Chapter Ninety-Seven

Lila’s eyelids fluttered open. Her room was bathed in darkness, the distant sound of cawing birds the only indication that morning was on the horizon.

With a groan, Lila turned, pulling her blanket with her for comfort. If the sun wasn’t up, she didn’t need to be either.

Except…

Lila jolted upright – Asher was coming back. She scrambled to grab her phone – had he messaged her yet?

It was 6.02am. He had sent a message, a couple hours ago –

Hope I don’t wake you. We’re boarding now – will be back in Aus at 7.15am.

Lila immediately flew into action – stumbling to grab clothes and throw herself into the shower. She emerged in record time, knocking loudly on Clare’s door before hurrying in.

“Clare, Clare, can you take me to Asher’s?” Lila shook a sleeping Clare by the shoulders.

“H-Huh?” Clare mumbled, frowning deeply. Her hair was a complete fuzzy mess as she sat up. “What’s happening?”

“Asher’s coming back at 7.15,” Lila said urgently. “Can you take me?”

Clare blinked before rubbing her eyes and stretching. “What time is it?”

“6.30.”

“Girl, are you sure you need to go this early?” Clare sighed. Her eyes lingered on Lila’s face before she threw her hands into the air. “Alright, alright. I’m up. Let me just wash my face.”

Lila bustled back into her room, packing all manner of things into her bag – the photos and folder being packed first. Clare gently knocked on Lila’s door a couple of minutes later, popping her head in.

“Ready?” Clare asked, glancing around Lila’s room.

“Yes, please.”

They jumped into Clare’s car with Clare yawning several times. Lila felt wide awake, her mind alive with anticipation. Did Asher have a good trip? Did he bond with his Dad? Had… he actually missed her?

“Jesus, Lila, it’s freezing,” Clare grumbled, blasting the heater. Lila murmured her agreement before sending a message to Asher –

On my way to yours

“Got time for Maccas?” Clare asked, rolling out of the driveway.

“I’m not hungry,” Lila replied, glancing out the window. “But by all means, go ahead.”

“Eh, I’ll go after I drop you off, then. No fun just getting something for me when someone else is in the car.”

“Up to you.”

Lila began biting her fingernails, her nerves twisting her stomach uncomfortably. It wasn’t necessarily that she wasn’t hungry – but she definitely couldn’t trust herself to keep anything down.

“You know you have met this guy before, right?” Clare laughed after glancing at Lila’s expression. “You don’t need to look so anxious.”

“I’m… not.”

“Sounds like a lie.”

Lila sighed, hugging her stomach. “… Yeah.”

“Why?” Clare’s tone was probing, but not necessarily intrusive.

“I guess… I just… I was hoping maybe we’d end up dating. But I’m nervous that the distance has made him realise that maybe it was a bad idea. Or that he doesn’t actually like me after all. Like I was a rebound after his ex, Holly.”

“Lila,” Clare uttered sympathetically. “We already know that he liked you before Holly, and he’s said he likes you now. Maybe now’s a good time to ask where he’s leaning towards all that, since you had a break.”

“Maybe…” Lila sighed again.

“I’m sure once you see him again, you’ll forget all about your nervousness. You’ll end up just being excited to be with him again.”

“You’re probably right, as usual.”

“Of course I am,” Clare grinned. “Pep up, you’ll be right.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say ‘pep up’ before.”

“I… picked that up from Alex.”

“I take it your cancellation went well?”

“Yeah. He seemed disappointed, but… I’m still confused. Heh, I’m kinda like the Asher in this scenario.”

Lila wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Don’t say that again.”

Clare snorted with slightly too much force. “Noted.” Then, she exhaled loudly. “… But I guess how you’re feeling would be how Alex is feeling, more or less.”

“Probably.”

Both sisters fell silent, with Lila unsure about what to add to that. She couldn’t figure this out for Clare, after all. It was a decision she needed to reach on her own.

The rest of the trip went by without a word. Despite what Clare had said, Lila couldn’t shake her nerves. After all, not only was she nervous about how Asher would act with her upon his return, but she was also nervous about bringing her theories to him – in particular, her theory that Marlene might have killed Piper.

“Well, we’re here,” Clare announced, putting her car in park. “I have a shift tonight, so you’ll have to get Mum or Dad to pick you up.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

Lila didn’t move. Instead, she kept her seatbelt on, staring towards the incredibly familiar, once-imposing double front doors.

