Coach's Daughter

18

When it started getting late and Paige and I grew tired, we decided it was time to go to bed.

"You can have my bed," Paige tells me with a yawn. I'm suddenly disappointed that she's implying we won't be sleeping together. I guess because of what happened earlier. But that just makes it awkward because we slept together last time when she stayed at my house.

"No," I argue, "you can have your bed."

"No, you are gonna have the bed," she counters, stretching out on the couch, "I love sleeping on the couch."

"It's your bed." I tell her.

"Exactly. My bed my rules," she sasses.

I sigh dramatically, "Whatever." I get off the couch and head towards her room.

"Hey," she calls after me, "Goodnight," she says sarcastically.

"Goodnight," I say back before leaving to her room.

It feels weird being in her room without her. I don't turn on the lights as I find her bed and slip under the covers. My body immediately relaxes in her soft cushiony bed. It smells like her and I take in a deep breath, relishing in her scent. I think about how this is Paige's bed. She sleeps in it every night. Her head lays on this pillow. I wrap myself in her blanket and start to fall asleep.

Not long after I fall asleep, I wake back up. I check the time to see it's just after 3 am.

I roll onto my back and let my mind wander to Paige. She's all I seem to think about anymore. She's probably asleep right now, alone on the couch. Poor thing. Where there even pillows or blankets on the couch? I remember there was a throw blanket. She seemed so tired she probably didn't care. She had practice and everything today. She should've slept in her bed.

I find myself missing her and yearning to walk right out of this room and join her on the couch. That would of course defeat the whole point of us sleeping in separate rooms but I miss her so much. Besides, we're grown. There aren't adults here making us sleep by ourselves. Nothing can stop me from marching right into that living room and snuggling up to her. Except for her. Imagine if she wakes up and tells me to go back. Guess there's only one way to find out.

I crawl out of her bed, slightly dizzy, standing a moment to gain my balance. It's kind of difficult to see as it's so dark, the only light coming from street light outside. I make my way out of her room, holding my arms out to make sure I don't run into anything. I walk down the hallway and cautiously tip toe into the living room. I'm able to find the couch and can see the silhouette of Paige's body laying on it, fast asleep with the throw blanket covering her. There's just enough room for me beside her. I lay down close to her and am grateful that she has such a large couch. I close my eye and can feel her body beside mine, warm and real but oh so still. As I calm down I can hear her breathing quietly. I peak open my eyes to see her mouth is slightly agape as she almost snores, but not really snore. Just breaths loudly. But I don't mind. I close my eyes to fall back asleep when Paige stirs, mumbling something. Does she sleep talk? The corners of my mouth turn up at the thought. She rolls over, facing away from me. I can't help but to let my arm drape around her and hug her from behind, her body wrapped in the soft throw blanket.

I keep dosing off and waking back up, never saying fully asleep. Probably because of the chills I keep getting due to my lack of a blanket. I should've just stayed in her bed.

I lay on my back and let out a huff. That's when Paige rolls over and her arm falls over me limply and her face nuzzles in my neck, her warm breath tickling my skin. Never mind. I shouldn't have stayed in her bed. She exhales before shifting some more and then I hear her raspy voice, "Baby? What are you doing here?"

This isn't sleep talking, right? Did she just call me baby?

I turn my head to look at her, "Sorry, I know I'm clingy."

"No," she says in an almost whiny voice. It's higher pitched than usual.

"I'm glad you're here," she tells me and I can tell she's barely awake.

"Come here," she says, draping the blanket over me too and pulling me closer to her, my back pressing against her front and her arm holding tight around me. I'm immediately warmed, my body finally relaxing.

"Poor baby," she mumbles close to my ear. She called me baby again! I'm starting to wonder if she really has been drunk this whole time. I feel her lips kiss behind my ear and I smile. I rest my arm over hers that's around me. Her kisses begin to slow and I know she's probably falling asleep. God, she's so sweet.

~~~~~~~~~

The next day, I go home pretty early because we have family from far away coming in to visit for the rest of the weekend until Monday. Leaving Paige this morning was tough. When I told her I had to go, she whined like a little girl, which for some reason didn't annoy me, but rather made my heart ache. Poor Paigey.

I am excited to see my cousins though. We always have fun together, being around the same age. Only thing is they are all rowdy boys, so after them staying at our house for a couple nights, I'm definitely ready for them to leave. In the nicest way possibly.

When I pull up in the driveway, their minivan is already parked behind my mom's Subaru.

As soon as I open the front door, I am met with loud laughing and chatter.

"Y/n!" My aunt cheers when she sees me, running over to me with her arms outstretched for a hug.

"Hey," I say to everyone, hugging her back.

We have a family game night, playing various board games, my dad being overly competitive as usual.

Paige keeps sending me texts and funny memes and reels throughout the night. I love responding to each and every one of them. The serotonin I get every time I see her name pop up on my screen is ridiculous.

"Hey," my dad nudges me discretely, "try to stay off your phone while family is here."

I roll my eyes but nevertheless put my phone down. I hold back a smile though when I think of myself looking like a teen girl, distracted, giddily texting her crush. What can I say? Paige just has that effect.