Night On Set ❁ COLIFER

Chapter 57 ❁ That damn Irish guy

Jen's POV

Focus. I need something to focus on.

My gaze slowly moves across the ceiling of Colin's living room. The blinds on the windows are down, filtering a pattern of light strips from the street lights outside. Apart from an occasional barking sound in the far distance and the hum of the refrigerator, the entire apartment is dead silent.

I focus on the little red light of the TV, which forces me to touch my chin to my collar bone. It must be about four o'clock right now. I haven't had one bit of sleep, even though we finished our last movie over an hour ago, and my heart has been pounding in my ears this entire time.

Rose is sound asleep on my right. She keeps sighing every once in a while, which initially had me convinced that she was still awake. But after an hour of continuous sighing, I came to the conclusion that she's just one of those happy sleepers. The type of person whose unconscious seemingly wants to rub it in your face that everyone's sleeping happily but you, and that you're the only one whose thoughts are still spinning like mad.

Maybe I'm looking into this too much. But I need something to focus on.

Because it can't be Colin's face only an inch away from mine.

Oh, hey, update on Colin: he fell asleep with his whole body turned toward me, and now there's only a thin layer of sheets that's keeping me from touching him. I'm not sure who put it there, but it's stuck between us now, and I can't pull it loose. I don't even dare move.

I'm literally squished between them. And this mattress isn't big enough to fit three people.

Carefully lowering my head onto the pillow, I shift my focus to my abdomen. Very slowly, I suck in a breath of air, and I let it go even more slowly. I repeat that a few times, thinking how funny it is that you become so aware of your own body when you're trying not to make a single sound.

But my focusing on my breathing has caused me not to notice the change in the layer of sheets. That is, until I suddenly feel Colin's arm slipping underneath it— pressing right against my own arm.

I freeze. I listen. His breathing is unchanged; in, out, the same, slow pace.

Now I don't even dare move my toes.

I breathe out again. And my stomach makes the most agonizing, growling noise that lasts for at least a few seconds.

I'm cringing inside. I even squeeze my eyes shut, until I notice something's different. Something has stopped. Colin's breathing.

And then I hear the soft grinning noises on my left.

He's awake.

Or has he been awake this entire time?

"I'm sorry," I whisper, suddenly unable to control my cheeks. "It's so loud."

"Brom. Brooororom," he buzzes right next to my ear.

I bite my lip, but that doesn't stop the smile on my face. My gaze is still focused on the ceiling, because I know I won't be able to handle it if I looked at him right now.

"Are you hungry?" he asks.

"Did that completely give it away?"

"It might have."

I press my toes together. Anything to get this excitement out of me. I don't even know what I'm excited about, but for some reason it's thrilling to both be awake when Rose is not.

Finally, I turn my head towards him. And he's already staring back.

I gaze into his eyes, not even feeling awkward about it, because he's doing the exact same thing. "Rose?" I ask, raising my voice without breaking the eye contact with him. He looks confused, until I ask it again. "Rose?"