“Well, you’re not gonna see him if you’re just in my car,” Clare chuckled. A buzzing in Lila’s lap startled her and she opened her phone. It was a message from Asher.

Wait – I’m not home

Lila’s heart dropped into her stomach. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this embarrassed. She buried her burning face into her hands.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m an idiot,” Lila whispered.

“What?”

“I’m an idiot, Clare.”

“I wasn’t denying that, but why?”

“He’s not home yet.”

“Is that all?” Clare laughed incredulously. “That’s fine. When will he get here?”

“I’m too embarrassed to ask.”

“Give it here then.”

“No.”

Clare huffed, leaning over and slapping the phone out of Lila’s hands before plucking it from her lap. She flashed the screen to Lila’s face, gaining access.

“You’re too good at that,” Lila said morosely, lifting her eyes to see what Clare was doing with it.

“How else do you get into drunk people’s phones when they need to organise a lift home?”

“Weird flex, but okay.”

Clare snorted again, turning her attention to Lila’s phone. “How… long? … I… am… waiting…”

“Clare, that sounds horrifying.”

“True. Alrighty. ‘I fucked up and I’m already here’. That better?”

“Definitely not.”

Clare shook her head. “Can’t please you at all, huh. Uh… ‘That’s alright, how long do you think you’ll be?’”

“Sure…”

“Sent. Oh, damn, he’s already replied. Um, 30 minutes. Ew.”

“What should we do?”

“Think about our life choices while listening to T-Swift?”

“… Do you wanna go to Maccas? I’ll have a hot choccy.”

“Say no more.”

With a squeal of rubber tires, Clare sped off towards the nearest Maccas, tossing Lila’s shoulder against the window.

“Just how hungry are you?” Lila commented, rubbing her shoulder.

“Starving.”

As they waited to proceed to the presenter’s window, Lila thought she heard a shrill, hyena-like laugh. One that sounded far too recognisable for comfort.

“Sounds like they’re having a ball,” Clare observed, tapping her index finger on the steering wheel. An impending sense of doom came over Lila as Clare inched the car forward before finally stopping by the presenter’s window.

“Why, hello, Lila, Lila’s sister,” Isaac’s voice greeted them pleasantly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Uh, our order is on your screen,” Clare replied drily. “I can see it. It’s that one.”

“Too true,” he nodded vigorously. “I’ll be a moment, lemme check what’s going on with it.”

He disappeared from the window.

Clare shook her head. “You sure he’s got brains in there?” she asked with a smirk.

“I was at one point…”

“Aaaand I’m back,” Isaac announced with a flourish. “To tell you bad news. You’ll have to park in the waiting bay, sorry. One of the fryers chucked a hissy fit this morning so hashbrowns are taking their time.”

Clare moved along to the waiting bay that Isaac pointed out, pulling the handbrake up.

“… He could’ve at least given us our drinks like last time,” Clare pouted, leaning her head against her window. Lila murmured her agreement, leaning her head against her window too. They sat in silence for a few moments before a far-too-energetic Isaac bounded over, his red uniform glaringly bright against the morning sun that had begun to stretch through the cover of clouds.

“Your food and coffee,” he said chirpily, brandishing a cup tray and a paper bag at Clare.

“Thanks,” Clare said, passing along the items to Lila. Isaac continued to stand there, seeming unsure of himself.

“… Was there something else?” Clare asked, glancing at Lila.

“Well… I thought maybe you’d know if Asher’s back yet. It’s been a week,” Isaac said somewhat awkwardly.

“He hasn’t messaged you?” Lila queried, sitting up and almost tipping her drink over. She righted it as Isaac shook his head.

“Not since I called you.”

“He’s coming back today,” Lila explained softly. She began to twirl the ends of her hair in her free hand. She saw Isaac and Clare exchange a smirk out of her peripheral vision.

“I’m sure he’s keen to see you,” Isaac replied, leaning against the car’s window frame with a cheeky grin. “Could you spare a moment between make-out sessions to tell him to, I dunno, update me?”

Lila’s face shone a bright red. “W-We’re not going to-” she began to splutter before Isaac raised a hand to stop her.

“Only teasing. Looks like you want to, though. See ya later,” he said before pivoting to the door behind him. He disappeared back into the Maccas, leaving Lila exasperated and entirely mortified.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“You’re so fun to tease,” Clare laughed as she set off again, back towards Asher’s. Lila chose not to respond, instead petulantly sipping on her hot chocolate. Clare’s eyes glimmered with mirth as she turned up the volume of her music.

