“But,” I find myself saying like a dipshit, “if that doesn’t bother you, then sure.”
Her eyes float up to mine. “It doesn’t.”
I plaster on the fakest smile I can muster. “Okay, well, great. Let me just lock up and get ready. You know where your toothbrush is.”
Yup, we’ve done this enough that she has a toothbrush here.
It started back in college when she’d sleep on the futon in my dorm, and I’d sleep on my bed. We’d spend countless hours talking until one of us passed out.
When we graduated and our beds got bigger, we’d just share a bed and fall asleep facing each other. The next morning, we’d order donuts, drink coffee, and play dominoes.
But this feels different.
My body feels itchy with her around.
My mind feels like mush, like I can’t conjure up the right thing to say.
So this should be fun. thumbs up
I pour out the rest of my beer and lock up my apartment. Then I wait a few seconds in the living room, mentally preparing myself. Sure, it’s the same bed, but it’s not like we’ll be touching.
It’s not like I’ll be sharing a pillow with her.
There will be at least two feet of neutral zone between us, and if I’m good at anything, it’s respecting the neutral zone. I’m a gentleman, after all.
With a touch more confidence, I make my way to the bedroom, where I find Lia sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing one of my T-shirts.
Fucking . . . great.
The sleeves swallow up her shoulders while the shirt extends to her mid-thigh, covering enough, but making me sweat from the mere thought that her naked body is under that fabric. My fabric.
“I borrowed a shirt. I hope that’s okay.”
“Yup,” I squeak and then clear my throat. “Sorry, don’t know why that came out like that.” I awkwardly chuckle, and then in a deep voice, I say, “Yup, all good.” When she just lightly smiles, I point my thumb toward the bathroom. “Just going to get ready, and then we can do all the sleeping because I love sleep. It is truly the natural medicine we all need in life.”
“Are you okay?” she asks with an inquisitive look.
“Great. Real great.” I fist-pump the air. “Sleepover. Huzzah.”
Huzzah?
Jesus Christ, Breaker.
Why don’t you just go stick your head in a microwave after that?
I slap my hands together. “So yeah. Brushing teeth now.”
I turn on my heel, head into the bathroom, and shut the door.
I grip the counter, glance up into the mirror to see how truly pathetic I am, and that’s when I spot her pink lace bra hanging on one of the hooks behind me.
Oh hell.
My muscles contract, creating a tangled, claustrophobic sensation to squeeze me so hard that all air escapes my lungs.
Panic. It pierces through me because yeah, that’s her fucking bra.
Her bra that’s probably warm from wearing it all day.
Her bra that cups and props her tits up.
Her bra that makes me wonder just how fucking good she probably looks in it.
Clearing my throat, I say, “Uh, Lia, you left your bra hanging in here.”
“I know. I didn’t want to fold it,” she calls out.
“Okay, but why isn’t it on?” I ask stupidly. I know why it’s not on. Who wants to wear a fucking bra to bed? Not me.
I hear her step up to the door and then open it. She pokes her head in and says, “I never wear a bra to bed. Breaker, I’ve hung my bra there before.”
Ehhh, has she, though? I think I would have noticed, especially with the cup size banging a hole in my brain, that she has big tits. She has big tits.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks, her hand falling to my chest.
“Whoa, hey there, watch out, heh, heh.” I let out a breathy laugh. “Hands to ourselves, let’s remember that.”
“What?” she asks, her face drenched in confusion.
“Um.” I swallow hard. “You just startled me because your hand was cold.”
“You’re wearing a shirt.”
I glance down at my chest. “Oh yeah, well, the fabric must be thin. Brrr, maybe go warm up those frigid paws of yours, don’t want to catch a cold.”
“It’s the middle of summer.” She takes a step back. “If you don’t want me to stay over because you have something else going on, then just tell me, Breaker.”
“No, I have nothing else going on.”
What are you doing, you moron? That was your out!
“Okay, well, then I’ll just let you get ready for bed.”