frostbite

Chapter 33: Waking Up

Eden stirred, caught between sleep and wakefulness, the warmth of the bed making it hard to fully open her eyes. The world was soft and quiet, the early morning light just beginning to peek through the curtains. She snuggled deeper into the warmth, her face buried in something soft, something... familiar. Her arm was draped around something solid, yet comforting, and she could feel the steady rise and fall of breathing beneath her fingertips.

Wait.

Eden's eyes shot open, her mind catching up with the situation at lightning speed. Her hand was resting firmly on... Evelyn.

Her face was pressed against Evelyn's shoulder, her arm wrapped securely around her waist, and their legs—oh god—their legs were tangled together. She was practically holding onto her professor like some kind of human teddy bear.

Panic shot through her. But even though her mind was screaming at her to move, her body betrayed her, unwilling to untangle itself from the warmth and closeness. She could feel the steady beat of Evelyn's heart, calm and strong beneath her hand.

For a moment, Eden just lay there, eyes wide, staring at the ceiling. Okay, think, she told herself. How did this even happen?

Last night had been... charged. They'd shared the bed, sure, but Eden had gone to sleep on her side, miles away from Evelyn—well, not miles, but far enough to avoid this exact situation. So how did she end up... here?

She risked a glance up at Evelyn, hoping—praying—that she was still asleep. But, of course, Evelyn Winters was awake. Wide awake.

Evelyn's eyes were already open, staring down at Eden with an unreadable expression, though Eden swore she saw a flicker of amusement lurking beneath her composed exterior.

"Comfortable?" Evelyn asked, her voice low and deceptively calm.

Eden's heart leapt into her throat. "Uh..." She scrambled to untangle herself, her face flushing red-hot. "I—I didn't—this wasn't—"

Evelyn's lips twitched, her voice taking on a teasing edge. "Are you always this cuddly in the morning, Eden? Or is this a special occasion?"

Eden's face went even redder, if that was even possible. "I didn't mean to! I was asleep! I—I—" She pulled herself away, sitting up and trying to look anywhere but at Evelyn. "I don't usually... do that."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the moment. "Really? You seemed quite comfortable."

Eden groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

Evelyn chuckled softly, pushing herself up into a sitting position as well. She seemed completely unbothered by the situation, whereas Eden's mind was still reeling. "I'm not sure," Evelyn said with a teasing lilt. "I'll have to think about it."

Eden shot her a glare from between her fingers. "You're evil."

Evelyn smiled—a full, real smile that made Eden's stomach flip. "Perhaps. But I'm not the one who was using my professor as a pillow."

Eden's mouth opened and closed, trying to come up with some kind of witty retort, but all she could do was groan again and flop back onto the bed. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," Evelyn replied smoothly, her voice laced with amusement.

Eden peeked at her from under her arm, watching as Evelyn stood and stretched. She was dressed in the same loose-fitting shirt and sweatpants from the night before, and Eden found herself momentarily distracted by how... casual Evelyn looked. It was so different from the sharp, intimidating professor who lectured in neatly tailored suits, and Eden couldn't help but find it oddly endearing.