Haider's been acting weird since last night. He forced us all to spend the night and now he's determined that we all go out of town for the weekend. Not to mention he's been cagey and exceptionally paranoid. I don't know what's going on but he's definitely not been a himself since last night.
For one thing, he'd forced Connor to stay the night too insisting it was too late to drive and he didn't feel right letting drive home alone, which meant Connor and Theo had shared the guest room. The only spare room in the house. Emma had then been force to share a room with Zahra since she was the only one little enough to fit in her bed.
I'd been sure at that point he would've rethought his impromptu slumber party seeing as how that meant either Dastan had to sleep on the couch or he and I would share a bed. His response to that conundrum is what convinced me that's somethings up.
Haider's always supported our relationship, sure but he also made it very clear the last time he caught us together that he didn't want to see us within five feet of each other until we figured out what was going on between us.
As far as he knows, we haven't so, his nonchalant "you guys figure it out," that he called over his shoulder as he headed up to bed was more than a little surprising. Dastan and I had shared a twin look of confusion, Emma who had yet to go to bed simply stared at him eyes bugging out of her head as he turned on his heel and went upstairs.
Not wanting anyone to catch on to our secret activities, we'd decided it best for Dastan to sleep on the couch. That lasted for only a few hours, and then he'd crawled into his bed beside me.
Waking up alone had been thoroughly disorienting, usually when Dastan and I spend the night together he's there when I wake up. Instead, this time I wake up surrounded in the wood smoke and earthy smell of him. His dark sheets tangled around my legs and the heat of his body still branded against my skin.
I stumble down the stairs more than a little asleep and find him passed out on the couch. It's still early enough that the rest of the house is silent so, I crawl onto the couch beside him. Curling into his side, he sleepily throws an arm around me and we go back to sleep for what feels like moments.
The sound of snickering is what jerks me into consciousness the second time, it's muffled and the more cognizant I become the faster I realize that there's multiple people. My first instinct is to tense up, my heart pounding in my chest but then I feel strong fingers tracing along the exposed skin of my thigh where it's thrown over his hip and I relax.
Turning my face further into his chest I inhale the comforting smell of firewood from his skin letting out S sleepy groan as I stretch my body languidly.
"Well, isn't this cozy?" Theo's voice sounds from above me. I jolt awake, jerking my body back and leaning precariously close to the edge of the couch.
Strong hands band around my waist keeping me flush against his body and I look up to find him watching me curiously. "Good morning," he says, his voice thick with sleep, dark hair mused and adorable. It takes every shred of self-control to not lean in a plant a kiss on his mouth.
I have to remind myself that considering I'd just heard Theo's voice we probably have an audience. "Good morning," I squeak back before turning my eyes to the rest of the room.
Nor only is Theo standing at the entrance to the living room, but so is Connor and Emma, all them watching us curiously in our very telling position on the couch. I suddenly want to kick myself for coming down here. We specifically decided to sleep in separate beds so that we could avoid the questions and I'd gone and ruined it.
My face grows uncomfortably hot, the longer they watch me. Eventually, Dastan makes a discontented sound and pushes himself up into sitting position, pulling me with him. I tug at the hem of his shirt that I'd borrowed self-consciously.
"Leave them be," Comes Haider's voice form the kitchen doorway. He's standing there arms folded across his broad chest and suddenly Shane sinks like a stone in my stomach. Does he know? Is he upset?
He answer that lady question by offering me a smile, "I made waffles, " he tells me before turning and heading back into the kitchen. Dastan and I share a glance, equal parts confusion and suspicion.
Without sparing a look to the other people in the room, we both make our way into the kitchen. Haider's standing at a waffle maker, counter and his apron covered in batter while Zahra sits at the opposite end of the counter with her iPad and a mug of coffee that's so big in her tiny hands it looks like a jug. We all seat ourselves as Haider says: "So, I got us a few days away from the city." It makes us all fall silent.
"Kiera, I spoke to your boss he said you can submit all your work electronically. Emma your boss said she's glad your taking a break." At this he chuckles.
"I'm sorry, have I entered some kind of strange parallel universe?" Emma asks, mirroring the thoughts of everyone in the room.
When Haider just gives her an innocently confused look the alarm bells in my head start ringing. It's somehow just a little too innocent, somethings definitely up with him. Especially, since he's been too busy with the Hell's Kitchen Hacker case to breathe these last few weeks and now suddenly he's chomping at the but to get out of the city.
I share a loaded look with Emma and Dastan before all three of us turn to Haider. "Wanna tell us what's going on? " I ask.
"Why does something have to be going on for me to want to spend time with you guys?" he shoots back and the guilt in his voice tells me we're close to an answer.
It's Dastan who cuts in, "Well, first off all your little sleep away camp last night was kind of weird. Secondly, I believe it was you who said you never wanted to see us near each other again. And thirdly, you're acting weird and somethings definitely up." He says listing items on his finger.
His face falls in response and suddenly I'm not so sure about my suspicions. Running a hand through his hair he looks at us openly for the first time since last night, his eyes are sad and he looks so much older. "I just miss you guys and I want to spend time with you." He says, picking at the stack of waffles beside him.
We all share a guilty glance, well that was unexpected. It's probably more to do with the fact that we all feel like crap for questioning his motives but within an hour everyone's made arrangements and we're all packed and ready to go.
Only there's a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me there's something more, warning me to keep my guard up. I ignore it, still more than a little ashamed of the way I questioned Haider when all he'd wanted was to be around his family. But the feeling doesn't dissipate and I'm starting to think maybe I am just a little too paranoid.