AGAPI

9. Sleepless Night

Wednesday, 2nd October, 2019
2:56 a.m

I wake up at an odd time and find Iris sleeping on her stomach, with back of her head facing me and the palm of her hand, resting on my shoulder. I couldn't help but smile a little until I see her moving. I close my eyes soon to pretend that I wasn't awake and after a couple of seconds, I sense her hand leaving my shoulder. The lamp light beside her side of the bed gets turned on and I feel her leaving the bed. I try my best to not move and stay like a person who sleeps calmly till I hear the bathroom door being closed.

I open my eyes and then realise that it was still dark to be daytime. I search for my phone and reach out to it to check the time and sigh realising that we had to now go back to sleep again but this time together which would make it awkward.

Awkward for me and not for her as she is unaware that I am awake. I just have to pretend that I'm sleeping until I fall asleep.

After a while, I see the bathroom door handle move, and I shut my eyes instantly. I had tried and adjusted myself in a comfortable position, when she was in there, for me to comfortably act that I'm sleeping.

I keep trying to focus on her footsteps but I couldn't hear until I felt some movement on the bed. I could sense that she was probably just sitting on the bed and not sleeping because the bed cover was unmoved. I bet she is disappointed that a man she doesn't know is sleeping on the same bed she is supposed to sleep. Goddammit, grandma.

After a few minutes, I feel her moving away from the bed and later I hear the curtains being drawn and a door sliding which means she is heading to the balcony. I open my eyes slowly making sure that I won't get caught in my acting and find her exactly where I was sure she would be. She was staring outside while I was staring at her. She probably needs some air to freshen up her mind from all the things that are happening lately.

We both don't take our eyes away from what we are staring at for a long time. Soon, she turns towards me and I'm caught. Shit. I was just too spaced out to even realize she was turning until our eyes met. I'm doomed.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" She murmurs while getting inside the room, sliding back the doors and closing the curtains.

I do not answer. Infact, I couldn't process an answer.

She looks at me again reaching the bed. "Sorry." She says under her breath, audible enough for me hear, with an apologetic face.

I shake my head, "It's okay. I just woke up." I murmur back and she just nods.

Soon, I realise that she didn't ask me about when I woke up and I answered like a stupid moron caught in the act.

"I meant... I just woke up because I wanted to use the bathroom. I wasn't disturbed by you." I say, making it seem natural. Hopefully, it was natural enough. She just nods again.

We share a glance before I get off the bed and make my way to the bathroom even if I didn't want to use it, to make up for my lie while she makes her way to the bed to sleep. Never have I ever been so awkward in my life.

I spend around five minutes in the bathroom doing nothing, not wanting to go to bed and when I come out of the bathroom, I find her sleeping but I wasn't sure if she was just closing her eyes or if she was really asleep.

I get near the bed and take a deep breath before getting on the bed. After I finally rest my head on the pillow and get the bed cover on me, she speaks up.

"Do you want me to turn the light off?" We both stare at each other for few seconds.

"Your comfort." I reply, breaking the eye contact.