Alamort | Troy Otto

2.2

[2.2]

That night, Thena couldn't sleep.

After her sobs had died down and her breathing returned to normal, she remained in the bed, her book so tightly held in her shaking hands as if it were the source of her life. Little by little, she found the strength to raise her body and stare at the darkness around her. Carefully, she grabbed the few other books that were scattered around the bed and put them in a pile that she placed on the nightstand.

Her mind wandered to Troy. In her pain, she completely forgot about him, and she panicked. What if he left? Took everything that they had and left? It was still strange for the woman to have him around all the time, and as much as his presence started to feel good to her, she still didn't completely trust him. But would she ever trust him? After all, she didn't trust her own mind sometimes.

With faint steps after she found her balance, she walked out of her childhood room, but didn't get far down the hallway. She didn't expect to see him, but there he was, sitting by her door, his head fallen upfront as he slept. For how long he has been there, Thena had no idea.

Slowly, she went back in her room and took a small pillow and a blanket. She went back to the hallway and stared at his sleeping body for a second, before shaking off the feeling that washed over her. She put the pillow against the wall and pushed his head back so he would lean comfortably on it. With a sigh, she sat in front of him and curled in a ball on the hard flood, her arm under her head, before she put the blanket on her body.

Even after days of sleeping in a car and missing a soft bed, there was something in the house that didn't let her sit comfortably on it, let alone fall asleep. But feeling Troy's presence next to her somehow calmed her. They had been together on the road for six days, slept in the same car side by side and breathed the same air for God knows how much time. His presence, as much as it was frightening and uncomfortable when he was awake, was the most calming thing Thena felt since her father's coma.

With small breaths, she let her eyes close, exhaustion finally taking over her body.

~

His blue eyes opened first.

It wasn't as dark anymore, light creeping by the small windows all around the house, illuminating even the darkest corners of the hall. He frowned as he moved, feeling the pillow behind his head shift, and turned to look at it, confused on how it got there. But when he turned his head and his eyes fell upon Thena's frame as she slept, a small sad smile slithered on his lips.

He didn't move until she stirred awake. He just sat there, watching her as she breathed and thinking back to her time at the ranch, remembering all their little encounters. Thena let out a gasp as she awoke, extending her arms to the ceiling as she groaned. She slowly rose so she could sit, her eyes watching whatever was in front of her with a still sleepy gaze.

"Morning," whispered Troy from his seat. Thena was startled, and she jumped slightly at the sudden voice, but when she saw him, her body relaxed, not completely though, and it was a detail Troy would always remember.

"Morning..."

They remained silent for a few minutes, none moving from their spot. Troy stared at Thena, just like he used to find himself starring at her in the car, but the woman wasn't looking at him, just zoned out with her eyes staring at the carpet.