I looked at Josh, and he looked back at me. The two of us, alone in my room. The atmosphere was… a little too charged.


    It was ridiculous. We’d shared a hotel room before, and it didn’t feel like anything out of the ordinary.


    But now, in this big two-bedroom apartment, the space suddenly felt small-too small forfort, as if there wasn’t enough air to breathe.


    Josh and I locked eyes for a couple of seconds, and then he spoke. “I think it’s better if I sleep on the couch.”


    I was speechless.


    “Your room should be for your real boyfriend. Me… I’d be better off on the couch,” Josh’s words made me feel like I was somehow doing him an injustice.


    But I knew what he was doing-he was trying to pressure me. He wanted to be my real boyfriend.


    Honestly, the scheming of nice guys ran deeper than I’d thought. Maybe the whole “nice guy” act wasn’t a lie after all.


    But I wasn’t about to fall for it. I shrugged and muttered, “Suit yourself,” before quickly heading into my parents’ room.


    Lying on their bed, I couldn’t getfortable. My mind kept reying the events in the hallway, the fear still lingering.


    If Josh hadn’t shown up, no matter how prepared I’d been to defend myself, I couldn’t be sure I’d have seeded. The thought of what could have happened still sent chills down my spine.


    It was strange, though. It was almost as if fate had worked out perfectly-Josh hade just when I needed him.


    I found myself ncing toward the door, wondering if he was really going to sleep on the couch, or if he’d sneak into my


    room anyway.


    I could hear his footsteps outside the door. Maybe he was getting ready for bed or doing something else, but one thing was clear: he hadn’t gone to sleep yet.


    Listening to those sounds made me think back to when I was a child. I’d always hear my parents moving around outside my room as I fell asleep, and that noise had always been afort. It made me feel safe.


    It was odd. Now, I realized, that sound felt like security, something I hadn’t realized I’d been missing.


    As Iy there, waiting for Josh to settle in, I soon drifted off to sleep.


    When I woke up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom, I suddenly remembered I was in my parents’


    room.


    Josh was still here, in the house. Curious, I peeked out the door and nced at the couch. There he was, sprawled across it, his long body hanging off the edge.


    He wasn’t stupid-he’d dragged a chair over to rest his feet. But still, he was wrapped in my little pink nket.


    He wasn’t my “real” boyfriend, so he didn’t sleep in my room. But here he was, covered with my nket.


    A surge of warmth spread through me as I realized he was willing to sleep ufortably just to keep an eye on me, to protect me. It was a strange, unexpected feeling.


    Thest few nights had been tough for me. Every time I woke up after going to the bathroom, I couldn’t get back to sleep..


    There was a cold loneliness in the house without my parents. I felt abandoned, as if the world had forgotten about me. No one to care for me, no one tofort me when I wanted to cry.


    But now, in this house, there was someone-a tall man who was here for me, who would protect me if anything happened.


    With him here, I slept more soundly than I had in days, and by the time I woke up, it was already past nine.


    Iy in bed for a moment, thinking about Josh. I listened carefully for any sounds outside.


    It was quiet. Too quiet.


    I didn’t have to ask-he was gone. He’d probably gone back to work on the amusement park project, and I realized I hadn’t even asked him how it was going or if there were any issues.


    田


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