She didn’t know why he was here, but she did know it was for her. Not for Dad—he wasn’t even home. Not for obligation, either. He was here only because he cared about Kamila.

She was the first and last person to ever fall asleep on him. While she knew others, presumably his ex-wife, had shared his warmth while sleeping between those two times, as of this moment, their connection was a circle. He was a constant in her life, as she was in his.

She’d told him off fiercely earlier. He had said even worse things to her. But he always came back. She’d do something silly—burn his breakfast or shamelessly flirt with him—and he’d scold her or tease her, and she’d be upset, and maybe they would argue. And then they’d be right back again. They’d known each other forever, but this cycle had only intensified in the last year.

He stirred. She watched as he shifted, stretched, and finally opened his eyes. He blinked a few times. “Kam.” He sat up. “Kam, you’re here. I was waiting for you. I fell asleep.”

“I see that.”

He looked around, clearly confused after his abrupt wake-up. He scratched his chin and frowned. “What time is it?”

“Two thirty.”

“Your father—how is he?”

“Resting. He was pretty dopey on meds. Test results will be ready tomorrow. He should be able to come home then.”

“How is he really?”

“As well as can be expected. Sedatives are nice.”

“And…how are you?”

“I don’t get why you’re here.”

“I brought your car back. And…I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to come home to an empty house. But I can go…” He started to get up.

“No, wait.” She put her hand on his forearm to hold him in place. “Why do you care if I come home to an empty house?”

He shrugged. “I know I don’t like coming home to an empty apartment.”

“Then why do you live alone?”

He exhaled. “Kam, we’re both tired and not making sense. I’m here because I wanted to make sure my friend is okay. I’ll go if you want me to.”

“No.” Kamila tightened her hand on his arm. “Stay.”

He nodded. Their eyes locked for a few seconds. Kamila didn’t really think about what she did next. The surge of emotions from her day overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t bear climbing into her cold bed, alone. Very slowly, she shifted her body, swinging her legs up into the bed and under his covers. He slid over to make room for her, and she lay next to him.

She watched his face, and when there was no sign of objection, she rested her head on his shoulder. His arms immediately came around her. He fitted her next to him.