“Feather.”
“Is this supposed to be working?”he asked.
“I think we have to do it longer,” I said, yawning despite myself.“Just keep going.”
“Dog.”
“Cat.”
“Meow.”
“Mouse.”
“Cheese.”
“Head.”
I giggled.“Only someone from Wisconsin would connect cheese and head.”
He yawned.“Potato.”
“Sour cream.”
“Cheese.”
“Head.”
“Copycat.”
“Cat burglar.”
Our voices slowed.Words blurred together.My eyelids grew heavy, and warmth seeped into my bones, not just from the blanket, but from Ender’s presence beside me.
The last thing I remembered was the steady sound of his breathing matching mine.
Then sleep finally claimed me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ender
I woke up warm.
Clove was curled against me, her body tucked into mine like it had always belonged there.One arm was slung across my chest, and her leg was draped over my thigh, anchoring her to me in a way that felt unconscious but intentional all the same.
She was asleep.
Really asleep.
Her breathing was slow and even, warm against my neck.Her hair spilled across my shoulder and chest, soft as hell, smelling faintly like whatever soap she’d used the night before.Something clean.Familiar.Something that made my chest ache in a way I didn’t have words for.
I stared at the ceiling, afraid to look down at her just yet.
I liked this.
That realization hit me harder than I expected.
I liked having her in my arms.Liked the weight of her.Liked knowing she felt safe enough to sleep like this, tangled up in me without hesitation.Liked that my body had shifted around hers automatically, like it knew where she needed to be before my brain ever caught up.