Page 28 of Scars of Anatomy

“Delilah!” Olivia scolds, hopping up from her seat and running down the hall after her.

Instinctively, I hop up and follow them, Rat Boy hot on my heels.

I catch up just in time to see them fighting over the key at Professor Cooper’s door, the ligh t from their flashlights dancing around the walls in the scuffle, but ultimately Delilah wins, shoving the key into the lock and twisting.

She lets out a triumphant laugh when the door swings open, and she slips inside Professor Cooper’s office.

Olivia shakes her head with exasperation, following her inside.

“Whoa,” Delilah says, spinning around three hundred and sixty degrees in the middle of the office with her flashlight, observing.

She takes in the white walls and light-gray accent furniture that includes a desk, couch, some chairs, and side tables.

It’s minimal, modern; the only decorative aspects some throw pillows and succulent plants scattered around. “It’s a lot more zen than I expected.”

Olivia grumbles something under her breath, shouldering past Delilah to go behind Professor Cooper’s desk where she opens a drawer and pulls out a dark-gray blanket.

“Here you go,” she says, locking her eyes with mine and offering the blanket to me, her voice surprisingly soft despite her clear irritation.

I shake my head, stepping closer and leaning my shoulder against the door frame, blocking Rat Boy, his beady little gaze burning into my back. “No, Finch, you take it. You need it more than I do.”

She frowns, shrugging off my jacket. “Then at least take your jacket back,” she argues.

“Uh-uh,” I argue back, pushing off the door frame to step inside the office.

Rat Boy pushes his way in behind me. “Why don’t you just go back to your dorm? I’m sure you have extra layers there,” he comments, jaw and voice tight.

“Oh,” Olivia says in realization, her voice and eyes projecting disappointment. “I didn’t even think about it. Bronx, why don’t you go back to your dorm? Sleep in your own bed.”

I grab my jacket from her hands, throwing it back around her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere. The dorms are out of power, too, and the beds are hard as rocks anyway. I’m not going to risk busting my ass for that. Plus, as I told you before, I play football . Not hockey,” I tease.

“Tonsil hockey, though,” Delilah muses under her breath, a smirk playing on her lips.

Even in the dim light that’s provided by flashlights, I can see Olivia’s cheeks burn bright red. I even feel my own cheeks heat up a little.

“We got the blanket, can we go back out to the lounge now?” Rat Boy spits, souring the mood, like he always does.

Delilah rolls her eyes. “You know the second we stepped away from that furniture people swooped in like hawks to steal it.”

Rat Boy grits his teeth. “Well, where are we supposed to sleep now? I’m not sleeping on top of a desk or on the floor, that’s for sure.”

“We could sleep here,” Delilah says, shrugging and plopping onto Professor Cooper’s couch.

Olivia’s expression turns wary. “I don’t know, Dee. Let me text her just to make sure it’s okay,” she says, slipping her phone out of her pocket.

“You text her?” Delilah blurts, baffled.

I see Olivia roll her eyes as she types out a text.

In less than a minute her phone pings. “Professor Cooper said we can stay here tonight.”

“Of course she did,” Delilah grumbles. “I swear, that lady’s stuck so far up your a—”

“Delilah!” Olivia scolds her, her patience clearly wearing thin.

Delilah raises her hands in surrender.

With a tired sigh Olivia plops on the couch next to Delilah, and I quickly claim the last seat on the end next to her before Rat Boy can weasel his way in. He shoots me a glare before angrily throwing himself in the armchair across from us, pouting.

The room illuminates a little more when Delilah pulls out her phone, checking the time, yawning. “It’s already past ten thirty.”

Olivia involuntarily yawns as well. “Yeah, I guess we can all try to shut our eyes for a few hours. Hopefully it will be better in the morning.”

She unfolds the blanket, trying to cover as much of Delilah and me as she can with it.

Instinctively, I throw my arm around the back of the couch, around her shoulders, to pull her closer to me for body heat.

She lays her head on my shoulder, and I reach down to grab her legs, swinging them up and over to lay across my lap so she can be more comfortable—and more importantly, to try to provide her some more of my body heat.

Her body stiffens. “Are you sure about this?” she asks, almost nervous.

“Positive,” I assure her, loving the feel of her body on mine.

Eventually, she relaxes, snuggling into my side as I soothingly run my hand up and down her leg.

“I know you’re pissed at me,” Delilah says, “but can I get in on this cuddle session? I could really use the body heat.”

Olivia sleepily mumbles an approval and Delilah curls up into a ball and plasters herself to Olivia’s back, trying to soak up as much heat as she can while simultaneously using Olivia as a pillow.

