Part 31
No. A little tipsy is too tipsy to risk. I can't let her leave.

He stayed in her path, barring his arm across the door. "You're staggering, Enya. Maybe you're not drunk, but I'd feel a lot better if you just crashed here for the night."

She blew a raspberry at him and tried to move past his arm. "I'm fine," she insisted. "Really, I'd be more worried if you were trying to drive. Now let me get home to get some sleep. I need to get up at six to get my shit together before work..."

"Humor me, please. I don't care if it was only three drinks, unless you can walk home..."

"Now you're being silly. My place is further than Alton's..."

"Just stay, please?"

"No. Move, Nathan."

He wouldn't move. "Look, I'll crash on the couch and you can have my room. Just... be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" She raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes at him. "I had three God damned drinks. I am reasonably sober. Now move the fuck out of my way."

"No. Don't make me take your keys."

"Don't make me flip you. I have a black belt."

"I just think it's better to be safe than sorry..."

"You're gonna be sorry if you keep pissing me off!"

"Be pissed!" he shot back, growing equally annoyed. "I'm not moving!"

"Damn it, Nathan!"

"Marni, please!"

They both stopped, catching the slip moments after it left Nathan's lips. His face turned red and he began to shake, lowering his arm from the door. "Enya," he said weakly, the correction coming too late. "I meant to say... never mind." Justified or not, it no longer felt right to stop her, and he slowly moved away from the door. "Leave if you want..." That was the only reason he was worried, wasn't it? Because she looked like Marni, and he couldn't bear the thought of her getting into another car accident. He wandered to the kitchen table and sat down. If she left, he didn't want to see her leave.

Enya followed him. She didn't speak, but brushed her hand lightly over his shoulder, then gave it a gentle squeeze. She stepped around the table, set her purse down with her keys beside it, and stopped a moment, watching him. She let out a quiet sigh. After another moment, she turned and walked into his room. She retrieved a pillow and brought it back to the living room, tossing it on the couch, then returned to the bedroom. She watched Nathan again for a minute or two, then silently closed the door behind her.

She had agreed to stay.

After the door clicked closed, Nathan lowered his head in his hands and took a deep breath. He was ashamed of himself, but relieved. Now he didn't have to worry about her. With another sigh he stood, moving to the bathroom to get his medication. Another whirlwind evening, and he was ready for a little help getting to sleep. The bottle of little blue pills was set out on the sink beside his toothbrush, a silent reminder for him to take two before bed.

As Nathan reached for them, however, he stopped short, cursing under his breath. "Fuck. I can't." He paused for a moment, then picked up the bottle anyway. Tiredness was starting to make his vision blurry, but he tried to read the label anyway, altogether forgetting why it was he couldn't take his insomnia medication when he knew he needed it. His thoughts weren't coming together properly, which made matters worse, and the words just looked liked jumbles of letters. Despite this, he knew he wasn't going to sleep well without them.

God damn it all, what am I missing here? Why shouldn't I take these? Fucking insomnia... maybe (whatever it is) I can just take half a dose and be okay, but will that be enough to get me to sleep? Why did I have to have insomnia, of all things...

Maybe I'd be better off not taking my pills at all tonight, but then I might have withdrawals... maybe... ugh, stupid sleeplessness...

What should I do?