Silas
I wakeup in the dark. There’s something soft in my face and something else soft under my arm and I freeze, stare wide-eyed into nothingness.
Then, of course, I remember: that the soft tangle in my face is Kat’s hair, that the softness under my arm is Kat herself. I’m on my stomach and she’s on her back and despite the vastness of the bed, we both migrated to the middle during the night.
There must be a dip in the mattress or something.
I lie there, awake, and don’t move. I didn’t set my alarm but it’s not like I need to bother anymore; get up at five in the morning for a couple of years and that’s what happens. So I lie there, still, in the deep quiet dark of early morning, and Kat breathes, her body shifting under my arm.
And oh, this is nice.
God, this is nice.
Fuck, this is so fucking nice, to be warm and sleepy and comfortable, to be sprawled against another person. It feels so good that I can’t even believe how good it feels. I had almost forgotten how good, because the last time I woke up with someone was…
I don’t remember. It doesn’t matter. I lie there, perfectly still, until Kat rolls over on her own and my hand spills off of her, and then I get up and head to the hotel gym.
* * *
I’m standingat the door to our room, two coffees from the lobby balanced in one hand as I swipe the keycard with the other, when the door to the room next to ours opens and I glance up.
My friendly good morning dies on my lips, because Meckler steps out.
Neither of us says anything, but I can still feel us circling like rival wolves.
Then he walks away, and I let myself into the room.