Evermore - Cheradine

Chapter 4

Cheryl and I kept chatting until sleep and exhaustion took over.

"I'll leave you to rest." I stood up to go to my room and Cheryl did the same. "If you need me, I'm only a few doors away." I held her hand.

"You could sleep here... I mean... in case I need you..." Cheryl spoke completely embarrassed, looking like she was afraid I would say no.

I considered her proposal for a few seconds. The truth was, the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted to be with her. Besides, she was sick, and it would be much easier to help her if I were in the same room rather than elsewhere.

"You can just say no, ya know." Cheryl said clearly upset.

Damn it, Cheryl interpreted my delay in answering her as reluctance to accept her invitation.

"No." I shook my head, and Cheryl widened her eyes in surprise thinking I had just denied her. "I mean, yes, I'll sleep here with you."

"Are you sure? It seemed like you didn't like the idea."

"Don't be silly." I playfully shook her arm.

"I don't want you to be here forced." She said trying to pretend indifference.

"I'm not here forced, let's go to bed." I ended our little banter and gently nudged her towards the bed.

We got settled in, and she turned off the light on her side.

We were lying facing each other, as Cheryl pushed a strain of my hair off my face.

"Do you need to take any more meds tonight?" I asked in a low voice.

"I think I have two different ones around the middle of the night. Kim already set the alarm on me phone so I won't miss me doses."

I don't know why but it bothered me that Kimberley was there for Cheryl even without being physically here. They have this unbreakable bond I would never measure up, no matter how hard I tried.

"Kimberley thought it all through." I said with some irony.

"She's always one step ahead, isn't she?" Cheryl smiled.

"Yes, she is."

Cheryl's alarm went off in the middle of the night for her to take her medicine. I ignored the noise and kept my eyes closed, waiting for her to turn it off. I felt Cheryl get up from the bed, and I turned my face to the other side to go back to sleep.

"Shit!" I heard Cheryl curse, and when I opened my eyes, she was near the bathroom door, lighting the path with her phone, apparently having bumped into something on the way.

"Cheryl, you can turn the lights on." I spoke from the bed.

"I don't wanna mess up your sleep."

"Too late, your alarm already did the job." I said, a bit irritated. I wasn't a pleasant person when I was sleepy.

"I'm sorry."

Cheryl went into the bathroom, took her pills, and returned to bed, still using her phone to light the way.

I ended up feeling guilty for being rude and pulled her into a tight hug. "Did I upset you?" I kissed her forehead, which was still warm.

"I shouldn't have asked you to sleep with us. You're not resting properly because of me."

"I was sleeping like a baby till your alarm went off." I tightened my arms around her. "You're so warm. So cozy."

"Maybe because I have a fever." Cheryl joked.