The weekend arrived softly, like a blanket being draped over the city.
No meetings. No phone calls from Victoria. No texts from Alexander. Just quiet. Just space. Just the two of us, sitting on my ridiculously expensive couch, pretending to watch a movie.
Lucas had his feet on the coffee table, which was probably against some rule in the assistant handbook. His shoes were off. His socks had little gray diamonds on them. I had never noticed his socks before. They were very organized. Very Lucas.
"You are staring at my feet," he said without looking away from the screen.
"I am not staring. I am observing."
"My feet are not that interesting."
"Your socks are interesting."
"They are socks."
"They are socks with diamonds. Very fancy."
"They are socks from a three pack."
"A three pack of fancy socks?"
"A three pack of socks that were on sale."
I laughed. "You are impossible."
"You say that a lot."
"Because it keeps being true."
He turned to look at me. His ears were pink. "You are also impossible."
"I am delightful."
"You are a headache."
"A delightful headache."
"Same thing."
"Not the same thing."
"Close enough."
---
The movie played on. I had no idea what it was about. Something with explosions and car chases and people yelling in foreign languages. Lucas seemed to be following along, but I caught him glancing at me more than once.
"Lucas," I said.
"Yes?"
"Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Because you are here."
"That is not an answer."
"It is the only answer I have."
I shifted on the couch, turning to face him. He did the same. We were close now. Close enough that I could see the tiny lines around his eyes. Close enough that I could count his eyelashes if I wanted to. I did not want to. That would be weird.
"Lucas," I said.
"Yes?"
"What are we doing?"
"Sitting on a couch. Watching a movie. Having a conversation."
"That is not what I mean."
"I know."
He was quiet for a moment. The movie explosions continued in the background. Someone yelled something in a language I did not understand.
"We are figuring it out," he said finally. "One day at a time. One cup of coffee at a time. One movie at a time."
"That sounds like a long process."
"It is a long process."
"What if I do not want to wait?"
He looked at me. His ears turned redder. "Then do not wait."
"What does that mean?"
"It means whatever you want it to mean."
I stared at him. "That is the most unhelpful thing you have ever said."
"I am trying to be mysterious."
"You are failing."
"I am succeeding at failing."
"That is not a thing."
"It is now."
I laughed. He smiled. The movie explosions faded into background noise.
---
Sophie texted me at nine. Are you watching a movie with Lucas?
I looked at the phone. Then at Lucas. Then back at the phone.
"How does she know?" I asked.
"Kevin has a camera in the living room."
"He does not."
"He does. For emergencies."
"Watching us watch a movie is not an emergency."
"Kevin thinks it is."
I texted Sophie back. Yes. Stop watching us.
Her reply came immediately. No.
I put the phone down.
"Sophie says no," I said.
"I figured."
"Your friends are strange."
"Your friends are strange too."
"They are your friends now."
"Unfortunately."
He said it with a smile. A real smile. Soft and warm and full of something I had never seen before.
"Lucas," I said.
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For being strange. For having strange friends. For letting them watch us watch a movie."
"You do not have to thank me."
"I know." I looked at him. "But I wanted to."
His ears were very red.
I smiled.
---
The movie ended around eleven.
Neither of us had been paying attention. Lucas turned off the TV. The room was quiet. The city hummed outside the windows. The chandelier sparkled above us.
"Lucas," I said.
"Yes?"
"Stay."
"I always stay."
"Tonight. Stay here. Not downstairs. Here."
He looked at me. His face was unreadable. But his eyes were soft.
"Vivian," he said.
"Yes?"
"You have amnesia."
"You keep saying that."
"Because you keep forgetting."
"I am not forgetting anything right now. Right now, I am asking you to stay. Because I do not want to be alone. Because I am tired of sleeping in that giant bed with that chandelier staring at me. Because I like you. And I want you here."
He was quiet for a long moment. The city hummed. The chandelier sparkled.
"Okay," he said.
"Okay?"
"Okay. I will stay."
"Good."
He stood up. Walked to the bedroom. I followed.
The bed was huge. Stupidly huge. The kind of bed that made you wonder who needed that much space.
Lucas lay down on one side. I lay down on the other. Not touching. Close.
"Lucas," I said.
"Yes?"
"Your ears are red."
"They are always red around you."
"I know."
"Good."
The chandelier sparkled above us. I did not argue with it.
"Goodnight, Lucas."
"Goodnight, Vivian."
I closed my eyes.
For the first time in weeks, I slept through the night.