I stir on the couch. I wonder what I am doing on the couch. I hear clanging in the kitchen and the sweet aroma of coffee. I remember. Dana. I can feel my head begin to spin.

“It’s about time that you got up sleepyhead,” she says to me.

I sigh realizing just who had filled my house with some much noiseShane.

Not missing a beat, “Hey, heylets try not to look so disappointed. I did bring coffee and muffins.” Plopping a plate and cup in front of me, “I know I’m not Sarah or anything, but I thought you might need someone to talk to.”

SarahrightI can’t forget about Sarah. “Shane, I’m not disappointed just surprised. It’s not every morning you wake up in your own apartment not knowing who’s in the next room.”

Shane chuckles, sipping her coffee, “Well, I suppose you have a point. Now what I wanna know is why are you sleeping on your couch in your own apartment with an unoccupied bed?”

I fiddle with the muffin wrapper, remembering why I woke on the couch. “I was just so tired when I got home from The Planet, I just kinda fell out,” I lie.

“Uh huh” Shane knows there’s more. “But that doesn’t explain why the jacket Dana was wearing last night is on your living room floor, Al.”

Damnit. Why wouldn’t she take her jacket? I run my hand through my hair, “YeahokDana showed up here last night after I ran out of The Planet. Before you get any ideas, nothing happened. We talked.”

Shane nods her head obviously she doesn’t believe me.

I get up, starting to pace, “Alright, fine. Dana came over her last night and she told me somethingwell she told me something pretty deep Shane. And, she was so upsetand well we slept together on the couch, clothes on thank you. She didn’t want to go home and,” I feel the tears come to my eyes. ” I didn’t want to let her go.”

God, I didn’t want to let her go. She seemed so broken and vulnerable. I held her through the night, falling asleep after she did. She explained to me that she didn’t want to go to home to Lara. Lara hadn’t thought it was the best idea for Dana to tell me, at least not so early. Telling Dana it could be a conflict of interest, whatever the ***** that means.