Page 22 of Damaged Enemy Next Door

“But I’m obviously not a good father. I should have known how to deal with this.”

“You’re new around here,” I say, taking his hand in mine. “When hurricanes hit, all forms of debris fly around, causing massive allergies. How could you have known?”

He nods, “I’m going to get all of Emily’s allergies identified. Apart from that, I don’t know what I can do to prevent something like this from happening again.”

“See, that’s exactly what a good father would do.” I’m beginning to understand just how worried he gets about his daughter, and he seems more and more endearing to me. For some reason, I feel the urge to comfort him. I reach out and gently squeeze his hand.

He looks at me and nods, “I hope so. Thank you for tonight, Olivia. I’ve taken up far too much of your time and well, would you look at the time. It’s getting late.”

He pauses and looks at me, his eyes expectant and inquiring. I realize he’s asking where I’d like to sleep, and my heart skips a beat. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

Then it hits me - I totally forgot to bring my keys. I'm now so physically exhausted that tears prick the corners of my eyes as I look helplessly at Adrian, wondering what to do now. "In the midst of all that rush, I forgot to pick up my keys," I cry. "I'm locked out of my house."

Adrian takes one look at me and takes charge of the situation again, ever the gallant gentleman. “Hey, why don’t you sleep here? This is probably safer for you than trying to get into an empty house out there in this storm anyway. We can sort out your key situation tomorrow morning when everything’s back to normal again. Come on, Olivia," he says, while I still sob like a child. "Don't worry. Consider this your house for the night."

"Yeah, I guess," I say, at last, realizing how silly I’m acting. "There is no other option, is there?"

"Not that I can see," Adrian smiles gently.

"So where's the couch?" I ask, looking out of the kitchen towards the living room.

"Oh, about that," says Adrian. "There’s no way I can let you sleep on the couch after tonight. I’ll take the couch and you can have my bed. We only have three beds - Emily's, mine which is in the master bedroom, and a guest room which the nanny uses when she’s here."

“Show me,” I say.

We walk towards the living room and he jumps onto the couch. “See? It’s perfect!”

“Your legs are dangling down, Adrian. There’s no way you can sleep here,” I mutter. “It’s your own house. You shouldn’t be in this spot. I can’t put you out! I could maybe sleep in Emily’s room?” I say, not sure if I'm relieved or worried that there's nothing else to worry about.

Adrian pauses for a moment and then says, "Well, Emily is in mine, and her bed is too small for an adult anyway. And no, you can’t have the couch. What I'm trying to say is, Olivia, please be open-minded about this and know that I'm not going to be uncomfortable or anything. But it's late, and we're tired. Just take the guestroom.”

I begin to feel worried again and he adds that he could sleep on the floor if it made me feel more comfortable – which it didn’t. I mean, he’s had a rough night too.

“Come on,” says Adrian after we get everything settled, “It’ll be an adventure.” With a huge yawn and laugh, I agree and follow him into our bedroom for the night.

I get into bed and watch as he places a pillow and sheet on the floor, pulling a blanket over himself. I can’t imagine how hard that marble floor must be. After seeing how worried he was tonight, I want him to just get some rest.

I sigh, sit up and turn on the lights.

“What’s going on?” he asks.

“We’re adults,” I begin. “And we can’t act like this. Just sleep on the bed. Please? It’s just sleep. We’re exhausted and we need our rest.”

But despite the fact that I say it, I can’t help but blush at the thought of sleeping next to him in such close quarters. I see him attempt to speak and cut him off before he can, “Look, you sleep here or I walk home through that storm. Your call.”

Adrian sighs and gets off the floor.

He places the cushions between us and turns off the lights. We lay there in silence, although it’s not entirely uncomfortable. I can feel his presence beside me, like an electromagnetic field connecting us even in our stillness. I try to relax, as easily done as that sounds, but my mind is spinning with anxious energy.

Half an hour later, Adrian finally calls out softly. “What’s up? Why are you still tossing and turning?” he asks gently.

“I can’t sleep, no matter how hard I try,” I reply in a whisper. He turns to face me, and I turn to face him, both of us resting an arm each on the pillows between us. I can't help but think, if I just reach out a little more, I could touch the corner of his hand.

Adrian smiles, his teeth reflecting the moonlight from outside. His eyes brighten with amusement, and he chuckles. “Well, what do you say to a game of two truths and one lie?”

Surprised, I turn to look at him with an eyebrow raised. He smiles cheekily before adding, “I promise it won’t be as boring as it sounds - and you can go first if you like!” Intrigued, I nod my head in acceptance before laying back down again.

“Okay, you go first,” I say.

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