As I set my toothbrush down in the cup next to the sink, I couldn’t help but feel a shiver course through me. It wasn’t from the cold—far from it. My entire body was humming with the anticipation of stepping into the next room and lying down in bed next to Em. A heady mixture of excitement and nervousness seemed to pulse through my veins, making it impossible to calm the jittery energy that coursed through me.
I caught my reflection in the mirror, studying myself critically. For some reason, my appearance tonight felt more important than usual. This moment carried weight, a sense of significance I couldn’t quite explain. I remembered Em saying that if she were to live with me, she’d want her own room—a clear boundary, a statement that she wouldn’t be sharing a bed with me. Yet here we wer
