Evermore - Cheradine

Chapter 36

The morning light filtered through the hotel curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across the room. Cheryl and I lay together beneath the covers, the cool air from the AC contrasting with the warmth of the duvet. Good Morning Britain murmured in the background, a blend of news and banter filling the quiet. Cheryl's arm was draped across my waist, her fingers lightly tracing patterns on my skin.

Everything felt simple in moments like this... quiet, warm, easy. Cheryl's gentle touch, her steady breathing against my neck, the occasional brush of her lips on my shoulder. These were the moments I lived for, the ones where it felt like nothing outside this room could break our peace.

Then her phone buzzed on the nightstand, slicing through the calm like a crack in glass.

Cheryl stirred behind me, reaching for her phone. I heard her breath catch slightly when she saw the screen light up. I didn't need to ask who it was. The shift in her posture and the faint tension in her shoulders said it all.

"It's Liam," she said, her voice softening the way it always did when it was something to do with Bear.

I nodded, keeping my face neutral, though my stomach twisted. It had to be about Bear, why else would Liam be calling this early? But I couldn't shake the discomfort that was creeping in.

Cheryl answered the call without hesitation. "Hey, what's up?" she said, her voice quiet but focused, her fingers still absentmindedly brushing against my hip.

I muted the TV, pretending not to care, though I found it impossible not to listen. I could only hear Cheryl's side of the conversation, but that was enough for my mind to start filling in the blanks, trying to make sense of it.

"What happened?" Cheryl asked, her voice sharpening slightly with concern.

My chest tightened. It had to be Bear.

"You what? Fell?" Cheryl's tone softened, more confused than alarmed.

Okay, not Bear.

I shifted slightly under the covers, watching Cheryl's face as she listened, her expression moving from concern to mild disbelief. "You were changing a lightbulb?" she asked, her voice carrying that tone she used when Liam was being a bit dramatic.

I tried to piece the conversation together. Changing a lightbulb? Fell? My stomach twisted with relief and frustration. He wasn't hurt badly, then. Just enough to warrant a call to Cheryl, apparently.

Cheryl sighed, her fingers slipping away from my waist as she sat up completely. I watched her swing her legs over the side of the bed, her attention now fully on the phone. "Is Bear alright?" she asked, her voice lowering with concern again.

My chest loosened slightly. Bear was fine. That was the important part, right?

"What did you hurt?" Cheryl's voice softened again, and I could almost see the eye roll she must've been suppressing. "Your ankle?"

I resisted the urge to sigh, knowing exactly where this was heading. Liam had hurt himself, and now Cheryl would feel obligated to go check on him.

"Okay, I'll come by," she said, resignation in her voice as she hung up, already standing and reaching for her clothes.

I watched her pull on her jeans, trying to sound casual even though every part of me wanted to know more. "What happened?"

"Liam fell while trying to change a lightbulb," Cheryl replied, shaking her head as she grabbed her T-shirt off the chair. "He's twisted his ankle and now he's freaking out because he says he can't move. Bear's with him, and I don't want him seeing Liam in a panic."