No, he absolutely was not. “You’re not on the floor. I am. This is your bed.” I pointed to his bed like he might not know what it was and then dropped my hand because of course he knew which bed was his.
He leaned up on his elbows. “Of course you’re not sleeping on the floor.”
“It’s a mattress, not the floor. I’ll be fine.” I walked toward him. “Your feet are practically hanging off the edge. Come on. Get on your bed.”
Caesar scowled at me for a second. “Absolutely not. I’m not putting you on the floor when that bed will make you much more comfortable. When I heard you were coming, I even changed the sheets. I do that every other week anyway.”
I’d been right—he was neat like me, not that it mattered right then.
“If you won’t trade with me, then I guess we’re both going to have to sleep on your big bed. It’s a king; we can both fit.”
I said the words and then digested what I’d said. I’d never shared a bed with anyone. Despite the warm feelings we were all having, I barely knew him. Was it just over the top weird that I suggested it?
“Sure.” He got off the mattress. “That’s a good idea. We’ll do that.”
I let out a breath I’d held.
“Which side do you sleep on?” I’d be really glad when this conversation was over. Super-duper glad.
He pointed to the left. “That okay?”
I nodded. “For sure. It’s your bed. You pick. You’re doing me a huge favor and—”
“Maci,” he said as he climbed in, interrupting me. “I like your company. I’m almost always alone at night, and I have been for years. My dad comes and goes, but even when he’s here, he’s not here. I’m not sure I would want his attention if I got it.” He patted next to him, and I climbed in.
We shuffled the pillows around and climbed under the covers together. He was warm—even spaced out, I could feel him—and his mattress was heavy. I liked the sensation. It was a little bit like being in a cocoon. He rolled over and hit a light switch that bathed the room in darkness except for the television and the light that shone through the edge of the curtains on his windows from the well-lit yard.
“TV on or off?” His voice was low, a little bit strained. What must it feel like to be endlessly, constantly tired? I was pretty worn out myself, but I did get some sleep some of the time.
“Off.”
He grabbed his phone and hit a button that shut off the TV. “Oh, plug in your phone next to the bed. I have chargers on both sides in case I need to charge my tablet. And set your alarm. I’ll be up because I don’t sleep, but just in case. Ace texted he’s picking you up at ten.”
“Right. That is so nice of him. I should have thought to bring my car. Although, it’s my mom’s car, technically, so she could take it away if she wanted.”
He rolled over onto his side to look at me. “I could have brought you to work. Ace wants to, but just so you know, I would have done it. And I think you thought about all the things you could manage in that moment. Whenever I’m scared, I can barely function, if you want to know the truth. My brain goes into survival mode, and I can make poor decisions. You did great.”
It was hard to picture him scared. He was so much bigger than me and shirtless, so I’d gotten a good look at how buff he was. There were few people who could take him on, or at least that’s how it felt looking at him. He’d told me he didn’t like the noises being alone at night, so it would seem even strong, tough people could get hit with things that bothered them, too.
“Thank you.” I adjusted my pillow and then rolled on my side to face him. “What do you usually do when you’re up at night?”
He reached over and put his hand in my hair, running through it gently. “Draw. Obsess. Draw some more. Fall asleep for an hour. Jolt awake. Watch television. Around five, I work out. Get ready for school or the day. Last night, I thought a lot about you. Now you’re here.” He smiled. The little bit of light through the shades let me see him. “I hate thinking of you alone by yourself. Anyone could have come through the door to hurt you.”
I could have pointed out the same could be said about him. “Well…I’m not alone now. Thank you for that.”
“What can I make you for breakfast? What do you like?”
Food?I was still stuffed from dinner. It was an unusual occurrence for me, and I loved the sensation. “I am a food fan. I eat…everything. But you don’t have to feed me. I can…”
“Maci.” He lifted his eyebrows. “I’m going to feed you breakfast.”
He stroked my hair, and I loved it. Maybe he’d like the same done to him? If he touched me, that was pretty much guaranteed to be permission that I could touch him. I reached toward him and did to him what he was doing to me.
“You have to at least let me contribute to the food. I get a discount at work.”
He leaned into my hand. “Let’s drop it. You’re not winning this one with me.”
“Fine.” I was going to find a way to pay him back for his kindness. I’d work it out. “Thank you. I eat anything. Whatever you’re making for yourself.”