components. As she tried to find any part of the instructions
that was written in English, she heard a tap. She smiled
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involuntarily, and waved for Lucas to come through her unlatched
window, marveling at how lovely he looked as he soared in her
window, quite certain that she looked nothing like that when she
flew.
?Is that spine cracker for me?? he whispered with a smile as he
pointed at the air mattress.
?Hey, if you don?t like it, I?m all for you sleeping in my bed,?
Helen whispered back, making a show of closing up the kit.
?No, it?s perfect,? he said, stopping her by grabbing her hands
and pulling her into his arms. He held on to her like he hadn?t seen
her in forty days, instead of forty minutes, and then he grinned and
rubbed his face against her cheek.
?You need a shave!? she said, squirming away from his scratchy
chin. He chuckled sadistically and turned his attention to the air
mattress.
?I was going to sleep on the couch downstairs,? he said uncertainly,
still deciding if that would be better.
?My dad . . .?
?Wouldn?t be able to get down the stairs fast enough to catch
me.?
?And what if you didn?t hear him and didn?t get out in time? I?d
never be able to explain it,? Helen countered.
?Better that than the alternative,? he said, gathering up the mattress.
?Look, I?m fine on the roof, Helen. I?m really not comfortable
sleeping in here with you. I think it would be a mistake.?
No matter how guilty it made her feel to make Lucas sleep on the
roof, she could tell that she wasn?t going to win this one. They