Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

117. A Whirlwind Of Butterflies

I could tell she was genuinely worried, and honestly, I was feeling a little uncomfortable about this situation too. I swallowed, feeling a slight lump in my throat. "Well... sleep on the floor then," I suggested with a sly grin.

She didn’t hesitate to grab a fluffy bear from her bed and throw it straight at my head. "You sleep on the floor! This is my bed."

Laughing, I caught the bear and tossed it aside. "No way."

She sighed, her tone turning frustrated. "I’ve been sleeping on that couch in your room for months now. And now you won’t even let me sleep in my own bed for a few days?"

She had a point, but I wasn’t about to give in so easily. "But I’ll catch a cold! I’ve never slept on the floor before."

With a determined look, she pushed me over to the other side of the bed. "I don’t care," she said, claiming her space. "I’m sleeping here."

I held my ground, making my voice firm. "Sarah, I’m not sleeping on the floor either. If you don’t want to, then I guess we’ll just have to share the bed."

Without a word, she got up, went to the closet, and pulled out another blanket. Tossing it at me, she wrapped herself tightly in her own blanket like a human burrito, turning her back to me. "Do what you want. I don’t care."

I lay there for a moment, staring at her back. "I’m serious, you know. I won’t back down. I’ll be sleeping on the bed too."

Silence. She didn’t respond.

I sighed and settled back into the bed, pulling the extra blanket over me. The quiet of the night settled in.
I stuck to the other side of the bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to find peace. The whole time, her presence was all I could think about. I glanced over at her, noticing she had turned in her sleep, facing me. Almost instinctively, I mirrored her movement, rolling over to face her.

She was fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady. Every rise and fall of her chest seemed to stir something deep inside me. My stomach churned, and without realizing it, my hand extended toward her face. Gently, I brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. I lingered there for a moment, taking in her peaceful expression before quickly pulling my hand back, feeling a sudden rush of warmth. I turned my back to her and shut my eyes tightly, trying to will myself to sleep.

An hour passed, and I still couldn’t drift off. Every time she shifted slightly, it sent my heart racing. Her presence, though innocent, was stirring chaos in my mind. I turned again to face her, muttering softly under my breath, "How can you sleep like a baby, especially when a guy like me is lying right next to you?"

I sat up, restless, and searched for water but realized the bottle was empty. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. My clumsiness betrayed me as I knocked something over, sending a loud clatter through the quiet house. Before I could clean it up, Sarah’s mom and Sonal appeared, startled by the noise.

Her mom handed me a water bottle with a gentle smile. She quickly retreated to her room, waking Sarah on the way out.

Sarah, groggy and rubbing her eyes, sat up as I returned to the room. "What’s going on? Still not asleep?" she asked, her voice soft with sleep.

I shook my head, trying not to sound too desperate. "Yeah... I can't seem to sleep."

Without a word, she reached over to her bedside drawer and pulled out a pair of earphones, handing them to me. "Here, listen to some music. It’ll help."

I took them but didn’t use them immediately, watching as she yawned and stretched, glancing at the clock. "Oh, I forgot to turn off the light," she mumbled, swinging her feet to the floor.

Suddenly, panic surged through me. "Wait! Don’t!" I blurted out, a little too quickly. She paused, staring at me in confusion.

"Leave it on," I said, trying to sound casual, but the urgency in my voice betrayed me.

She blinked at me, clearly puzzled, but didn’t press the issue. "Okay," she murmured, sliding back under the covers.

I sat back down, heart pounding. She had no idea how tense I felt in that moment. Why was I the only one so affected by this? How could she be so calm, so nonchalant, while my entire body was buzzing with nervous energy? She didn’t seem to grasp the weight of the situation at all. I sighed, lying back down, questioning why I was the only one feeling these butterflies.

Dangerous. That’s what she was -- completely unaware of the storm she was stirring within me.