finding you

twenty two

His bedroom is smaller than I would have expected it to be, given the size of this house, but it's really nice. His bed is huge with black sheets and a dark grey comforter. A giant wooden headboard ties everything in his room together. It's the same wood as his dresser. A dark, mahogany brown. It's almost as if this room came in a kit. Beautiful. 

"It's very clean," I say, earning a laugh from him. It's one of his beautiful, real laughs. I'm starting to pick up on these slight differences about him. One being: his laugh. It's infectious when it's real. But I can also tell when it's not totally authentic. It doesn't quite reach his eyes. That's the laugh I've seen for most of my life whenever I did see him. It makes me wonder more about him.

"We have a cleaning lady." 

Oh. "Ah." I nod.  Of course they do. 

We both awkwardly stand there, looking at his bed for a moment before he turns to me. "Did you want pajamas?" 

I almost laugh at him. He's offering me his pajamas? "No, I can just sleep in my clothes. Thank you, though." 

He nods. He then eyes me carefully with a small smirk growing on his face. What is he thinking? He walks past me and sits down on one side of the bed. I wonder for a moment if it's 'his' side. Is he one of those people that has a side?

I awkwardly glance around, as if I'm not acting as awkward as I totally am right now. Oh my God. What do I do? Do I go sit beside him? Ugh, I should just go sleep on the couch. 

He seems to notice my hesitation and looks at me, his eyes kind. He pats the side next to him on the mattress, grinning like a little boy. It eases my nerves and I let out a nervous giggle, shaking my head at this whole situation. 

What a damn night.

I start to walk over to him but stop suddenly. "Oh, the light," I say, backing up and switching it off. The darkness actually calms me down a bit. He can't see me and that makes me less self-conscious. I slowly try to make my way to the bed, holding my hands out in front of me. My knees hit something hard and I let out a groan. Rhys's laugh fills the room and I honestly can't help but smile whenever I hear it. "Ow." 

"Here." He laughs again and I can hear him move around on the bed as he comes closer to me. I soon feel his hand touch my arm and he gently takes it, guiding me towards him on to the bed. It's pitch black but I know we're so close. I can feel his body heat tickle my skin. My stomach does a flip when I realize it's just me and him. Alone. 

"Are you okay?" He suddenly asks out of the darkness. His voice is quiet and breathy. He doesn't even realize how attractive he sounds.

"Ya." I respond, but my voice is no more than a squeak. I'm so nervous right now. I'm not scared. Just nervous. 

I move to underneath the blankets and wonder what side I should face. I'm not ready to fall quite asleep yet so I turn so my face is facing the center. Maybe he's facing me, too.

We lay silent and all I can hear is the quiet howl of wind outside. My eyes are completely open staring straight ahead at nothing but blackness. If he were to somehow see me, it would seem so creepy. Suddenly, a low rumble erupts out of the darkness. It takes me a moment to even figure out what it is. 

"Are you laughing?" I blurt out, completely confused. Is that right? Is Rhys laughing right now?

Yes. Yes, he is. He continues to laugh and I feel his breath on my skin. 

"Why are you laughing?" I ask again.

He quiets down and the bed creaks as he moves in closer to me. "You're so uncomfortable right now."