“Hey Rox,” Noah said, crouching down to scratch behind the dog’s ears after he locked the door. He was happy for Roxy’s company because despite Emma still being there, it felt very big and lonely when they weren’t speaking which was why he came home so late that he was too tired to do anything but pass out until the morning. He wasn’t feeling tired now though despite the hour. After greeting his dog properly, he stood up and headed into the kitchen. He planned on making some food before he slept but found himself faltering when he spotted the new edition to the room. A vase of flowers. Ones that he had left for Emma for her birthday along with a first edition of her favourite book but he had expected to find at least the flowers in the trash if he was being honest or not sitting out at the very least. That was a good sign right? He turned as Roxy whined at him, “What is it?” He asked and followed her out of the kitchen, up the stairs and down the hall, where she started scratching on Emma’s bedroom door, “I know, girl, I know,” He sighed and pulled her back into the kitchen, closing her in there as he had been doing most nights as that was where her bed was.
Noah made his way back upstairs and got showered and dressed for bed. He started back for his bedroom but paused at his best friend’s door. He couldn’t take this anymore. He moved to open the door, surprised to find it unlocked even though it usually was, and poked his head in. She appeared to be sleeping. He was so used to just walking in and crawling into the bed next to her from all the times he’d done it after nightmares that that’s exactly what he did. He kept his distance though, knowing she might not wanting him there and almost preparing himself to get kicked out, “Em,” He said quietly into the dark. He did think she might be sleeping but he also had noticed that she hadn’t been doing much of that recently. Neither of them had and their own habits were hard to miss when they knew each other so well, “Are you awake?”
@emsreed