The scenery whipping past Lila’s window seemed crisper, somehow, than their journey to Asher’s earlier that morning. The lazy morning sunrays cast a gentle glow, brightening the hues within the landscape they zipped through. The vibrancy seemed to be sharpening with each passing metre. Was this just due to the sunrise running its course, or something else?

As Lila pondered this question, the buzzing of her phone alerted her attention back to her lap. It was another message from Asher –

Home now. Sorry

Based on the street they were currently driving through, it’d be a few minutes until they returned to the front of Asher’s mansion. Lila put her phone back onto her lap, pressing her fingertips together idly. There wasn’t any way to speed up time, was there?

Clare hadn’t yet put the car into park before Lila began unbuckling her seatbelt, having seen the driveway blossom into being just ahead.

“Well, by all means, go ahead and break the law in my car, I don’t mind,” Clare said sarcastically, finally pulling the handbrake up again.

“Sorry.”

“I’m not being serious, silly. Have fun. Not too much fun. An appropriate amount of fun. Remember, no unprotected bone jumping. Like I said before, I’ve got work tonight, so just organise with Mum or Dad about when you want to be picked up,” Clare rattled off as Lila exited the car, slinging her bag over her shoulder. The biting cold whooshed through her and she readjusted her jumper so it could provide her the most amount of coverage.

“Thanks, Clare,” Lila replied genuinely, choosing to keep her peace by not addressing the ‘bone jumping’ dig. She took one last sip of her hot chocolate. “This is done, can I leave it in the car?”

“Yeah, whatever I guess.”

“Thanks.”

She hadn’t realised how much she was shaking until she failed to put the cup into Clare’s cup holder again. Clare watched on, eyebrow raised, before Lila finally managed to drop it in. Lila took in a deep, calming breath, bracing herself on the car door. It took a few moments for her heart to slow back down to its normal pace. She’d been to Asher’s so many times before – this wasn’t new. Why was she freaking out so much?

“You hadn’t anticipated being apart from him for so long, huh,” Clare smiled. Lila stared at her for a second before shaking her head.

“No…”

“Go on,” Clare encouraged tenderly. “You’ll see you had nothing to worry about.”

Lila gave Clare a tentative smile before gently closing the car door, the sound ringing with finality. Clare remained where she was, waving enthusiastically at Lila.

‘She’s gonna wait until I get inside, isn’t she?’ Lila thought with a reluctant sigh. Turning to face the house, Lila rolled her shoulders. She was overthinking. This was just the side effect of overthinking so much. She’d go up there, knock on the door, and everything would be the same as it always was on a Saturday at Asher’s. They’d go upstairs, hang out, catch up, and go through the investigation notes Lila had stowed away on the laptop weighing down her right shoulder.

Everything… would… be the same.

She wanted that. Right?

‘Of course I do… but…’

Lila didn’t allow herself to finish the thought. Dwelling on it, as she had been since being rejected by Asher, wouldn’t help. She didn’t want to bring those negative vibes with her, either. He was obviously feeling enough pressure as it was, what with Gabriel’s cheese hell, and his own internal thoughts that he would sometimes express to Lila about it all. Plus… there were those comments that Lila found herself making despite her best intentions to keep a lid on it.

‘Alright. It’s time for me to exercise patience. The ball’s in his court. We agreed on that already.’

Lila firmly nodded to herself. Besides, being best friends wasn’t so bad after all. Even if she wanted more, this was perfectly enough.

Lila glanced behind her, towards Clare’s car. She could see Clare giving her a thumbs-up while drinking her coffee. One part of Lila wished Clare would go home, but another felt grateful that her sister was supporting her from a distance. It imbued her with a sense of courage that she’d lacked since realising she’d hurried here far too early.

‘No time like the present…’ Lila thought, stepping up to the front doors. She had another steadying inhale, bringing with it the scent of morning dew and a fresh, wintry edge.

She raised her arm to grasp the brass door-knocker. Before she could get close, the doors swung open, revealing an out-of-breath Asher, his hair a tousled mess, clothes even more so.

“Lila,” he whispered hoarsely, his eyes burning intensely with so many flashing feelings that Lila couldn’t discern which one was the most prevailing. Then, before she could even blink, she found herself wrapped in a tight, sturdy embrace.

