I chugged a glass of water from the kitchen tap, then fixed my eyes on the sleeping girl on my pullout sleeper sofa in my living room.
I didn't need a drink, but my youngest sister's presence kept me awake.
We had two brothers and a sister in the ten years between us. One brother lived less than a mile from me, but she called me when she needed a bed for the night half-way between home and her new college apartment.
She and her best friend were moving out of the dorms together for their sophomore year. The friend's boyfriend grew up in this town, so they were at his house for the night.
I probably should have worn a robe over my boxers, but I counted on not disturbing her.
Usually when I stared at her, and she usually caught me, she would just blush and try not to grin, but if nobody was nearby, she'd add "what?" like I'd ever have an answer.
I didn't worry about her catching me now. She looked fast asleep.
I always thought she looked prettier than people, even herself, gave her credit for.
She slept on her back, under a thin cover which conformed to her body, leaving very little to the imagination.
Her head was turned away from me, and her long, light brown hair fanned out across the bed, her shoulder, and her face. One hand rose to her face and dragged across her mouth, but all that accomplished was to push more hair into her mouth.
I leaned down and brushed her hair away from her cute, freckled face. Her cheek felt warm, and very soft against my fingers.
The hand she'd used to move her hair immediately grasped mine, pulled it down across her chest and rolled to her side away from me. The suddenness of her movement threw me off balance and instead of falling on her, I sat beside her on the bed.
