Mon Dieu

JAMES

Sleep didn’t come easily. I found myself listening for any little sound, my muscles tensing with every whiff of cold air that slipped beneath our door. My throat constricted whenever I thought of Hel, and even though I tried my damndest, the whole night filled with thoughts of her. I felt like my lungs were starved for air, like my arms had spent all night swimming the English Channel. Fear tugged me from sleep every time I drifted off until exhaustion won out and I finally gave in around four in the morning.

I woke to soft kisses along my collarbone and immediately jerked away, falling off the opposite edge of the bed.

“Hey! I’ve brushed my teeth and everything - my breath can’t be that bad.” Miri stood by my side of the bed, one of my button-downs over her white tank and pink-daisy panties. She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips.