.

“Fair point.”

We both lie there for a few beats, taking in the moment, sinking into the mattress and feeling the buzz from the alcohol—no, that’s a lie, it’s from the electricity between us. Attraction was never the problem.

“I have a confession.” He looks at me, intrigued, so I continue. “Way back after we graduated and I had a business trip to Atlanta, and I had messaged that maybe we could meet for a drink after my meetings, and you said great. But at the last minute I canceled.”

“Right. Like, what, nine years ago? Your meeting ran over or something.”

I shake my head gently. “I lied… I didn’t trust what seeing you would do to me. I can say that now because I moved on from you. Crazy, isn’t it?”

It’s insanity maybe because no human has a right to affect someone as much as he did. Over time, I learned that it’s what life does to us. It makes us cross paths with people who prepare us for the other people we have yet to meet. Because by the time Sean came around, I thought I knew the signs of what a real relationship that holds promise looked like. I imagined it was stability and everything that was the opposite of Reid.

Reid grazes his fingers along my arm in a soothing motion as he takes in my words. Then he swallows and says, “I see… well, since we are speaking truths then I guess I should tell you that I didn’t write to you about my cancer because I didn’t want to interfere with your life, your married life. And Tamara hated the idea of me contacting you, she made an ultimatum. But it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

“I guess so.” I nod slowly in agreement, but I’m not sure to what. Where we are now or the fact our last chapter of life was supposed to be with other people? I don’t dwell too long, because sleepiness hits me, and my eyelids grow heavy. “I’m happy you’re here,” I say drowsily.

“Because my bedfellow qualities are top-notch? I respect the invisible middle line, my body gives off heat, and my mother picked out the finest sheets on this side of the Mississippi?”

God, I appreciate his effort to lighten the mood, which is exactly why I smile. “So far, no complaints. Should we try and sleep?”

He nods and quickly unclasps his watch, and he leans back to set it on the bedside table before turning the light off.

We both adjust in the bed but don’t dare get under the sheets, and instead, he tosses a throw blanket on us as we lie there fully clothed.

“Permission to move you?” he whispers.

I mumble agreement, and he responds by taking hold of my leg and tossing it over his leg, which brings us closer. I guess we are going to cuddle after all.

“I’m impressed that you haven’t tried to persuade me to fall into your wicked ways after that kiss,” I remark.

Reid laughs under his breath. “I threw cold water on my face when I went to the bathroom if it’s any consolation.”

“Thank you.”

“Night, Lena.”

And then we fall asleep, completely in an unnamed state of connection between two people.

When I wakethe next morning, the bed is empty. Reid warned me that he had an early start, which is why he emerges from the bathroom fully dressed and drying his hair with a towel.

“Morning,” he greets me.

---