If We Survive The Night

Surprise

Casey

I wake up in a small, shadowy room. It's early in the morning as can be judged by the light that filters in through the blinds, painting pale lines on the bed and the floor. Muffled sounds of traffic are coming from the outside. Stretching, I turn to my side, and find Jaden lying next to me, still asleep, looking cozy in his T-shirt and boxers.

I examine his sleeping face. Not a shadow of a frown, not a hint of grumpiness. I wish he could be like that when he's awake. He was like that last night, when we talked while having that late-night feast in his kitchen, destroying what his uncle had bought for him. Then we went to bed, and just lay there, talking some more. We may have kissed, or I may have dreamt it. I must have drifted off at some point, which I guess was a first for me. On the rare occasions when I'd shared a bed with a good-looking guy, it had never been for sleeping. It feels okay, though, that things are developing slowly between us. We've been through something big and overwhelming together, and we need to get it out of our system, to heal a bit before we can move on with our lives. The bad memories must fade to allow us to make new and better ones.

I watch his sleeping face, thinking about all the people that I have in my life. There are so very few of them. After I'd moved, my high school friendships kind of ended. I mean, we keep in touch on social media, but it's not the same. There's Andy, but I know we're over now, and we've never had anything real, were just passing time together out of boredom and loneliness. There's Jen—the very thought of her makes me shiver. We're related by blood, but I've never really had a sister, least of all now. The idea of seeing her again makes my stomach clench. I'll have to face her in court, I know, and I'll deal with it when the time comes. Maybe I'll get a chance to ask her why she did it, whether she felt nothing at all, no remorse, no second thoughts. I'm sure she'll lie, but maybe I'll see the truth in her eyes.

I don't want to think about her. I have another face in front of me, the important one.

I feel like touching him, but I stop myself. He should get his sleep. He's recovering, too. Quietly, I sit up, trying not to disturb his side of the bed. Maybe I could prepare us a breakfast. I'm feeling domestic all of a sudden, imagining scrambled eggs and coffee served nicely for him as he wakes up. He's got to have eggs and coffee. Everybody has those. Maybe there's still something else left in his fridge, some bread and butter or whatever, to make it look more like an actual meal.

I quietly slip out of bed and tiptoe to the bathroom. I brush my teeth, wash my face, try to get my hair to behave, combing it with my wet fingers. They gave me a small travel kit with a cheap toothbrush and toothpaste when I left the hospital, but a hairbrush wasn't included. My curls are always a mess, but usually a more controlled one. Now, they're just wild. I should wash my hair, but first thing first—the breakfast.

In the kitchen, I check out the cupboards and the fridge, gradually losing my enthusiasm. We really didn't leave much for the morning. There's one egg, and half a block of butter, but no bread. There's a slice of cheese, but the way it looks, I wouldn't risk eating it. And, of course, there is cereal, but this is getting ridiculous. Cereal doesn't classify as a surprise breakfast.

I'm not particularly hungry yet, given how much we've eaten last night, but this still sucks. I sigh and look around for other ways to be useful. There are dishes in the sink—perhaps I could help with those, at least.

I'm half way through them when I hear a voice behind me.

"Morning," Jaden says, his voice rusty. I glance over my shoulder to find him standing in the kitchen entryway. "You're cleaning?"

"Just trying to be useful. Also, after all the cleaning you did for us, maybe it's time I start giving back."

"You don't have to do this."

"I want to." I turn the water off, putting the last plate onto the drying rack. "Also, I wanted to make us breakfast, but we're out of pretty much everything."

"We could go shopping."

I lean with my back on the kitchen counter, drying up my hands on a towel. "I'm not sure I'm allowed to leave the apartment."

"I could go alone," he says. "There's a mini mart around the corner."

"Or we could order online. You have a phone now."

"At this hour, I don't think anything is open." He eyes me for a moment. "I'll go get us something. It'll take ten minutes."

"Okay," I say, returning the towel to the counter. "It's just... I imagined I'd make you a surprise breakfast, but now you have to go shopping for it, so no surprise."

The corners of his mouth curve up. "Maybe next time."

"Will there be a next time?"

"I don't see why not." He steps closer. "Anyway, I'm not really hungry yet."

"Neither am I," I whisper, beginning to feel hypnotized by his dark gaze, as well as his sudden proximity.

"Good." With that, he slips his fingers into my hair and kisses me.