“You need more meat on your bones. Even with your puffy coat on I can feel your spine jutting into my cheek,” Delilah playfully gripes, adjusting herself every few seconds to try to get comfortable.

After a few minutes everyone is settled, and I’m pretty sure I hear Delilah faintly snoring. Olivia has her cheek pressed against my chest, her eyes closed, but I don’t think she’s actually asleep yet.

I glance at Rat Boy, whose face is slightly illuminated by the lone flashlight resting on Professor Cooper’s desk, so it’s not pitch black in here.

I catch him glaring at me in the dark, like some sort of demon.

Normally, I’m not someone who scares easily, even after watching a horror movie, but I’d be lying if I said he didn’t give me the heebie-jeebies.

If it wasn’t for the girls, especially Olivia lying comfortably against me, I’d get up and drag him to the nearest supply closet and lock him in.

For a good remainder of the night, I stay awake just to make sure he doesn’t try to kill me in my sleep. Once I’m sure he’s asleep, I give myself permission to close my eyes.

I feel Olivia shift, causing me to stir awake. I blink a few times, momentarily confused as I try to regain consciousness.

I let my eyes adjust to the bright light pouring in the small window and harshly reflecting off the white walls. When I’m pretty sure I have my sight back, I glance down to see a pair of honey-colored eyes staring back at me, the light hitting them perfectly.

“Hi,” I rasp out, running the hand that’s not wrapped around her back and trapped by Delilah’s body through her hair, pushing some of it out of her face.

“Hi,” she whispers back, fighting back a yawn.

“ What time is it?” I ask, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my hand. I stretch a little and a sharp pain shoots up my spine, causing me to flinch.

She looks up at me with worry. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just stiff,” I admit. While Professor Cooper’s couch isn’t bad, sitting up all night isn’t the most comfortable. I’ve slept worse, though.

Olivia moves to get off me, but I hold her securely, not wanting to lose the feeling of her quite yet. She gets the hint and rests back against me, checking her watch.

“It’s almost eight thirty,” she says, her eyes drifting to the window. “I wonder if the sun melted anything yet.”

Delilah lets out a groan, stirring. “Shhh.”

“Dee, it’s morning,” Olivia says.

All Delilah does is let out a grunt.

Olivia blows out a breath, resting her head back on my shoulder. After a few moments I feel her body stiffen and she lifts her head, looking alert.

“What is it, Finch?”

“Shhh.” Her brow creases in concentration. “Do you hear that?”

I strain my ears and manage to hear the low hum of the heater and electricity.

“The power’s back on?” I ask.

“I think so. Dee, wake up, the power’s back on,” she says, elbowing her.

Delilah mumbles under her breath, then sits up, rubbing her eyes. I take the opportunity to move my numb arm, shaking it out.

“Huh?” Delilah asks groggily.

“I think the power’s back on.”

Delilah seems to wake up more. “Really?”

“Let’s go find out,” Olivia says, throwing the blanket off of us. She folds it back up neatly and puts it back in the drawer.

When the drawer snaps closed Rat Boy stirs. “What’s going on?”

“Power’s back on,” Delilah says, standing.

Rat Boy shoots up from the chair, nearly falling over. “Seriously? Let’s get out of here.”

He and Delilah are the first ones out the door, but Olivia waits for me as I slowly stand up like a ninety-year-old man, my back and neck killing me.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her to the front of the building.

Only a few people still linger inside, most of them sleeping.

“How do the roads look?” Olivia asks Delilah as we meet her at the front doors.

“Roads seem to be fine,” she says, her face bright. “We just need to take it slow for any lingering patches of ice.”

Olivia lets out a relieved breath. “Good. You should be able to make it home today, then.”

“That’s the plan. Now let’s go home!” Delilah says cheerfully, dragging Olivia outside to the parking lot.

I walk out with them to Delilah’s car, still holding Olivia’s hand to make sure she doesn’t slip on any lingering ice. Rat Boy unfortunately follows, since his car is parked close to Delilah’s.

I open the passenger-side door for Olivia.

“Thank you,” she says, her tired eyes lingering on mine.

“Go home and get some rest, Finch,” I tell her as she slips into the car.

“You too. I’ll see you later,” she whispers, a small smile gracing her lips.

“Text me when you make it home safely,” I instruct before shutting her door.

I watch them safely pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road before trucking it back to my dorm room, where I flop down on my bed to try to get some decent sleep.

I only fall asleep after I get Olivia’s text message saying that she made it home safe, and I make sure to set an alarm to get up and get ready to go spend Thanksgiving at her house on time.