One of Us Is Going Down
A Cute Bed Bug
Two and a half hours later, the police were filtering out of the apartment and Ashlyn was getting off the phone with her parents. Both she and Brian had been asked a million questions, photos were taken and Ashlyn felt pretty damn harassed. She was so exhausted, she wanted sleep, but she didn’t want to sleep alone in her room again. Brian had noted that she had barely left his side since the police had shown up. She was clinging and scared.
“Come on, let’s get back to bed.”
“I have class in a few hours,” Ashlyn said, noting the four-am time.
“You don’t have to go, it’s halfway through the semester and you’ve only missed one day. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to miss today and rest.”
Ashlyn nodded. She would email her professors in a few hours when she got up again.
She looked back at her room over her shoulder. She would be brave and try to sleep in there. Brian took note of her wary actions. He was about to suggest that they just sleep on the couches when she turned and went into her room. He watched as she looked around the room that had been cleaned up. Brian had gone in there while the police were talking with Ashlyn and cleaned up. He watched as she laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She sat there a long while before she closed her eyes, her body staying ridged and fists still clenched. Brian walked back to his own room, worn out himself.
Not two hours later Brian sat straight up in bed with a start. Ashlyn stood beside his bed, she looked like she had been up for forty-eight hours straight. She had dark circles under her eyes and tears brimmed her eyelids.
“What’s wrong? Are they back?” Brian asked, reaching for his gun. He was
going to shoot the ass-holes this time.
“No, Brian, I can’t sleep in there. I just can’t do it, I just keep seeing them coming back. What do I do?” She sniffled.
She was at that point of exhaustion where you just start to cry, Brian could tell, that and she was emotionally wiped too. He laid back down and picked the blankets up, offering the side of the bed to her. He opened his eyes and peered up at her. Ashlyn looked down at the bed, debating. She then crawled into bed, shedding her robe on the floor. She immediately curled up against Brian’s warm chest, finding comfort in his arms. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling the blankets over her shoulder, cocooning her in the bed.
“Come on, let’s get back to bed.”
“I have class in a few hours,” Ashlyn said, noting the four-am time.
“You don’t have to go, it’s halfway through the semester and you’ve only missed one day. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to miss today and rest.”
Ashlyn nodded. She would email her professors in a few hours when she got up again.
She looked back at her room over her shoulder. She would be brave and try to sleep in there. Brian took note of her wary actions. He was about to suggest that they just sleep on the couches when she turned and went into her room. He watched as she looked around the room that had been cleaned up. Brian had gone in there while the police were talking with Ashlyn and cleaned up. He watched as she laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She sat there a long while before she closed her eyes, her body staying ridged and fists still clenched. Brian walked back to his own room, worn out himself.
Not two hours later Brian sat straight up in bed with a start. Ashlyn stood beside his bed, she looked like she had been up for forty-eight hours straight. She had dark circles under her eyes and tears brimmed her eyelids.
“What’s wrong? Are they back?” Brian asked, reaching for his gun. He was
going to shoot the ass-holes this time.
“No, Brian, I can’t sleep in there. I just can’t do it, I just keep seeing them coming back. What do I do?” She sniffled.
She was at that point of exhaustion where you just start to cry, Brian could tell, that and she was emotionally wiped too. He laid back down and picked the blankets up, offering the side of the bed to her. He opened his eyes and peered up at her. Ashlyn looked down at the bed, debating. She then crawled into bed, shedding her robe on the floor. She immediately curled up against Brian’s warm chest, finding comfort in his arms. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling the blankets over her shoulder, cocooning her in the bed.