The broadness of his shoulders and the firm grasp he had on her waist prevented her from melting into a puddle before his feet. Suddenly, time had no hold over her anymore – as though everything had suspended in this moment with Asher’s body pressed against hers. She inhaled his scent – his usual deodorant, smelling of roasted nuts and homeliness, coupled with him – and gave a surprised gasp.

The longer he held her, the more alive her skin felt with tingles as if their touch generated a special kind of electricity – one that erased all sense and logic that had once driven her brain. His warmth banished all traces of cold that had been biting at her only mere seconds ago, soothing her soul. She hadn’t realised the utter depth of how wounded it had felt in his absence until their reunion.

“S-Sorry,” Asher’s voice, rich with tender emotion, sent shivers down her spine. Hearing his voice again – she was struck with the feeling that she didn’t want him to ever stop talking.

He let go, stepping back into his house, his face glowing with a deep blush. “I… sorry.”

In the instant that he’d left her, Lila craved his touch once more with a voraciousness that she’d never experienced in her life. It left her dizzy and breathless, unable to respond to his apologies. If a mere hug did this to her, what would more of his touch do? Her curiosity was beginning to stir…

“Shit, you’re mad, aren’t you? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hug you without asking first – I just… I got excited to see you. Sorry-”

Lila raised a hand, finding her voice at the last second. “It’s okay. I liked it.”

Lila hadn’t been sure whether Asher’s face could turn a deeper shade of red until now, after her words apparently registered in his mind. He brought a hand to his mouth, tearing his eyes away from her.

“I… I’m glad. Welcome back.”

“I should be saying that to you. Welcome home, Asher.”

He dropped his hand, revealing a broad beam across his face. He shuffled to the side, admitting her into the house. As usual, there was a pair of slippers waiting for her in the entryway.

“Lila,” Marlene’s voice, though pleasantly breezy, set Lila on edge, causing her shoulders to tense up. Marlene approached from the kitchen, her face seeming well-rested, a tea towel lying across her shoulder. “It’s good to see you.”

“G-Good to see you too,” Lila stammered, stumbling to shove her feet into the slippers.

“I hope your week went well,” Marlene continued politely, a sweet smile curling the corners of her mouth.

“It did. I hope Vanuatu was nice.”

“It was beautiful. Right, Mr Wagner?”

Asher’s eyes flickered to Marlene before returning to Lila’s face. “Yeah. I should take you there one day, Lila.”

Lila’s stomach swooped at his words, the idea of going to Vanuatu with Asher halting all thoughts in her brain. He avoided her gaze as he walked further into the house, evidently choosing not to address his comment. Lila could have sworn that she glimpsed Marlene’s smile widen before Marlene curtly turned around and marched back to the kitchen.

“Gabriel will be joining us for lunch, by the way,” Marlene called behind her. “Did you want breakfast, Lila?”

“I-I’m not hungry,” Lila called back. Asher turned to face her, slowing his pace as he walked backwards in the direction of the kitchen.

“You sure?” His voice sounded rife with concern.

“Positive. I had a hot chocolate on the way here.”

He looked at her dubiously, cocking his head to the side. “That’s not enough for breakfast.”

“I’m good, really. Don’t worry about me.”

‘Besides,’ she thought, looking over at Marlene as they approached to avoid prolonging her eye contact with Asher, ‘I don’t think I’d have any room with these butterflies anyway.’

“Alright. Uh, I’m not hungry either, Marlene,” Asher said, also looking over at Marlene. She nodded serenely before retreating into the butler’s pantry.

“Don’t starve on my account,” Lila stated hurriedly. He shook his head with a slight smile.

“We had some ham and cheese croissants in the airport. Dad was insistent. You can’t keep him away from those things – he goes almost feral. It was… a mistake to walk past the café.”

Lila laughed, the imagery of an almost rabid Ivaan hunting down ham and cheese croissants intrusively flooding her mind. Asher grinned at her before gesturing towards the stairs.

“Rumpus room?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

He walked a couple paces ahead of her before giving her a sideways glance. “Your bag looks heavy. Do you need a hand?”

“Nah, I’m all good.”

They reached the landing, with Lila having almost forgotten how to breathe amongst the rushing feeling of fluttering wings within her, when they were met with a significantly tanned Ivaan. He seemed surprised to see Lila but beamed at her anyway.

