Invited

Thirty-Two - Chevelle

"Don't go running in and bothering Timber right away," I told Lara, as we waited in the hallway for Paul to unlock our door. "He's really sad and might want to be left alone, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay. Thank you for letting me stay tonight. I missed you both while you were gone."

I gave her a smile. That was about all I could say in response. I thought about shipping her off to a friend's place again, but soon realized having her around might also be good for Timber. She always seemed to make him smile, and it would give him something to focus on in case he decided to go back into super caretaker mode. He'd done that to cope with being on the ship, it was possible he might do it again. Worst case scenario, he'd want more space and she'd go somewhere else for a little while. I hated the idea of passing her off based on convenience. How did that make us any better than her parents?

Paul opened the door and let us in. "If you need something, just holler. I'll be watching."

"Thanks," I said.

Normally, the thought of him spying on us creeped me out. I didn't like to think about how our every move was being watched. The Achlivans did so they could keep tabs on who was being naughty and nice. To them, watching us humans was similar to my watching the nature channel on cable. Sex, death, and everything else in life was all just a fascinating scientific study. Paul was human, however. Him watching was awkward. I sure hope he hasn't seen everything I've done since I've arrived.

The door closed and he locked us in. At first, this policy bothered me. Apparently the front door was reserved for only those who worked behind the scenes. We were allowed to use the balcony to get around.

"Hello?" Nathan called out from the kitchen. He peeked his head through the open gap between the counter and the cabinets overhead. "Can I help you?"

I raised both of my eyebrows at him. "Just coming home to my apartment. Don't worry about having to help me with anything."

"Oh, so you're Chevelle," he said, and I noticed his gaze briefly wander over me. He better not have been checking me out. Only Wicken was allowed to check me out. Was Nate, as Timber called him, cute? I guess, in a nerdy sort of way. He was tall and lean. Defined muscle on his arm suggested he worked out, possibly even to the same degree as Timber. His nose was a tad bit too big, and like most redheads, he had his fair share of freckles. Not enough to the point where I felt bad for the guy, but definitely enough to notice. His eyes though...they were still captivating. I still wouldn't have liked him giving me the eyes even if I was single.

"Yes, I am she," I mumbled. "How is he?"

Nate shrugged and went to do a pile of dishes in the sink. "I got him to eat something. Not much, but it was enough to keep him from getting sick. Last I checked he was in the bedroom sleeping."

"Okay, thanks," I said, and spun on my heel so I could go back to join him.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I snapped. "Lara, come on, let's get ready for bed."

Nate dropped his dishes in the sink, literally. The loud crash grated on my nerves. "You can't go back there!"

I growled, and I'm not going to feel bad about it. "If you hadn't noticed, there's one bed here. Since I'm assuming you're staying here as well, you can take the couch."

"But –"

"But he wants to be alone?" I lowered my voice just in case Timber was indeed still awake. "Yeah, I get that, but the thing is, for the past three months we've comforted each other by standing side by side. For the past three months, the three of us," I pointed at Lara and myself, "have all shared that bed. Through better and worse. It's not like I'm going to go back there and make him pour out his guts."

Nate threw up his hands. "Fine, but if he tells you to leave, you better leave, or I'll make you."

"Fine. I'll be sure to tell him you were a good guard dog and warned me even if I didn't want to listen. He might give you a treat and everything." I rolled my eyes and stormed off, not interested in hearing his reply.

"Nice to meet you too!" he called out after me.

I flipped him off before I entered the bedroom. Mature? No, but he annoyed me. A lot. I almost called for Paul to get the guy the heck out of the apartment. The only thing saving him from removal was the fact that Nathan was Timber's best friend. How someone as sweet as Timber could be friends with such a jerk baffled me.

Quietly opening the door, I poked my head into the room. Sure enough, I could hear Timber's deep breathing coming from the bed. The blankets were wrapped tight around him and he was curled up into a small ball. Typically, he slept on his stomach or back once he finished tossing and turning and making himself comfortable. I waited to make sure he was in fact sleeping before entering the room, Lara close behind me.

We tiptoed across the room and to the walk-in closet. In there, we got our pajamas together and put them on before taking our respective turns in the bathroom. Timber still didn't stir. If he wasn't breathing so hard, I'd be concerned he'd died. It wasn't until Lara climbed into bed next to him that he let out a soft groan.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered.

"Hmm?" Was his murmured reply.

"Sleep," I repeated.

He slowly sat up and looked down at Lara lying in her spot in the middle of the bed. Every night we were one big sandwich. Not the most comfortable, and yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Timber actually smiled when he saw her. "You're back."

"Love you," Lara said, throwing her arms around him, hugging him tight.

"Love you, too," he whispered. She let go of him and snuggled in close to his side, just like always.

I bit my lip. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," he said, his voice still quiet. "I'm okay with it."

"Okay, go back to sleep," I urged, hating that he'd been disrupted in the first place.

He lay back down and faced Lara, keeping her a bit closer than usual. I wanted to do more for him, but what? There was nothing left to do except sleep. Hopefully, I'd have a better idea of what to do in the morning.