Red. | Walker Scobell

Sleepless Nights

Later that night, Chiara was lying in bed, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of Walker. She was just about to drift off to sleep when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She grabbed it and saw a message from Walker.

Walker:
You up?

Chiara:
Yeah, can't sleep either?

Walker:
Nope. Mind if I come over again?

Chiara:
Of course, come on over.

Chiara quickly sat up, her heart skipping a beat. She wasn't sure why she felt so excited to see him again, especially so soon after he'd just left, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. A few minutes later, there was another knock on her door.

"Hey," Walker said as she let him in, looking a little more tired but still with that same warm smile.

"Hey," Chiara replied, stepping aside to let him enter. "What's up? Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah," he said, running a hand through his messy hair. "I've just been thinking a lot lately, you know?"

"About what?" Chiara asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed and patting the spot next to her for Walker to join.

Walker hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside her. "Just... life, I guess. The whole acting thing, where I'm going with it, what I want to do next. It's hard to shut my brain off sometimes."

"I get that," Chiara said softly, understanding exactly what he meant. "It's like, there's always something to think about, something to worry about."

"Exactly," Walker said, his voice low and thoughtful. "And sometimes, I just want to escape it all, you know?"

Chiara nodded, feeling the weight of his words. "Yeah. Sometimes I wish I could just take a break from everything and just be... normal, I guess."

Walker looked at her, his eyes searching hers. "You ever feel like you're missing out on something? Like, all this success and fame is great, but it comes with so many sacrifices?"

"All the time," Chiara admitted. "But then I remind myself how lucky I am to be doing what I love. Even if it's hard sometimes."

Walker smiled softly. "You're right. It's just... nice to talk about it with someone who gets it, you know?"

"Yeah, it is," Chiara agreed, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. There was something comforting about the way Walker understood her, the way he could relate to her struggles.

They continued talking, sharing their thoughts and worries in the quiet of the night. As the conversation went on, they both started to relax, the late hour making everything feel more intimate and honest. At some point, they ended up lying down on the bed, side by side, just talking and listening to each other.

"So, what's your favorite movie?" Walker asked, turning his head to look at her.

Chiara smiled, thinking for a moment. "I think it's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love how it explores memories and love in such a unique way. What about you?"

Walker grinned. "Dead Poets Society. It's just so inspiring, you know? Makes you wanna seize the day and live life to the fullest."

"I still can't believe I haven't read the book," Chiara said with a small laugh.

Walker chuckled. "I'll lend it to you, I promise. You'll love it."

They continued talking, their voices getting softer as they started to drift off to sleep. Chiara's eyelids grew heavy, and she yawned, feeling the pull of sleep.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," Walker suggested, though he didn't move to leave.

"Yeah," Chiara murmured, already half-asleep. "Goodnight, Walker."

"Goodnight, Chiara," he whispered back.

Before they knew it, they had both fallen asleep, their bodies naturally gravitating towards each other in the small bed. When Chiara woke up the next morning, she found herself curled up against Walker, her head resting on his shoulder. For a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do. But then Walker stirred, blinking awake and looking just as surprised to find her so close.

"Uh, morning," he said, his voice still groggy.

"Morning," Chiara replied, feeling her cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's fine," Walker said quickly, though he looked a little flustered himself. "It's... nice."

Chiara smiled shyly, not sure what else to say. They both sat up, awkwardly disentangling themselves from the sheets.