“Good morning, Lila. I see you’re here, bright and early. I’ve hardly put my bags down.”

“I- uh. Yeah. Good morning, Ivaan,” Lila said hesitantly. She wasn’t exactly sure how to address Ivaan’s comment, so didn’t. The three of them stood there awkwardly for a moment before Ivaan turned to Asher.

“I’m off to the Hospital now. I’ll see you later – after dinner, most likely.”

“But it’s the weekend,” Asher replied with an almost imperceptible frown.

“I need to touch base with my second-in-command, so I’m apprised of any issues before Monday.”

Asher nodded. “Alright. See you then.”

“Besides,” Ivaan added, his eyes crinkling with a humour Lila hadn’t known him to possess, “you don’t want me hovering around.”

Asher’s face turned pink before he responded, “You’re right.”

Ivaan chuckled before playfully winking at Lila and passing them both. He strolled down the stairs, which seemed to signal to Asher to head into the rumpus room.

“Juice?” Asher asked immediately upon crossing the threshold. Lila followed behind, closing the door gently.

“Yes, please.”

She carefully placed her bag next to the couch before sitting down in her usual place. Just being here, comfortably on his couch, put her at ease. It was fine. She was just being silly.

But, as he passed her a cup of juice and took his own usual place beside her, Lila found her mind wandering back to the hug.

“… wanna do?”

“Huh?” Lila blinked at Asher. He evidently asked her a question, but she hadn’t registered it.

“I asked what you wanted to do,” Asher replied, blinking back at her.

“O-Oh. Uh… w-whatever, I guess. Um, how was your trip?”

Asher stretched, yawning. “It was fine. Never been before, but it’s such a tiny place that I felt like we could’ve just spent, like, two days there, rather than a full week.”

He took a sip of his juice before pulling something out from under the coffee table.

“Here,” he said quietly, “I… got you something.”

He was holding a small, brightly coloured, cotton drawstring bag. She smiled, taking it from him.

“You didn’t have to. Thank you, though.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” he replied, coughing slightly. His face was turning redder by the second. Lila fondly looked down at it. It seemed to be sturdy enough, and the pattern was stunningly intricate. Perhaps she could use it to hold some coins or something.

“… Are you gonna open it?” he asked after a moment.

“O-Open it?”

“Yeah,” Asher chuckled, “did you think I was just giving you a little bag?”

Lila’s face matched the redness of his as she hurriedly untied the strings. “… Not at all.”

“Sounds suspiciously like you had.”

Lila glanced at him before looking back down at the bag. “… I did.”

Asher laughed, the hearty sound bringing another smile to her face, despite her embarrassment at having been called out.

Finally, her floundering bore results – the bag was open. Her fingertips brushed a delicate chain. Curious, Lila tipped the contents into her hand.

A silver necklace adorned with a circular silver pendant tumbled out. She lifted it, seeing small pearls interspersed along the chain itself.

“Wow,” Lila whispered, holding it up higher. “It’s beautiful.”

“The pendant is mimicking a curled boar tusk. It’s kinda like their national symbol, I guess. The tusks were traditionally used as a form of currency,” Asher responded gently. She could feel his gaze upon her and she lowered her hand, turning so her back faced him.

“Can you help me put it on?” she asked, moving her hair aside so her neck was exposed.

“U-Uh, of course,” Asher stammered from behind her. She placed the pendant on her chest, passing him the ends of the necklace over her shoulders. She heard him fumbling with the clasp several times before he uttered a sound of satisfaction. His hands grazed the back of her neck and her body responded in kind with a burst of goosebumps flowing right down to her arms. She was glad that she was facing away from him, for her face was red once more.

“There,” Asher said in a low voice. “It’s on.”

“Thank you,” Lila replied, moving back to her original position and touching the pendant lightly. “I love it.”

“I… thought silver would look good on you,” Asher mumbled, his eyes shifting away from her and looking instead at the TV. Lila beamed at him, looking down at it again. It matched her black knit jumper surprisingly well.

“I think I’ll wear this forever,” Lila said happily, leaning back into the couch.

“I’m… glad you like it so much. Please don’t wear it forever, though,” he said, reaching over to grab two sets of joy cons.

“Why not?” Lila pouted, receiving the set he passed along to her and instantly connecting it to the Switch.

“’Cause… if you never take it off, how am I meant to get you more?”

