HIP #2: Summer Of Love

Chapter 10

His foam was a little huge and heavy for me to carry right. But I know he can't just go inside his room because of his fantasies. He opened my door for me and I entered. I can see how scared he is after he immediately closed and locked the door, then narrowed through the window. I tried to ignore the paranoid things he did on repeat because I don't want him to feel uncomfortable with me if I ask him.

I placed the foam down beside my bed with the pillows and comforter that I grabbed from his room. When I turned around, I caught him watching me with a perfectly fine smile on his face. "Here." I stepped forward and let him sit on the foam. He scatters his eyes around again and presses his sweaty hands together. But this time, he looks calm. Unlike earlier, when it was obvious how panicking he was.

He was still in his position when I climbed up to my bed. I locked my eyes on him while he was staring at my door with his feet crossed and back leaning on the wall. I sighed, then just slowly lay on my bed. Head on the pillow, blankets covering my body, and my eyes still watching him.

"You can sleep now, it's already one in the morning..." I didn't even want to say that because I thought it might have offended him for no reason. I know I should be careful with my words but I couldn't stop my mouth from speaking by itself.

He finally moved. He looked up at me and smiled. "Okay, ma'am." I smiled back but still wondered what he was thinking about and what his nightmare was about. He's like a kid who had a nightmare and ran to his parent's room to sleep. He did. But the difference is that he's not a kid anymore and I'm not his parent. He slowly leans his head on the pillow and faces me.

We kept smiling at each other in a moment of silence and I tacked a piece of my hair behind my ear. I should use a tie to avoid doing this over and over but I don't like the looks of it. I like my hair being dropped down though it tickles my face.

I tried to close my eyes and the smile on my face walked away for a minute. No matter how hard I try, I still can't sleep. I decided to finally open them and look at Peter who still has his eyes open. But the smile is not there anymore. Maybe because I stopped too. "I can't sleep anymore," I whispered and he lets out a small and quiet chuckle. "Sorry for waking you up." He moves again to fix his comforter and wrap it around him. Whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, I can't sleep for the next few hours anymore.

Once I open up my brain for presence, I can't close it for sleep to any further extent. "No, it's okay. You needed help. That's what best friends do. Helps each other." I smiled and then stands up. I know I won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night. I just have to wait for the morning sunlight and sleep through the day. He stood up too and sat properly. We were both facing the locked door.

Then he finally speaks. "Sorry for locking your door like that. It helps me feel safe, I'm really sorry you have to get involved with all my crap." I'm the one involving him in all my crap. Making him sleep on the floor, beside my bed is not good especially because he's one of my best friends.

"No, it's really okay," I mentioned and so, his eyes were locked on me but I wasn't looking at him.

"Please don't look at me like that," I admitted. It made me nervous and sent shivers through my nerves. I really don't like it when people are staring at me. Because it makes me feel how ugly I am. Even with my boyfriend. "Sorry, didn't mean it." Then he immediately looked away in the other way.

Well, this time, I'm the one staring at him. "Why don't you sleep now?" I asked.

"I can't, I ruined your sleep. I can't sleep while I know that you're having a hard time." I nodded.

"But you need to sleep. I am okay. It's just for a few hours. I'll see if I can still be able to shut my brain. If it's quiet and I know you're having good dreams then I might even be fine." He held his blue eyes on mine and I began having shivers sent down to my nerves again.

He sighed and smiled at the same time. If he only knows how his smile can make me feel fine, then I know he would be happy. He can be glad over small things and can let big things pass by. When people take advantage of him, he just lets it be. But when people say how gorgeous he is, he even thanks them a lot and treats them as gods.

"Okay, I will. And I'm also pretty sleepy," he lies down and covers himself with blankets, and closes his eyes. Until I whispered, "Sweet dreams," he smiles again.

"You too." He spoke.

I yawned and tried to lie down but before even I could do it, his eyes opened and he stood up. "What's the matter?" He grabbed his phone on top of the study table and a pair of ear pods on top of the closet.

"This might help you sleep," he leans forward on my bed and unlocks his phone. Didn't even mind showing me the password which was 1989 well, that reminds me of something. Not his birth date of course.

He gently plugs the AirPods on both my ears and then plays something. He smiled at me and before the song played, then whispered, "enjoy..."

🎵 I walked through the door with you, the air was cold. And something 'bout it felt like home somehow. And I left my scarf there at your sister's house and you still got it. In your drawer even now. Oh, your sweet disposition. And my wide-eyed gaze. We're singing in the car getting lost upstate🎵

My eyes widened the moment that I recognized the song. It's my all-time Taylor Swift song. Due to my happiness, I didn't even think of what I should do. Instead, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his warm body covered with sweaters and my head fell on his broad shoulders. I closed my eyes as I heard his cute and small chuckle.