You Sleep Better When Im Holding You
Lia noticed it accidentally.
At first, she thought it was coincidence.
Then it kept happening.
Every single night Adrian fell asleep touching her somehow.
An arm around her waist.
Fingers tangled loosely with hers.
Her leg trapped between his.
Like even unconsciousness couldn't separate him from her completely anymore.
And honestly?
That realization affected her far more than it should have.
—
Saturday night arrived quietly.
The city glittered beneath the penthouse windows while soft music drifted through the apartment.
Rain had finally stopped, leaving the skyline glowing silver and gold beneath clear skies.
Lia sat curled against the couch reading while Adrian worked beside her with his laptop balanced across one knee.
Or at least—
pretended to work.
Because every few minutes she caught him staring at her instead of the screen.
"You missed an email again."
Adrian looked up immediately.
"What?"
"You've been rereading the same sentence for five minutes."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You're distracting."
Lia smiled faintly without looking up from her book.
"You use that excuse constantly."
"It's constantly true."
God.
The sincerity still ruined her emotionally every single time.
Adrian reached toward her automatically afterward, fingers brushing lightly along her ankle where her legs rested across the couch.
Warm.
Absentminded.
Necessary now.
Lia noticed that too.
Touching her had become instinct for him.
Like breathing.
Like grounding himself.
The realization wrapped tightly around her chest.
"You know normal people can exist separately for ten minutes, right?"
Adrian's thumb brushed lazily against her ankle.
"I don't care about normal people."
Unfortunately—
also true.
The apartment settled into comfortable silence afterward.
Pages turning softly.
Laptop keys clicking occasionally.
The city glowing quietly outside.
Domestic.
Dangerously domestic.
Lia lowered her book slowly after a while, glancing toward Adrian again.
Big mistake.
Because he already watched her.
Of course he did.
Dark hair slightly messy.
Sleeves rolled up.
Expression soft enough to physically hurt.
"What?"
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You look comfortable."
Heat spread lightly through her chest.
"You say that like it personally affects you."
"It does personally affect me."
The honesty shattered straight through her heart.
Because Adrian sounded genuinely emotional about it.
Like her feeling safe inside this apartment mattered more than anything else.
Lia closed her book slowly before shifting closer across the couch.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian's hand moved automatically from her ankle to her waist the second she settled beside him.
Warm.
Protective.
Natural.
"You know what your problem is?" she whispered softly.
His eyes stayed fixed completely on her.
"What?"
"You're clingy."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"Only with you."
The terrifying part?
That was true.
Adrian Monteverde barely tolerated affection from anyone else.
But with her—
he acted emotionally attached to physical proximity at all times.
Lia rested lightly against his shoulder while Adrian closed the laptop completely.
Done working.
Just like that.
Her chest tightened instantly.
"You stopped working."
"You leaned on me."
"That's not a valid reason."
"It is for me."
God.
How was she supposed to survive someone loving her this much forever?
Adrian turned slightly toward her afterward, one hand sliding gently into her hair.
Careful fingers brushing slowly through the strands.
The touch nearly made her melt into the couch.
"You're tired."
"You say that every night."
"You get sleepy around eleven."
Lia blinked softly.
"You know my sleep schedule?"
"I know everything about you."
The quietness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because he probably did.
He noticed everything.
Every habit.
Every expression.
Every tiny shift in her mood.
And somehow—
instead of feeling trapped—
she felt cherished.
The realization terrified her in the best possible way.
Adrian tilted his head slightly toward her.
"You're thinking again."
"You make being loved feel overwhelming sometimes."
Silence.
Then his expression softened impossibly more.
Not prideful.
Not smug.
Almost fragile.
Like those words affected him deeply.
A quiet breath escaped him before his forehead rested lightly against hers.
"You know what's overwhelming?" he murmured softly.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
"That someone finally lets me love them like this."
The confession shattered straight through her heart.
Because Adrian sounded almost grateful.
Like loving her openly still felt like a privilege instead of a burden.
Lia kissed him softly before she could emotionally collapse entirely.
Immediate reaction.
Adrian inhaled sharply against her mouth while his hand tightened gently in her hair.
The kiss stayed slow.
Tender.
Warm enough to make her chest ache.
When they finally pulled apart, Adrian stayed close.
Too close for normal breathing.
Exactly close enough for them.
Then quietly—
almost thoughtful—
"You sleep better now."
Lia blinked softly.
"What?"
His thumb brushed lightly beneath her jaw.
"You don't wake up as much."
The realization caught her off guard instantly.
Because he was right.
Before Adrian, she used to wake up constantly during the night.
Restless.
Anxious.
Never fully relaxed.
But now?
Now she slept deeply.
Safely.
Warm beside him.
Lia looked at him carefully.
"You noticed that?"
"I notice everything about you."
Again.
Always again.
The sincerity nearly ruined her emotionally.
Adrian's gaze softened further while his fingers brushed slowly through her hair once more.
Then finally—
with enough tenderness in his voice to break her heart completely—
"You sleep better when I'm holding you."