He’s not supposed to hear that; he’s supposed to be asleep, all those times you try to imprint him on your mind before you exit the program. But if he’s heardyou say goodbye, if he’s awake when you leave…then none of this is what you thought it was, is it?
Sitting up, you fix him with a hard stare and want to know, “You actually hearthat?”
“Lie down again,” he murmurs, easing you back to the pillow. He rests his head on your shoulder, closes his eyes, and though his body feels heavy in your arms and he looks like he’s out, a part of you can’t help but wonder if he’s just pretending to sleep because that’s what you want him to do.
* * * *
Part II