Recalling Their Past

Derek Mason watched her reaction, seeing that his teasing had momentarily stumped her, leaving her fretting. Then, he burst into laughter, gently brushing a stray hair from her forehead. "Silly girl, I was just teasing you! I know you're scared. Don't worry, I'm here tonight, and I won't let you have any more nightmares," he reassured her.

Avery Miller, realizing she had been fooled, couldn't bring herself to be mad. Instead, she happily pulled the blanket over her entire body. "Going to sleep this early?" Derek noted. He had agreed to stay, but couldn't she stay up a bit longer to chat? After all, there was nothing in the room but a single sofa, and sleeping so early would surely lead to a stiff neck the next day.

Avery didn't mind, settling down to sleep. "Derek, I want to see him as soon as possible, so I need to go to sleep early. That way, I can get up early tomorrow," she explained.