Lila instantly whipped her head to face him, but he seemed to be focusing intently on the TV. Had she misheard him?

“… I can layer,” Lila said playfully, trying to test that he had actually said that. His face turned a vibrant scarlet colour as he bopped his forehead with one of his controllers.

“Looks like I’ll need to find ones that match, then,” he murmured, so quietly that Lila almost didn’t catch it.

Neither moved for a moment or two before Asher’s phone buzzed on the coffee table, startling both.

“S-Sorry,” he said hurriedly, picking it up. “Oh, it’s Isaac.”

“He must be in the freezer again.”

“What?”

“I saw him working at the drive-thru this morning,” Lila explained. “I doubt he’d be finished with his shift just yet.”

“I see… oh, he said he’s hiding in the freezer. He wanted to check that I made it back okay.”

Asher tapped on his phone for a few seconds before looking up at Lila. “Sorry, I’ve replied. We should be good now. So… I’ve been thinking about some new strategies that we could use in this game…”

They dived into playing for an hour or so before Asher yawned, placing his controllers down.

“Man, I didn’t realise how tired I’d be,” he said, somewhat sadly.

“That’s alright. We could… maybe watch something. Or just chat, I guess.”

Asher opened YouTube, browsing the offerings for a moment before Lila’s memory sparked.

“I got on the news, actually. While you were away.”

“Wait, seriously?” Asher’s voice sounded excited, his eyes round with keen interest.

“Yeah. Well, with my family. When we went to the show.”

“That’s so cool! Is it on YouTube?”

“It might be? It’s definitely on Channel 10’s Facebook page.”

Asher swiftly searched for the Channel 10 YouTube channel and eagerly opened it up. He scrolled through the latest uploads before landing on the right video.

As soon as it started, Lila sunk further into the couch. She hadn’t realised how embarrassing the video was until her past self started speaking. She picked up a cushion and held it over her face for the duration of the video, as though Asher lacked object permanence and would forget she was there.

The video ended with polite applause for Daniel’s efforts. Then, there was silence. Lila kept the cushion over her face, but after almost a minute, she slowly lowered it. Had he fallen asleep?

Upon removing it, her eyes immediately locked on to Asher’s. He was looking at her with a goofy smile on his face, which remained even when their eyes met.

“You’re adorable,” he said softly, “I’m gonna save that video.”

Lila blushed, her words having escaped her. Luckily, though he was incredibly close, her sense remained. She cleared her throat, readjusting her posture. “I… guess that’s fine. As long as I don’t have to see it again.”

“Roger that.”

He began scrolling through more YouTube videos, before halting altogether.

“You… didn’t say anything about me calling you adorable.”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lila smirked as Asher chuckled, continuing on with his scrolling. Eventually, he sighed.

“I don’t think there’s anything I wanna watch on YouTube. Is there something you wanna watch?” he asked with another yawn.

“We could watch a movie,” Lila suggested. A movie would probably be for the best, considering how tired he seemed.

“Any recommendations?”

Lila shrugged. “Let’s see what you’ve got access to.”

He turned on his PlayStation, lazily selecting Netflix. They pointed out a couple of options, but nothing really spoke to them – except…

“Why not the Sherlock Holmes movie?” Lila asked enthusiastically, folding her legs underneath her. “It’s a bit older, being from 2009 and all that. I watched it ages ago but can’t really remember it.”

“Sure,” Asher smiled, pressing ‘Play’. “Want a blanket?”

“Yes please.”

Asher sourced a couple of blankets for them both before lying down on the couch. Lila was fairly confident that he’d fall asleep soon, so instead turned her attention entirely to the movie.

About a quarter of the way through, Lila heard, amongst the hustle and bustle of action, a small snore. She glanced over at Asher, who gave another snore. He looked pretty peaceful, nestled in a fluffy blanket, clearly asleep. She’d never seen him sleeping before.

He looked so cosy and warm…

Pressing her lips together, Lila slowly shuffled closer to him. There was a perfectly Lila-sized space next to him that she could slot into.

‘Don’t be weird,’ she admonished herself. He couldn’t tell her whether she was welcome there. Instead, she settled for sitting as close as she could to feel his warmth, but without intruding on his personal space.

She continued watching the movie, but the sound of his soft snores began to lull her into sleep as well. Rather than fight it, she let her eyelids grow heavy before closing altogether…