Part 18

                                    

                                          
Persephone
Bright light shines in through a large, double window, tugging my eyes open to survey the day. I begin to pull the duvet up over my head, but stop with my eye half open, at the sight of a small piece of paper sitting on the opposite sides pillow, folded in half
My note.
I'd almost forgotten about it. I mean, after last night, and... everything that went on in the elevator, I sort of forgot about well... everything. The only thing I could focus on was the memory of Max's lips on mine, and the tingles the crossed from his skin over to mine. I was up half the night, desperately trying to remember everything that happened. It wasn't good though, not for my heart, as I was literally sleeping a few inches from that person who'd touched me, and pulled me into his body.
Oh yeah, did I mention that?
This wasn't our first work trip together, meaning yes, we have shared a bed before. Long ago, Max offered to take the couch or the floor, but every time I've brushed him off, saying simply that we were both adults, and therefore, it would be okay. We've never had to stay anywhere for more than a night, and it's not like we could just ask for separate rooms straight up. That's how people get suspicious.
But last night, last night was totally different.
Neither of us said a great deal when we finally got back to our room, after the elevator was fixed, after Max held me tight when it shuddered back into motion. We just got changed with our backs turned to each other (okay, I may have accidently turned around when Max wasn't wearing a shirt and caught sight of his back muscles and therefore nearly fainted, but I couldn't help it. He should have gotten changed quicker ugh,) and simply climbed into bed, turning off the light a while later. Due to our whole expedition, Valerie told me that I didn't have to prepare anything, and that all my jobs had already been sorted. She's a pretty good boss, to be honest. But while a part of me was glad I could just crawl into bed, another part was screaming "NO NO NO NO!" at the thought of being that close to Max after, well... everything. I need to think of a new word to describe it, but I just can't.
Anyway, Max got up to turn off the light, and I lay on my back, just staring at the roof. The whole thing was awkward for a few moments, as we both shifted uncomfortably in the covers. Our breathing was restless and out of sync, but eventually, Max's slowed, and I could tell he had dozed off. At this point, I let out a cool breath, rolling onto my side. My dull migraine had swelled to a point of no return around this time, so I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping for a while. I tried not to take my sleep medication all that often, even though I know there's nothing bad about it. I just like to feel like I have control over my body, and when I take it, I wake up feeling groggy and weightless, both feelings that can send me into a slight panic if I forget I took a tablet.
But I knew that for tonight, if I ever wanted to sleep, I needed to have one. So, I got up, and headed for my suitcase, trying to silently zip open its small, inner compartment, where I held my medications. I pulled the bottle out, before silently plodding along to the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water. Once the glass was full, I shuffled back to bed, tucking my legs under me as I took a sip of water and swallowed the pill. I was placing the water glass on the bedside table when Max's slurred, raspy voice whispered from beside me.
He said, "Pers? Are you alright?" his head barely leaving the pillow as he forced one eye open. I simply smiled, instinctively going to place my hand on his head, smoothing down the soft hair my fingertips meet. In the moment, I was brought back to my hands in his hair in the elevator, but brushed it from my mind a few seconds later. I do not need to be thinking about that right now. At my touch, Max nuzzled his head back into the pillow, and I quietly replied.