Soulless

Eighteen | Manifestations

Lunden Evergreen

My mind was alive, I couldn't even sleep a wink. I lay in his guest bed staring at the ceiling with my heart a buzz. I just couldn't believe it, the feeling I denied for so long was real.

I didn't even have to question how he felt, because he just said it so simply. It was almost weird, because usually when this happens people are left confused or wondering how the other person feels. But yet here I was kicking my feet like a little girl with a crush.

It was like a Christmas gift in itself, yet I couldn't find myself asleep. The entire night he just kept looking at me differently, in a way he'd been dying to. One that made my heart burst by just making eye contact with him. Like I was the only woman in the world (besides Pepper).

She was snuggled into my arms and had fallen asleep. I wondered if he got Pepper any gifts for Christmas, I bought her a chew toy.

Maybe I should've seen this coming.

I looked at the old clock on the nightstand. I couldn't believe it was one in the morning and I couldn't sleep. Santa would not be happy about this.

Pepper moved slightly and then her eyes opened to meet mine. I smiled at her as her eyes perked up, she was just a happy puppy. This dog was the only family Atlas really had left, that was something that shattered me. I was ungrateful and ignored my family while I still had them. But I knew he understood why.

I had millions of thoughts, even random ones like I wondered why his name was Greek if he was Italian. But I wasn't in the place to ask them, my mind was running a mile a minute. It was like my brain was just on and no matter how many sleeping positions I tried, nothing worked.

I'd counted about five hundred sheep and not a single lamb knocked me out. This was ridiculous.

Pepper's head lifts up and she looks to the door and I hear the slightest creak outside of it. I sit up slowly and the door opens to him. He stares at me surprised to see me up and awake.

"You can't sleep either?" He asks.

"Nope."

His silhouette stands tall in the dark as I lean against the headboard. Pepper makes her way to the edge of the bed wagging her tail at him. He steps forward away from the door and towards her scratching her ears. Her head leaned against him as he continued to pet her.

"Do you mind staying with me?" I ask boldly, my heart pounds in my chest. It was almost too forward of me, but I wasn't sleeping and I just needed his comfort.

"If it helps us sleep, it's worth a shot" He removes his shoes places them beside the bed, and walks around to the other side. He lifts the covers of the bed and it dips as he crawls in beside me. Pepper moves up the bed and lays in between us, the emotional barrier we needed.

She pants softly and excitedly, now she is up. She looked at the both of us waiting for attention and reluctantly keeping her awake I pet her head as she calmed down.

Then unexpectedly she stands leaving her spot. We watch as she jumps off the bed and goes to the chair in the corner.

Pepper knew what she was doing.

I've never shared a bed with a person in my entire life. It was weird but comforting in some type of way. My eyes met his as we lay in bed.