Chapter 194.

Music Recommendation: Lover by Taylor Swift

.......

Kylie finally climbed into bed after the longest shower of her life.

The apartment was quiet.

Safe quiet.

She pulled the blanket over her legs and sank into her pillows, with her hair still slightly damp against the back of her neck.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling. Then she smiled. She didn’t even realize she was doing it. Her lips curved slowly at the thought of Christian.

The thought of him came so easily that it almost embarrassed her.

She rolled onto her back and covered her face with both hands.

"Oh my God." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I would hate me."

She dropped her hands, and she was still smiling.

It was ridiculous.

She had spent the entire night telling herself that she needed to get out because she wanted to feel like herself again.

And somehow, somewhere between arguing with Christian about drinks, dragging him onto the dance floor, teasing him about his inability to dance, walking through the city with aching feet and being carried home like she weighed nothing...

She had spent most of the night thinking about him.

Kylie turned her head against the pillow.

She smiled again. "He really is annoying." She said to herself. However, the smile only grew.

Kylie swallowed. She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket closer to herself.

She could still feel the warmth of his hands around her waist.

The memory made her cheeks heat.

"This is unlike you, Kylie." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop thinking about him."

She opened them again.

Christian’s face immediately appeared in her mind.

She groaned. "This is terrible."

She hated how easily he could do that to her.

A few weeks ago, Christian Sinclair had been nothing more than Adrian’s annoyingly serious friend.

The man who always seemed to appear at the worst possible moment.

The man who looked at her like he was trying to figure out whether she was a problem or a headache.

Probably both.

Now?

Now she knew the exact sound of his laugh. She knew how his expression changed when he was trying not to smile.

She knew the difference between his annoyed voice and his worried voice.

She knew how warm his hands were. She knew he called her Blue when he was being soft with her.

She sat upright.

"Nope." She pushed the blanket away. "I am not doing this."

She stood. She had just taken two steps toward the bathroom when she stopped.

Her eyes drifted toward the hallway.

She looked toward the guest room from the small opening of her door.

She stared at the door.

Her heart gave one stupid little beat.

She looked away. Her feet didn’t move towards the bathroom, and she ended up looking back.

Christian was sleeping in the guest room tonight. He had stayed because it was late, and he didn’t want her alone.

Apparently the man had decided that her apartment was now part-time headquarters.

Kylie folded her arms.

She shouldn’t go there.

It was late.

She had just spent the entire night flirting with him. She had almost kissed him tonight. She’d admitted she was happy because he came.

And now she was standing in the middle of her bedroom thinking about knocking on his door.

She turned around, walked back toward her bed, and stopped. She turned again.

The hallway stared back at her.

Kylie sighed. "Fine."

She walked out. Her heart was beating faster with every step, and she hated that she could hear it.

She reached the guest room door, and stopped.

Her hand hovered in the air.

What was she doing?

She could still turn around. She could go back to bed. She could sleep. She could wake up tomorrow and pretend none of this happened.

Kylie stared at the door. Then she knocked once.

A single knock.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then she heard movement inside.

Her stomach flipped as the footsteps approached.

The door opened.

Christian stood there.

He was wearing a dark T-shirt and gray sweatpants, his hair slightly messy as though he’d already been lying down.

His eyes widened when he saw her. "Kylie?"

She suddenly forgot every word she had prepared.

"Umm, hey?"

Christian stared at her.

Kylie shifted her weight.

Christian looked at her face. Then her damp hair, and the oversized shirt she wore over her sleep shorts.

Then back to her eyes.

His expression changed slightly. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes."

"Did something happen?"

"No."

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Do you need something?"

Kylie swallowed. She looked down briefly. Then back at him. "Can I sleep beside you tonight?"

Christian went completely still.

Kylie immediately regretted asking.

His eyes remained on hers. "Just sleep?"

Her throat went dry. She cleared it, and nodded. "Yes."

Christian’s mouth twitched. "Okay." He stepped aside. "Come in."

Kylie walked past him.

The room was dim, lit only by the small lamp beside the bed.

She stopped near the middle of the room. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Christian closed the door behind her.

The click sounded much louder than it should have.

Kylie turned around.

He was standing several feet away.

She folded her arms.

"So you really came here just to sleep?" Christain questioned.

"Yes." Kylie nodded.

"Beside me."

"Yes."

"At nearly two in the morning."

Kylie glanced at the clock. It was, in fact, nearly two. She looked back at him. "Are you going to interrogate me?"

"No."

She pointed at the bed. "Are you going to move?"

Christian looked at the bed, then at her. "You’re bossy."

"You knew that."

"I did."

He walked toward the other side of the bed.

Kylie followed.

She climbed onto the mattress and pulled the blanket over herself.

Christian turned off the lamp, and the room fell into darkness.

He climbed in beside her.

For a few seconds, neither spoke. They lay on their backs, staring into the darkness.

Kylie could hear his breathing. Slow, and steady.

She swallowed.

This was a mistake. A very stupid mistake. She turned onto her side, facing away from him.

The mattress shifted.

Christian had turned too.

Now she could feel his presence behind her. She smiled. She couldn’t help it.

"Kylie?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you wanted to sleep."

She raised a brow. "I do."

"Then why are you smiling?"

Her smile disappeared. "I’m not."

"You are."

"You can’t see me."

"I can feel it."

She turned her head slightly. "That’s not possible."

"With you, apparently everything is."

She laughed quietly.

Christian smiled in the darkness.

For a moment, they were silent again.

Then Kylie whispered, "Christian?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

She thought about it. "For tonight."

His voice softened. "You don’t have to thank me. I had a great time too."

She smiled.

Kylie turned back toward him. Christain also turned towards her. Their faces were closer now.