Every Night She Sleepwalked to Him—Until He Pretended No More Chapter 08

Every Night She Sleepwalked to Him—Until He Pretended No More Chapter 08

That night, I dragged myself home, exhausted.

Bennett wasn’t back yet, still at the office, probably.

I fed the cat. Nimbus curled up on the couch afterward, drowsy and content, so I snapped a photo and sent it

to Bennett. Same as always.

We usually texted for a bit after I sent him cat pictures.

My thumbs moved on instinct. [Are you working late?]

My finger hovered over send. He had a girlfriend now.

I needed to pull back.

I deleted the message.

A few seconds later, he texted me anyway. [Working late. I’ll probably be home around eleven.]

It sounded like he was checking in, giving me his ETA. He didn’t need to do that.

I kept it short. [Oh.]

Comments appeared. [The MMC and FMC met up today and now they’re both out late. Definitely a date.]

[The side character needs to stop texting him and learn her place.]

I tossed my phone aside.

Ten o’clock. I showered and got ready for bed.

I took a melatonin tablet as insurance against another episode. If I knocked myself out hard enough, maybe my body would stay put.

I slipped a hair tie onto my wrist, same as every night.

Comments filled the screen. [Every time the side character sleepwalks, she gives Bennett her hair tie and confesses her feelings to him.]

[He’s been keeping every single one in his nightstand drawer.]

[Once Maren moves out and Camille moves in, she’s gonna find those hair ties. And she’s gonna lose it.]

[The side character probably wants them to fight over her.]

[She better go get those hair ties before the MMC comes home.]

[Otherwise those things are a ticking time bomb between Bennett and Camille.]

Going into Bennett’s room and digging through his things without asking didn’t sit right.

But leaving the hair ties there was worse.

Comments appeared. [She’s been sneaking into his room every night anyway.]

[Just pretend it’s another episode.]

(Once she takes the hair ties back, she can pretend none of it ever happened.]

I thought it over. The hair ties had to go before they caused trouble for Bennett and Camille.

Ten thirty. Bennett would be back in half an hour. I only needed five minutes.

I slipped into Bennett’s room and went straight for the nightstand.

Inside the drawer sat a polished wooden box. I opened it. The hair ties.

I started counting them, pulling each one out. The rhythm was almost hypnotic.

My eyelids were dragging. The melatonin was kicking in.

I counted faster. Ninety. Exactly ninety.

Ninety episodes. Ninety nights I’d gone to him without knowing.

I gathered them up and turned to leave.

Footsteps on the stairs.

I shoved the hair ties back into the box and slammed the drawer shut.

I was halfway to the door. Bennett was already standing in the doorway.