ꜱᴛᴀʏ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ • ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ
Follows the lives of six self-proclaimed adults: a witty procrastinator, a smart-mouth with a drinking problem, a crybaby, an overdramatic playboy, a social-recluse workaholic, and an intellectual charmer, as they learn to en...
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The sun was barely coming up when Bilal's eyes peeled open.
He woke at the sound of an irritating bird tapping the window, and his eyes squinted to see the darkness was gradually fading outside. His eyes focused on Chloe right in his line of vision, soundlessly asleep facing the ceiling, her hands neatly clasped on top of the covers.
Even in her sleep, she was organized.
He fought the smile and sat up straight, wiping a hand along his face and blinking the sleep away from his eyes.
Chloe jolted awake at the movement, a tiny gasp escaping her lips. Bilal shot his head to face her, brows itched together - he didn't expect her to be a light sleeper. Although, for some reason, it seemed obvious.
"What time is it?" She rubbed her eyes, sitting up and leaning forward.
He glanced at the time on his phone. "Five." He turned and gave her a small smile. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
She shook her head, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not you."
Sleep wasn't much of an option growing up with parents as loud as hers, with problems escalating so quickly out of nothing and turning almost catastrophic. Sleep made her vulnerable, made her less in control, and easily susceptible to danger.
"Why are you awake at this time?" She mumbled unintelligibly, exhaustion blearing her thoughts as she lied back down to the same position she was in moments ago. "Go back to sleep."
He relaxed and lay back against the pillow, studying Chloe as her breathing came out slow and steady again. He closed his eyes, knowing he couldn't go back to sleep, but he tried. And eventually, he fell, deeply and soundlessly.
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