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“But you shouldn’t have to deal with my nightmares. Maybe I should’ve moved home.”
“Bullshit. This will pass like it always does. Another week or two, and you’ll be fine.”
She rose from my bed, and I looked at her retreating figure.
“Sadie, can you sleep with me?”
“Boy, that must have been a bad one.”
At the beginning of freshman year, after Sadie discovered my nightmares and I told her the story of my father, she pushed her bed next to mine. Within a couple of weeks, the nightmares passed, and I was fine. Now, I needed her comfort again.
“Yeah. If it’ll stop you from giving me a heart attack, I’ll do it.”
I smiled weakly and flipped the covers back on my bed so she could slip in on the other side.
Sadie and I spent the next few days getting our apartment into shape. We spent the gift cards on art for the walls, kitchen, and bathroom items. We roamed the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves with the s and shops. Luckily, our apartment had a washer-dryer combo, so we didn’t need to use the laundromat around the corner.
The night before we started work, I had no appetite, even though we got my favorite sweet and sour chicken from the Chinese place on the corner. I picked at the food with my chopsticks.
“What’s the matter?” Sadie asked as she spooned up some pork fried rice onto her plate.
“I’m nervous.”
“Just picture them in their underwear.”
“How would that help? You’ve been watching too many Brady Bunch reruns.”
“It’ll help calm you.”
“No, it won’t. I just need to get over first-day jitters.”
“Soon enough.” Sadie put her fork down and looked at me. “Does this mean I’m in for another nightmare tonight?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I hope not.”
After the second day of living in our new apartment, my nightmares had abated. I slept soundly through the night ever since.
“Me either. I don’t want to be exhausted for my first day.”
“You could always sleep in my room,” I said.
“Do you want me to?”
I shrugged. “Would you? I hate to inconvenience you.”
“It’s not an inconvenience. Your bed is comfortable. If it will stop you from having nightmares, I’ll do it.”
“Good, then it’s settled.”
I felt better and dipped a piece of my chicken into the tangy sauce it came with. We spent the rest of the night watching television and munching on popcorn we made with our new air popper.
I managed to avoid any nightmares with Sadie sleeping beside me, at least the kind that woke me with a scream. I had a small one that jarred me from sleep shortly before the alarm on my phone went off at 6 am.
This one had taken me to the point where I almost saw the murderer’s face. It was so frustrating, not that it mattered. The trail for my father’s killer had long gone cold. I doubted Ty would find any clues. Sadie popped out of bed as soon as the alarm sounded.
“Do you mind if I shower first?”
I yawned. “Go ahead. I’ll make a pot of coffee.”
