Reborn, I Let My Sleepwalking Roommate Jump

Chapter 2

Simon's POV:

I climbed down from my bed, grabbed the water on the desk, and drank more than half the bottle before I spoke. "I wasn't feeling well last night. I slept with earplugs in."

"You still shouldn't have slept through all that," Brady said.

"So what was I supposed to do? Set an alarm and get up every 10 minutes to make sure he was still breathing?"

Brady choked on his reply, his face flushing bright red. Trent set down the thermometer and came over to pat my shoulder. "Enough. Simon's voice is already shot. Don't talk to him like that, Brady."

For a moment, Trent's familiar attempt to smooth things over pulled me back to my past life. When Derek's mother slapped me in the hallway, Brady had stepped between us. Trent had tried to explain too. "He really was trying to save him."

Derek looked down. "It's my fault. I shouldn't be like this." He sounded wounded.

"Then see a doctor," I said. "Today."

His head snapped up, and he fixed me with a hard stare. "And then what? You'll tell the company about it and say I can't work on construction sites?"

Before I understood what he meant, Brady let out a cold laugh. "The North Shore Engineering interviews are about to start. Why are you so determined to make him see a doctor now? What are you trying to pull?"

North Shore Engineering was hiring two graduates that year, with great pay and benefits. Three of us had reached the final round, where six candidates would compete for the two positions. One of our professors had offered to write me a recommendation, and Trent also had a strong chance. Derek, however, had barely made it past the first round.

Dad had talked about the job for two straight months. He'd even bought the shirt I was supposed to wear on my first day.

"I'm telling you to get treatment, not mail your medical records to the company." I looked at Derek. "You nearly got yourself killed last night. Could you worry about staying alive first?"

"That job involves fieldwork. Sometimes I'd have to stay overnight." Derek tightened his grip around the cup. "If the company hears that I wander around in my sleep, do you think they'll still hire me?"

"You almost fell from the eighth floor, and all you can think about is that job?"

"Simon," Trent cut in. "He just had a scare. Don't be so hard on him."

I no longer had any desire to explain myself. On the first day of college, Derek had looked down and admitted, "I sleepwalk sometimes." His mother had immediately grabbed my wrist. "He can't handle being startled. If you wake him suddenly while he's sleepwalking, it could traumatize him. He might never recognize his own family again. Don't any of you risk it! Call me first if anything happens."

She pressed a card with her phone number into my hand. We believed her. After that, whenever Derek got up at night and felt along the cabinets or climbed the bed ladders, none of us dared touch him.

I opened the balcony door and pointed at the railing beside the lounge chair. "This is the eighth floor. If he's actually in danger, are we allowed to wake him or not?"

"Of course we save him!" Brady answered at once. "You expect us to stand there and watch him fall?"

"That's what I think too," Trent agreed.

Derek looked at me, his eyes wet. "If I'm ever really in danger, you have to wake me. I promise I won't blame any of you, no matter what happens."

'You thanked me in my past life too. Right after I pulled you off the railing, you said thank you. Then your mother showed up, and you never spoke again.' I clenched my jaw and said nothing.

Derek spoke up. "Simon, were you awake the whole time?" The room went quiet. He watched me and continued, "You were afraid I'd have an accident and blame you for it, so you pretended to be asleep. Is that right?"

Brady shot to his feet. "You watched him freeze out there all night?"

Trent took his hand off my shoulder and studied me with a puzzled frown. "Simon, did you really know nothing about last night?"

I looked at them, a chill spreading through my chest. In my past life, they said I'd hurt Derek because I saved him. In this one, I'd slept through it, and somehow that meant I'd waited for him to die on purpose.

I tossed my earplugs onto the desk and pulled out the cold medicine left over from the week before. I could no longer keep the anger from my voice. "You've known me for four years. Have you ever seen me hurt anyone?" The box hit the corner of the desk with a sharp c***k. I stared at Brady. "I felt sick, and I fell asleep. Are you going to drag me to a hospital and have them prove I was really asleep?"

Brady opened his mouth, but Trent cut in sharply. "Enough! You can't take your own little problem out on—" He cut himself off. Brady's mouth hung open, but nothing came out.

I turned to Trent. "What problem?"

Trent straightened the medicine box and forced an awkward smile. "Nothing. He's in a bad mood today, and he was worried about Derek. That's why he snapped at you."

Derek tugged at my sleeve. "Promise me you won't ignore me if I'm ever in real danger."

I pulled my sleeve free. "If you're ever in real danger, I'll call someone to help."

"Then could you grab me a burger when you go out to eat?" he asked softly, as though nothing had happened.

"No. I have things to do."

I didn't want to argue anymore. I grabbed my phone and headed to the parking lot. When the call connected, I could hear Dad working on an engine in the background. Mom picked up. "Honey, why are you calling at this hour? Do you need money?"

I crouched behind a pickup truck and covered my mouth, unable to make a sound for a long time.