Turning around, he froze in place.
The pink wooden bed was covered with matching pink sheets and blankets. Sara was sitting at the edge of the bed in yellow short-sleeved pajamas, looking charming. Realizing belatedly that she was about to spend the night with a man, her cheeks were flushed, adding a touch of allure.
She licked her lips, her earlier courage to ask him to stay completely gone, feeling uneasy. "Which side do you want to sleep on?"
Jamie's voice was tense. "Doesn't matter."
"Then you sleep on the outside." Sara said, moving to the right side, lifting the blanket, and sitting under it. She pretended to be busy with her phone, but she kept glancing at Jamie out of the corner of her eye. As she watched him come closer, she began to feel like retreating.
But then she remembered that if he left, she would be all alone in the house. No, she couldn't let him leave.
Fear overcame her embarrassment and nervousness. Sara kept reminding herself that he was just like a brother, and there was nothing to worry about. They were just sleeping together under the same blanket, nothing more.
*
In the dark, Sara lay flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She could hear Jamie's breathing beside her. Although there was some distance between them, it felt as if he was breathing right in her ear, making her ear feel itchy.
She swallowed and curled further under the blanket, whispering, "Jamie?"
His voice was deep and magnetic in the quiet room. "Yes?"
Hearing his voice so close, Sara almost curled up entirely under the blanket. Her voice trembled. "Can you stop breathing? It's scary."
"……"
When his erection finally softened, Jamie marveled at how Sara's thought could so easily shift from a romantic atmosphere to something out of a horror story.
He spoke with a hint of helplessness. "I'm afraid I can't."
Sara knew it was impossible, but she felt that having another person's breathing in such a quiet environment was scary. She just wanted to make Jamie speak to dispel the fear.
Sure enough, when he spoke, the scary atmosphere diminished. She relaxed a bit, but within ten seconds, she couldn't help but ask again. "Was the cat you saw today a black cat?"
Her breathing was light, but in the silent room, Jamie knew she was still afraid. After a few moments of thought, he answered, "No, it was a calico."
"A calico?" Sara felt less scared immediately. "I heard calicos are considered the beauties of the cat world. What did the one you saw look like?"
"It had a round face, big eyes, and its fur was a mix of white and yellow..." Jamie recalled Sara's tearful face and added, "It was very timid."
"Timid?" Sara was surprised. "You could tell it was timid from just a glance?"
Jamie responded calmly. "But it was indeed very beautiful."
His voice lowered, adding a seductive tone that made Sara feel uneasy.
Strange, why was she feeling uneasy when he was talking about a cat?
Sara shook her head and continued. "What about the dog?"
"It was yellow, a bit chubby, and looked a bit silly, but very cute."
Sara perked up. "How cute? Cuter than Aunt Diamond's dog?"
Jamie: "..."
"I don't believe it. Big White is so soft and fat!"
Jamie paused for a few seconds before replying. "She was soft too."
"How do you know? You only saw it for a moment... Anyway, we'll go down that road again during the day and see if we can find that dog. I don't believe there's a dog cuter than Aunt Diamond's dog. I need to see it for myself. By the way, have you seen 'A Lovely Dog'? It's such a good movie. Let me tell you..."
Sara kept talking about the movie plot, her voice growing drowsy as she yawned several times. "So Aunt Diamond's dog is the second cutest... and the one you saw... is the third..."
The girl's breathing became steady. In the darkness, Jamie's lips curved into a slight smile. He whispered softly, "To me, you're the cutest. Good night."
