Modern - Chapter 6

I couldn't sleep after texting Emmy. I was so worried that I'd fall asleep and something would happen and she would need help.

An hour after her last text, I decided I should go check on her. I had changed into my pajamas (just a pair of flannel pants, no shirt), so I slipped an old t-shirt and some slippers on. I walked quietly up to her door. It was 10- not super late, but late enough that people were probably starting to settle down.

When I reached Emmy's apartment, I knocked quietly, not wanting to startle her if she was still awake. There was no answer, so I unlocked and carefully opened the door.

Emmy was lying on the couch, looking very dead to the world. Her TV was still going, so I found the remote and clicked the TV off. In the dim light streaming through the doors to the balcony, I watched her for a moment. She looked so peaceful. Since everything seemed to be fine, I tucked her blanket around her and headed back to my apartment.

In spite of my worries and my efforts to stay away, I drifted off after a couple of hours.

I woke up with a start and looked around my dark living room, lit only by the dim light that managed to sneak through my window. I groaned as I sat up on my very stiff couch and wondered what woke me up.

Checking my phone, I realized that I hadn't checked on Emmy in hours. I jumped up, slid my slippers on, and hurried up to her place. I would have probably forgotten the key if I hadn't tucked it into the pocket of my pajama pants.

When I walked into Emmy's dim living room, I quickly realized what must have woken me up. She was no longer curled up on the couch, but was instead spread on the floor. I assumed the thump of her falling off the couch, which was pretty clearly what had happened, had woken me from my unintentional slumber.

I decided Emmy would probably be more comfortable in her room. I bent down and carefully gathered her and her blankets in my arms and took her back to the bedroom. The feel of her soft cheek resting against my bare chest (I forgot my shirt) was incredibly distracting.

Thankfully the curtains on her bedroom window were open, letting in the dim glow from the lights around the pool area below. Unfortunately, it looked like her pillow was missing.

I set her on the bed and hurried back for her pillow, which I tucked carefully under her head. She was still pretty warm, so I went to her kitchen and filled a glass of water to leave by her bed. I also rifled through her linen closet for a washcloth to soak in cool water and lay on her forehead.

Once I had everything set, I turned to leave. A soft voice stopped me.

"Derren?"

"Emmy? I'm here." I strode to her bed and took the hand she was holding out.

"Will you stay with me?"

"Uhh, yeah. I can do that." I looked around for a chair. Finding one at a small desk, I pulled it to the side of her bed and sat.

She looked at me with her brows furrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, did you not want me to stay?" I stood up again, but she shook her head, almost dislodging the washcloth. I fixed it and started moving away, but Emmy caught my hand.

"Don't go."

"Okay. Do you want me to stay in the living room?"

"No, here."

I was starting to wonder if she was fully coherent. She seemed to be a little off. It could be delirium from the fever, or perhaps she was a sleep-talker. Either way, I was having a hard time understanding what she wanted.

"Can I sit?"

"No, snuggle."

I looked at her blankly for a few seconds as her words processed. "Snuggle?" I choked out.

"Yes." She patted the bed next to her and smiled. I wasn't sure if she was going for an inviting smile or an alluring smile, but it came out as just a very tired smile.

When I shook my head and started backing away, she tightened her grip on my hand. "Please?" she pleaded.

"I can't. It wouldn't be right. You're not thinking clearly right now."

"My head is fuzzy," she admitted. "But I don't want to be alone."

"Then I'll sit here."

I would have had no problem continuing to say no if tears hadn't welled up in her eyes and started spilling down her cheeks. "I just want someone to hold me," she said in a broken voice. She dropped my hand and looked away, sniffling.

I couldn't take it. I've been around crying women, and I'm not usually weak, but she sounded so completely heartbroken.

I sighed and went around the bed, sliding in next to her. She looked at me with a smile of pure joy before turning and backing into me. She pulled my arms around her and suddenly I was spooning her. Within minutes, she was breathing deeply. I decided I would give her a little longer to make sure she was sound asleep before I crept away.

While I waited, I thought about how nice Emmy felt in my arms. She fit against me perfectly and I felt surprisingly comfortable holding her.

As a devout Christian, I had never slept with a woman. I was saving intimacy for after marriage. It was strange being here in bed with a woman. Unfortunately, before I could sneak away, my eyes grew heavy and I drifted off.

I woke up to a soft gasp and blinked my eyes open in the now bright room to find Emmy looking at me in horror.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a strained voice, pulling her covers up to her chin. "What happened last night?"