A noise jerks me awake. My dad tries to quietly walk by, but I stop him.

"Is that blood?"

"Don't worry about it. Go back to sleep."

"Dad, tell me what happened."

"I just went to the gym. Boxed with some guy to get my anger out. Poor guy will be sore in the morning."

Sadly, most of the guys that challenge my dad underestimate him. Nate starts to stir beneath me.

"Babe?"

"Shhh. Go back to sleep."

"Not without you."

"I'm right here."

He groggily attempts to pull me onto his chest. He misses completely, his arm hanging off the couch as he falls back asleep.

"You've got one heck of a guy, Celia."

"He's only here because I'm threatening to blackmail him."

This draws a chuckle from my father.

"That's my girl. For what?"

"Smoking in the hallway."

"That offense would be dropped by now. He's not sticking around because of the blackmail. He likes you, Celia."

His words catch me off guard, but not too much. I already suspected his little crush.

"What makes you think that?"

"He gives you the same look I gave your mother when we were dating."