Page 24 of For Now

“I thought you might like it. I figured I could share it withyou.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad you did.” I elbowed him in the side. We stood here taking turns throwing leavesin.

“You know, life is sort of like this,” he said, tossing another leafin.

“Like what?” Iasked.

“You’re a leaf, and you just get thrown into the rapids. And who knows if you’ll make it out and down thestream.”

I threw a leaf in and it got stuck on arock.

“See,” hesaid.

I studied the leaf for a moment to see if it would free itself. “Well, sometimes you just need a helping hand,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. I walked down the bridge and around to the edge of the stream. I took a stick and poked at my leaf until it was freed and continued down the stream. I looked back up athim.

“I see,” he said, smiling back atme.

“Even if the leaf doesn’t know they need help,” Isaid.

Henodded.

I walked back around and up the bridge next to him. I leaned into him. “Thank you for sharing your space. It means a lot to me that you would do that,” Isaid.

“Ofcourse.”

We fell silent and I started to shiver abit.

“Let’s head back,” hesaid.

So we walked back down the path toward my house. When we got to the front door, he stopped. I turned back towardhim.

“Maybe I should go home,” he said, shoving his hands into hispockets.

“Oh. Well, it’s really late. You can stay here if you want,” I said, biting mylip.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to stay if you don’t want me to,” hesaid.

“I do.”Ughhhh. Maybe I shouldn’t have saidthat.

“Okay, then. I’ll stay, Delilah,” hewhispered.

And he did. We walked back into the living room and resumed our previous positions back on the couch. I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep nestled into his chest. It was the best sleep I’d gotten since I movedhere.

Chapter Fifteen

My eyelids flutteredopen much later than normal. 11 a.m. on a Saturday. That was probably way more sleep than I needed but less than I wanted. I shifted slightly, peeking up at Samuel’s face. His still, peaceful, pleasant face. I could feel his chest rising and falling under me as I tried carefully not to wake him.Friends can cuddle, right? What am I even saying?! This has to be a one-time thing. But he’s so comfortable. But, no. Get it together,Delilah.

I shot up to a sitting position and he startled awake. He gazed up at me with his big brown eyes and for a split second, I felt something I didn’t really want to but also desperately wantedto.

“Good morning,” he said, breaking thesilence.

“Morning,” Isaid.

“What time is it?” heasked.

“After eleven,” Isighed.

“Oh, wow! You hungry?” heasked.