“Are you awake?” (Patreon)

Published:

2025-11-25 16:00:14

Imported:

2026-11

Content

She woke suddenly, abruptly, as she did most nights. Her eyes went first to the digital clock on the nightstand. 3:01am. Then, her eyes went to the armchair in the far corner and took in the figure who occupied it. Roth hadn’t been there when she went to bed, but no matter what time she woke, he was there. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was tilted to the side, indicating he might be asleep. The faint glow from the city below was too faint for her to make out whether his eyes were open or not.

She stared at him with her hands stacked under her cheek. He didn’t force her back into the master bedroom. He allowed her to stay in one of the guest rooms. He didn’t try to sneak into her bed. Instead, night after night, he sat in the chair, coming in after she fell asleep and leaving before she woke during daylight hours as if to give her the illusion of space and independence. Given how he used to bully her into getting his way, this had to be painful for him, but he didn’t complain. Didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to. Five days he slept in that chair. It was far too small for him, but he didn’t exchange it for a bigger one or try to wheedle his way into the bed.

She broke their unspoken pact when she whispered, “Are you awake?”

“No.”

“You need to sleep.”

He sighed, ran a hand down his face, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I can’t.”

She hesitated for a full minute, debating the wisdom of what she was about to do but in the end, pity won. She flipped back the duvet and scooted back to make room for him.

Roth crossed the room and slid in beside her. When she tried to move over further, he gently caged her. Moving slowly, allowing her to object if she wanted, he slid one arm under her head so her cheek rested on his bicep while the other went around her waist. Her face went into the hollow of his throat. When she rested her hand against his chest, she swore she felt his heart jump.

Neither spoke for several minutes and then he bent his head and brushed his lips along her hairline. "Thank you."

The hand on his chest went to his cheek and stroked gently. "You need to sleep."

He turned his head and kissed her palm. "I will."

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.