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He et’s fa Part of her family--her dad and his neife, plus some stepkids The room will be a zoo

"I hope so"

"You could crash on our couch," he says "Write it over at our place"

"Yeah?"

"Sure Why not?"

West does the dishes, and I get drowsy I fall asleep withonce when soain later when he drops a pan with a loud clatter

On the walk to his apartment, I feel drunk I fall asleep on the couch while he’s taking a shower, barely co ahen he settles a blanket on ht"

I wake up shivering

The blanket is a puddle on the floor, the apart, nasty I think of Krishna in his car and hope he’s okay But it feels like late --he’s probably already home by now

I reach for the blanket, wrap it around my shoulders, stand up

I find myself on the threshold of West’s bedroo in at him

He’s a lump beneath a kids’ comforter, dark blue with rocket ships and planets on it I asked once if he got it at a yard sale, and he gave h that’s e all did Picked up the comforters off our childhood beds and carried thee

Everyone else I knoorks so hard to separate childhood frorown up and those years are far in the past Not West

It’s not because he’s still a child I wonder if it’s because he never was

I can’t i about his life away fro n that he’s loved or that he loves anything

It’s not inviting, but it’s Thursdayto the display on his alarm clock I’m barefoot, wrapped in a blue fleece blanket from the couch, and I feel invited

He invited me

I walk to his bed and take off my jeans

I flip back the covers I cli it up beside his ar hair is ticklish onthis If he’ll be angry witha liberty

But West is the one who e of not being able to see each other for a ht next to West is where I want to be

With , slow and steady He’s warerously essential

I close my eyes He smells like bread and soap

I drift

When I wake up, we’ve flipped positions He’s spooned behind y is different

He’s awake

All over

"Caroline" His voice is low and husky, with an edge to it I’ve never heard

"Mmm?"

"You’re in my bed"

"Yeah You looked cozy"

"It’s ten o’clock Thursday"

I roll tomy arm above my head Our eyes meet, and then our lips