Evaline:
My heart started pounding in a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I watched River get comfortable in my bed.
A second or two later, I too lay back and pulled the blanket higher, the fabric a feeble, thin barrier between my raging embarrassment and the suddenly cool night.
I reached over to my bedside table and flipped off my own lamp, plunging myself and the room into almost darkness. Only the moonlight, through the open curtains, and the faint reflections from the fireplace were filling the space now, turning River's silhouette into a darker shade, a presence more felt than seen.
Silence returned, but it had a different edge to it now. It was neither anticipatory, nor expectant. It was heavy with possibilities, with the warm fuzziness I had mistakenly hoped to avoid when I had tried to send him away.
I tried, with everything I had, to steady my breath, to let my heartbeat slow to something remotely resembling normal. But it didn't work.
