Tongue Tied

Chapter 31

How could he make such an assumption? There was no logical way that Alec could sit there and claim that nothing was going to separate us from one another. He had no idea what the future held. His words may have been meant to calm my fears but all he'd done was throw gasoline on my firestorm of emotions. No matter how badly my heart begged me to listen to him and let his words put my mind at ease, I couldn't. I couldn't count on an assumption. I had to wait and see what real life was going to say. I had to wait and see if something would come between us.

I laid in bed listening to the water run in the bathroom while Alec brushed his teeth. I'd yanked the covers over my head in attempts to block out any sound that threatened to keep me awake. Noise wasn't the problem, however. I was. I couldn't shut my brain off long enough to let myself fall asleep.

It was nearing midnight and I knew I was going to feel like a zombie in the morning if I didn't crash soon. Still, I continued to analyze Alec's words. Overanalyze, to be exact. Exactly what he'd told me not to do.

The faucet shut off and I listened to Alec pad across the floor barefoot. I spoke up when he reached for the curtains.

"Don't," I said sleepily. "Leave them open, please. It'll help me sleep."

He didn't say anything and strode toward the bed, yawning once he climbed in behind me.

The only sounds from either of us were the rustling of covers as we tried to get comfortable. I continued to stare blankly out the windows. The Columbia Center looked surprisingly vibrant and alive at night. It was as intriguing at night as it was during the day.

"Are you still awake?" Alec whispered after several minutes.

"Unfortunately."

I felt him roll over and his arm came to rest around my waist. He pulled me closer to him and the warmth from his torso against my back made me feel better. I laid my arm over his, my hand grasping his over my stomach and lacing our fingers.

Maybe I'd overreacted. Alec was trying to comfort me and I was making more of the situation than necessary.

Okay. I'd definitely overreacted, ending the conversation and calling it a night right after he'd uttered the sentence. I needed to get ahold of my wild emotions pronto.

"That building you like..." he mumbled against my shoulder. "That's where we're going tomorrow."

I stared at the tower off in the distance with a handful of offices still lit up at this late hour. "The Columbia Center?"

"Mhm."

My interest was piqued. I hadn't taken the time to look up where Clearwater's offices were located before flying out here, knowing Alec had everything mapped out and knew where to go. I'd assumed they were in a smaller building off to the side of downtown. Now I was a little more enthusiastic about tomorrow's meetings. I'd get to – somewhat – tour the skyscraper I'd been so fascinated with.

"Bree?" Alec's voice was soft and sweet. He was undoubtedly exhausted.

I rolled over to face him, his arm still firmly planted around me. His eyelids were droopy and his lips were parted just slightly. His bangs had fanned out across his forehead haphazardly making him look a few years younger.

"Yes?"

He scooted closer and propped himself up with his forearm, about halfway hovering over me. He looked like a work of art with the glow of the city lights splashed across his body. As flawless as he was, he belonged on display.