24. Theo #3
“Hang on. I need to touch you.”
“Need to? I like it when you say that.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have a hair.”
“Oh. Okay.” She leaned in and I moved it for her.
“There you go.”
“I could have gotten it, but thank you.”
“We’re practicing, aren’t we?” I asked. “You didn’t flinch.”
“Like I said, I know these hands. One day, I want to know them better than my own.”
Her words felt like they went straight through my heart. “Nice romance line. You should put it in a book.”
I stepped away, cutting the contact. Piper’s smile dimmed for only a second, and I felt like the biggest asshole in the world.
“Are you busy tonight?” she asked.
“Not really. Why?”
“It would be nice to watch a movie with someone. I used to do that a lot before I moved.”
It had been forever since I even had the time to watch a movie. “I can make time for it.”
“Good. What kind are you into?”
“Do I look like I have time to watch anything?”
“Let me guess, you don’t have any idea what came out in the last fifty years.”
“Fifty years? I’m not that old.”
Piper laughed. “You sure like to pretend you are.”
She was very right, and I didn’t like it.
“Pick something. I’ll enjoy it.”
She led me to the couch where she got a movie up on her TV. She sat on one end while I was on the other and hit play.
I was having a hard time focusing on the movie because of her sitting near me.
Ever since all of our practice, Piper didn’t watch me closely. She didn’t feel tense in my presence.
I’d never understand why she trusted me so much.
I kept my arms crossed, making sure that no part of us accidentally brushed. But I couldn’t help but remember the times we’d touched.
The more she gave me, the more I wanted. I hadn’t thought much about how being single had affected me, but over the years, I had grown more and more used to being alone. So much so that each brush of Piper’s hands on mine was more memorable than any of my tattoos.
She may have been afraid of being touched, but I was touch starved. It was by design, since I felt like I could never give in to these feelings, but she made me want to.
About halfway through the movie, soft snores came from the other end of the couch. Looking over, I saw that Piper had leaned her head against the arm and fallen asleep. I was tempted to join her, but the couch was far too uncomfortable for me.
I had no idea if I could even touch her to get her to go to her bed, but I knew she would regret it if she slept on the couch.
“Piper.” My voice was soft and I hoped it would be enough to wake her up without spooking her. “You fell asleep.” She hummed, but stayed still. “Come on.” I said it a little louder. “You might be young, but you can still experience back pain.”
This time, she finally stirred. She sat up, but was wobbly, like she was still half asleep. Bleary eyes made their way to me, and then she plopped right down on my chest.
I went rigid immediately.
“Uh, what?”
Piper was still calm in her sleep, and her hands tightened on my flannel, as if she wanted to keep me close. I had no idea if she would be as calm if she woke up. And the lack of consent on her part made me feel like I was taking advantage of her.
But I couldn’t move. Somehow, her being asleep made my eyelids feel heavy too, and I let my head fall back on the couch.
I didn’t fully fall asleep, but she was a comfortable weight on my chest, one that I could get used to.
About an hour in, my neck told me it was time to get up.
Piper was fast asleep, her face entirely loose as she laid on my chest. I was tempted to stare at her for as long as I possibly could, but then I would never leave.
“Piper.” My voice was soft again. “Time to get up.”
She huffed and her eyes stayed closed. If anything, she tightened her hold on me.
“Seriously.”
Still nothing.
I had to take a risk and put my hand on her back. I was gentle, just like I always would be with her, but I moved my hand up and down.
“Hey. My neck is hurting.”
At first, she shot up, eyes alert. Then, she saw it was me and she relaxed.
“Sorry,” she said.
“Did I scare you?” I asked.
“For all of a second. I’m fine now.” Her voice was rougher after sleep and I wanted to commit it to memory. “I forgot you’re old and can’t sleep on couches.”
“Your neck would be hurting too.”
“Sure. But it’s fun to call you that.” She eventually got up, and I already missed the way she kept me grounded. “Thanks for spending time with me. I didn’t realize how much I missed movie nights with someone.”
“I’m glad I did too.”
“Let’s do this again.”
“Yeah. We will.”
Piper’s smile was blinding. I left right after, knowing that if I stayed any longer, I would never leave.
After we said our goodbyes, it was tempting to remind myself of all the reasons I shouldn’t have come over. Instead, I glanced at her door, thinking about what she’d said about forgetting to eat. Plans spun in my mind, ones that stuck around until I got to my house.
By then, I knew what I needed to do. And I pulled out my phone to do the one thing I never thought I would.
I texted Kelsey that I needed the day off.