Rebel Runners: The Beginning of the End | ✔

Part Sixteen

Part Sixteen

Cora's POV

Afternoon rotation is my jam. I get majority of the day free to myself which I ironically spend with Jesse. Work is done by nine thirty which is early enough to do things after and still go to bed at a reasonable time.

I'm walking on cloud nine and I highly doubt anything could knock me down.

Except for maybe the fact afternoon rotation is almost over, after only two weeks. The rotation is short because Jesse is moving to day rotation and shifting between outpost duty and field work.

As thrilling as the idea of being up early in the wee hours of the morning running with him alone outside of Rush City, I think I value sleep a little more.

Especially when said sleep is Jesse's warm, soft comfortable bed.

I sigh happily into the pillow, rolling onto my back. Expecting to hit his hard body I fall onto the empty mattress. Lifting my head, I look around the dark room, wondering where he is. The clock on the bedside table reads four am.

"Ugh." I groan, falling back onto the pillows.

Closing my eyes, I try to go back to sleep but its not working. The bed feels to empty to sleep which is ridiculous. I can sleep perfectly fine in my own bed without another body in there. His bed feels much larger without him here in it.

The bedroom door creeps open, but I keep my eyes closed. It's probably just Jesse coming back to bed instead of leaving the house like the early morning psychopath he is.

Actually, I don't think that makes him the psychopath, it's the consistent running five k's at the ungodly hour. And dragging me willingly along.

Despite my complaining about it I enjoy tagging along, its extra time spent with him and counts as my workout. No matter how torturous it is. Even though it's gotten a lot easier over time, but I'm not telling him that.

"Cora." His deep voice whispers.

Fully aware I'm spread across the bed mostly on his side now, I don't budge. I keep my breathing even, eyes closed and committed to fake sleeping.

"Cora, I know you're awake."

Digging my teeth into my bottom lip I refuse to move as I peak through one eye. He's standing beside the bed waiting for me to move.

He gives up patiently waiting and starts climbing in anyway. I gasp, trying to get out of the way but he wraps his arms around me pulling me back.

He keeps me trapped with my back to his chest as he reaches for the sheet, pulling it up and over our heads. Squirming in his arms I wiggle so I can roll over to face him.

My eyes have adjusted enough to the darkness that I can tell he's wide awake. He's probably been awake for a while now.

"Can't sleep?" I ask quietly.

His hand moves up and down my back. He keeps quiet, not answering my question which only makes me think the worse. Surely his father wouldn't call him or message him at this hour. And if it wasn't that he must've woke up thinking about stuff.

"I woke up because this bed is so friggin big without you in it." Choosing to distract him instead, I move my finger over the ink on his chest.

The corner of his mouth twitches upwards a little. "I was only gone for ten minutes."

I shake my head slowly. "Doesn't matter."

Stilling his moving hand on my back, he grips me as he rolls to his side taking me with him. Tangling in the sheet as we go, I try to move it out of the way so I can look at him.