“Sleep,” Anna murmured. “I’ll be right here with you.”
“Can’t,” he said. “If I fall asleep now, I’ll wake up at midnight, and then I’ll be up all night.”
He sensed it when Anna grinned and turned her head just enough to kiss his chest. “No,” she murmured. “I can tire you out again. I promise. Lights off.”
The room fell into darkness.
With that, he let his guard down, let conscious thought drift away to be replaced by a warm, content feeling. He was safe in the arms of his best friend. Everything was all right.
Jack did wake up sometime after midnight, noting the chirping of cicadas outside their window. Anna was still curled up with an arm around his belly. He was more than happy to be her pillow even if he was wide awake.
For a long time, he just stayed there, thinking dreamy though
