Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“We can check for leaks.” I didn’t really expect my close inspection to work, but examining the mattress bought me time to think of a better plan. “Okay, no leaks. And it’s getting late. Just give me a pillow and a blanket. It’s not like I haven’t bedded down on the floor before.”
“Absolutely not.” He sounded horrified. “It’s cold. This place has iffy heat to begin with, and the hardwood floors seem to hold a chill. You’ll freeze.”
“I’ve been cold before.”
“If anyone is taking the floor, it’s me,” he said firmly. I couldn’t remember anyone else showing this level of concern over where I slept and whether I was warm enough. Earlier in the night, I’d hugged Paige and Aunt Lucy. Hugging was another thing I didn’t do very often, but Zeb’s caretaking felt like a hug.
“Then you’ll be cold,” I pointed out reasonably, only for him to make a frustrated noise.
“Better me than you.”
“I disagree.” I sighed because I was way, way too exhausted for this argument. Screw it. “How about we share?”
“The floor?” He glanced at the flat and useless air mattress.
“No, your bed.” Hefting myself off the floor, I strode toward Gabe’s old bedroom, praying Zeb didn’t have a twin-size bed. And thank God, he didn’t, but he did have the smallest-looking double I’d ever seen, pressed against one wall to make room for yet more electronic equipment, including a TV and a couple of gaming consoles. “You game in bed?”
“Sometimes. Space is at a premium.” He stood in the doorway, gaze locked on his bed as if willing it to transform into a king. “Speaking of, no way are we both going to fit in my bed.”
“Sure, we will.” I clapped him on the shoulder before venturing more into the room. The bed was nicely made, covered by a thick blue comforter and a patchwork quilt I recognized as one of my Aunt Lucy’s. Familiar. Maybe this wouldn’t be terrible. But Zeb still hung back in the doorway, wide-eyed and radiating discomfort. “Come on, you’ve never shared with a buddy camping or on a road trip?”
“That’s different,” he gritted out.
“How?”
“Ugh.” Zeb made a loud, rude noise but didn’t address my question. “Fine. Suit yourself.” He finally entered the room, crossing to his dresser. “Do you need pajamas?”
“Pajamas?” I blinked. I didn’t usually wear more than boxers, but that might horrify Zeb further. I supposed I could find a pair of sweats or something in my bag. “Oh. Uh. No. I should probably shower again though.”
“Okay, you first, then me.” Zeb sounded resigned to death by a thousand fire ants.
“It’s a bed, not a torture chamber.” I headed for the bathroom, hoping the alone time while I was in the shower would mellow his attitude some. Unlike earlier in the day, I was too tired to linger. Zeb had helpfully hung clean towels on the rack in the bathroom. That soft place in my chest pinged again. He was a good host.
After drying off, I dug through my bag, finding a serviceable pair of sweatpants, but no such luck on a shirt. Oh well. We were both dudes, and Zeb had seen more than my chest earlier.
“Okay, your turn,” I said as I walked back into the bedroom from the hall bath. Zeb was perched on the edge of the bed, fiddling with a game controller. “I didn’t have a clean T-shirt, sorry.”
“Oh.” Zeb made a startled noise, flying off the bed. “I have one you can borrow.” And okay, he was way more modest than me. I accepted his offering of a shirt from a convention for the Odyssey card game franchise a lot of my buddies played in their downtime. I pulled it on. As I’d figured, it was a size too small, tight in the neck, arms, and chest, and a little short to boot, but I wasn’t going to complain, especially with Zeb waving a hand and making distressed noises. “Ah. Um.”
“It’s fine.” Not giving him a chance to protest further, I crawled onto the far side of the bed, against the wall. “Thanks. You go shower now.”
Zeb took what felt like an entire decade in the shower, and I drifted in and out of sleep, the sound of the water running soothing. Awkward bed arrangement or not, it was nice to not be alone.
When the shower shut off, I pressed myself against the wall, trying to create maximum space for Zeb, who crept into bed like he was performing a stealth perimeter check.
“Good night, Zeb.” I yawned and pulled my pillow closer.
“Night.”
I should have dropped right into a deeper sleep as soon as he flipped off the light, but I couldn’t. Zeb held himself so stiffly the bed vibrated from his efforts, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was clinging to the side of the mattress. This wasn’t going to work.