The night air was cool and quiet, brushing gently against the curtains as the clock ticked past ten. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, still trying to convince myself that I had made the right decision—Claude was going to sleep outside. No exceptions.
I'd even locked the door just to make sure he couldn't sneak in. It was childish, maybe, but necessary. If I let him off the hook this time, he'd never stop teasing me.
I turned off the lamp, ready to sleep, when I heard a faint sound from outside.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
My brows furrowed. "…No way."
Then came a soft voice—way too familiar.
"Miooo… open the door."
I pulled the blanket over my head. "No. Sleep on the couch, Claude."
There was a pause. "The couch is hard."
"Good. Maybe it'll teach you a lesson."
A long sigh followed, and then his voice again, lower this time. "But it's cold. And lonely. And I might catch a fever."
I rolled my eyes under the blanket. "Then you should've worn a shirt when you had the chance."
