Free Friday (Timeless Series #5) by E. L. Todd

night?”
    I clocked in and tied my apron around my waist. “Uh, hi.”
    She stomped her foot. “What happened last night? Did you get back together? Did he tell you he loved you? Please tell me he pulled his head out of his ass.”
    “Nothing happened.”
    She raised an eyebrow like she didn’t believe me for a second. “So Axel was in there all night—in your bedroom—and nothing happened?”
    “Yes.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest.
    “He held me for a long time and tried to make me feel better…and then we lay down and fell asleep. That’s it.”
    “No, there’s a huge difference.”
    Difference?
    “Did you just fall asleep? Or did you go to sleep together?”
    “What the hell does it matter?”
    “It does matter,” she argued. “Hawke and I would lay together and hold each other, completely awake and aware of what we were doing. We would touch each other, feeling our pulse and our breaths. We would exist in the moment together, having an entire conversation in silence. We would do that until we eventually fell asleep. That’s completely different than being so bored that you fell asleep without even realizing he was there. Now, which was it?”
    It definitely wasn’t the second one. “It doesn’t matter. It’ll never happen again.”
    “Marie, you better answer me.”
    “The first one…”
    The bell rang over the door but neither one of us headed to the counter.
    She didn’t give me a triumphant look. “Marie, listen to me. I know what I’m talking about. Couples don’t just do that sort of thing—unless they’re in love.”
    “But—”
    “When two people can sleep together and not have sex that means something serious is going on.”
    “Isn’t it the opposite? When two people are in love they can’t keep their hands off each other?”
    “No. Definitely not.”
    Deep down inside, I knew what she meant.
    “The relationship is more than just attraction and physical lust. It’s about the relief you feel when he’s just in the room. Your bodies need each other in order to exist peacefully. That pull, that tug, transcends human understanding. Those supernatural experiences, the ones that don’t make sense, are the ones that make the most sense. Do you understand?”
    “No…and yes.”
    “Hawke and I had similar experiences. Listen to your heart and trust what it’s saying.”
    I already knew exactly what my heart was saying. “Francesca, it doesn’t matter. Maybe I feel that way, feel that tug, but he doesn’t. If he did, he would be with me.”
    “But he does want to be with you.”
    I couldn’t tell her about Alexia, not without dragging Hawke into it. I had to keep it to myself.
    “He just hasn’t realized it yet.”
    How could he spend the night with me and hold me then go back to his girlfriend the next day? It didn’t make any sense to me. “We should get to work…”
    “Think about what I said.”
    That’s all I ever thought about.
    ***
    I tried to sleep that night but couldn’t find any peace. After sleeping in his arms last night it was impossible to get comfortable. I should have asked him to leave instead of letting him stay. Now I had to get used to sleeping alone all over again.
    I tossed and turned then looked at the time.
    2:15 A.M.
    I may have to invest in sleeping pills—or get a boyfriend pillow.
    I left the bedroom then walked into the kitchen. Eating late at night wasn’t smart for my waistline but I didn’t care at the moment. I opened the fridge and searched for something good. Most of the things inside required preparation, and I was just looking for an easy fix. I grabbed a slice of cheese and snacked on it like a mouse.
    I sat at the kitchen table and looked out the window, and that’s when I noticed Axel’s truck at the curb.
    I dropped the slice on the table.
    Was it really him? I darted to the window and peeked through the blinds. It was dark outside but I could distinguish a few things. The front seat was reclined and I