Chapter 178: Chapter Fifty-Two-4

The rest of the dinner ensues in this manner and hours easily dance away. After helping Joanne with dishes and spending some time in the living room watching old family videos with them, it's time to go to bed. Rogerio and Joanne head out first and Devon was knocked out a second after he finished eating ten plates of food. Daniel and I are going up the stairs after shutting off the television and all the lights. "So how's your bed going to fit both of us?" I ask. "It didn't look that big earlier." When we reach the top of the stairs, he turns, smirking. "You think we're going to sleep together?" "We're not?" I suddenly feel a moment of embarrassment about to happen. "No...," he says, a grin breaking out. "Oh, you naughty girl, thinking you were just going to hop into bed with me tonight. That's why your bags weren't in my room earlier. They're in the guest bedroom. For guests, you know?" I hit his arm. "I was not thinking naughty things! You said it, not me! I just—I thought since—oh, forget it!" I storm off, going to the one room we didn't tour earlier. I shut the guest bedroom door quickly after I scurry in. My cheeks feel as warm as the sun as I breathe in and out after I am safely away from Daniel. That was so embarrassing. Hopefully, he forgets by tomorrow. I take a shower after ten minutes, making sure the hallway was clear to save myself from any more future embarrassments. After, I brush my teeth and hair before wearing my favorite and only pajamas that I brought. I shut the door and lights before jumping into bed seconds later. I feel so tired and full that I could probably start hibernation right now. Suddenly, the lights are turned on. I bring a hand to my eyes. "What the...?" I say, getting up. Daniel stands there in a Superman shirt and sweatpants. His hair is messy and he steps in through the tiny crack of the door. "Hi," he says sheepishly. A smirk spreads across my lips. "Hi," I say. "And who's hopping into whose bed right now?" He grins back, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. It makes him look so cute and cheeky that I almost invite him to join me in bed immediately. "I surrender," he says. "Can I sleep with you now?" I roll my eyes dramatically. "I mean, I guess but—" I barely finish my sentence before he closes the door, taking off his slippers as he shuts off the lights and crawling under the covers with me. "Well then," I say. Five seconds of silence later, he wraps an arm around me, his face snuggling into the crook of my neck. "I repeat...well, then." "I wanna cuddle," he says, hugging me closer. His feet touch mine and I yelp. "Your feet are cold! No, go awaaay!" I whine, pretending to push him off but I put half an effort in it. "I don't wanna be little spoon." We pretend to fight for a couple more seconds before I eventually give in and sleep with my back curved into his chest. When he breathes, strands of my hair rise and fall. I hope my cold hair gives him a taste of revenge. "Mm, you smell good," he comments instead, pressing his face closer in my hair. Dang it. "It's called a shower, try it sometime," I say back. Suddenly, I'm attacked as his fingers tickle my stomach. "You will regret saying that," he tries to say in an ominous voice but it just sounds like him as an old man. His tickling is no joke, though. I wiggle away, trying very hard not to scream and laugh. I capture his hand before he can continue and just wrap it around my stomach instead of trying to stab it. "Shh," I whisper, "your parents will wake up." "The house could burn down and they'd sleep through it," he says, shrugging. "They're old. It happens." "Oh my god, Boner Boy! Don't insult your parents," I say. "Don't mention boners right now." "Boner," I whisper a second later, laughing. His hands initiate Tickle War II so I quickly admit defeat. "I give up! I'm sorry! I surrender. I'll sleep now." "Good," he replies, pulling me closer by the waist and intertwining his left hand and my right. "Go to sleep. We have an adventure tomorrow. I'll show you around my favorite place in the world. Okay, maybe second favorite now since New York is pretty cool, too. I also met you there. But then again Boston does—" "Daniel, shut up, gosh. I'm trying to sleep." "I hate you," he mumbles. But he pulls me closer even though we're as close as possible and rests his face behind my head. I'm about to fall asleep but I feel him kiss my shoulder quickly. "Goodnight, Ivory. I really like you." "I really like you, too," I answer, my voice trailing off as sleep overcomes me. I squeeze his hand to let him now in case he doesn't hear. "Goodnight, Boner Boy." He laughs quietly in my hair before kissing my head again. Soon, we're both asleep. At 2:58 in the morning, I get a call from Mom's hospital.