Page 135 of Make Me Dream of You

She squeezes me, and even though she’s restricting my lungs, it finally feels like I can breathe.

“I should have told you,” I say, grimacing. “I was scared.”

She pulls back, keeps a hold of my arms. “Why?”

“Because of what you had said—about never dating a family member’s ex.”

“I did say that, didn’t I?” She almost laughs. “I wouldn’t let something like that get between us.”

“So you’re not mad, about me and Noah?”

Bex tilts her head. “It’s a little weird, but he and I were together a long time ago. I’ll get over it. I just want you to be happy. I’ve always only wanted that for you.”

She smiles, getting impossibly prettier, her crystal blue eyes twinkling as a cool rain drop hits my nose, then she narrows her gaze at Noah. “If you hurt her, I will fucking kill you.”

Noah chuckles, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me up against his side. “I know.”

“I’m not kidding. Straight up murder.”

“I believe you.”

Jake pulls up to the curb as more rain drops start to fall.

“Love you,” Bex says, smiling at me and flipping Noah off.

“Love you, too.” He returns the gesture with both middle fingers as she gets into the car. She and Jake drive off as the patter of rain hitting the pavement surrounds us.

Noah wraps me in his arms, and I nuzzle into his warm chest. “Sorry my sister threatened your life.”

He kisses the top of my head. “I’m not worried about it. I have no intention of hurting you. I’m going to keep you and take care of you, forever.”

I look up at him, the man of my dreams, and he’s promising me forever. It doesn’t seem real.

He smiles down at me. “I have something else I need to tell you. Actually, let me show you.

We walk for several blocks, the rain letting up as the clouds open and dissolve away to a beautiful night sky.

At first, I think he’s taking me to the shop. We pass the bar, which is still dead this early in the evening. Then, as we get to the doors of the shop, he keeps on walking, arm around my shoulders.

He takes me to the next door down, the coffee shop.

“After you,” he says, holding the door open.

“What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see.”

I walk in, Noah quietly behind me, his hand on my lower back, steering me away from the counter and over to the booths up against the wall. I glance all around. The lighting is dim, moody. Everything painted in muted tones of brown. It’s not very full. The few people sitting around murmur softly while their ceramic mugs clink against little saucers. Soft key clicks come from someone working on their laptop in the corner, earbuds in.

Noah puts both hands on the sides of my face and tilts my head back, directing my eyes upward.

And there, on the wall, in this quiet corner coffee shop, is the nude drawing I did of him in the loft, framed with a simple white mat against the aged, brick wall.

I stare blankly up at it, mouth open. I’m frozen and it’s like everything around me is fuzzy, out of focus, sounds muffled like I’m under water.

“Are you mad?” Noah gnaws on his lip. “I know I did this behind your back, I wanted it to be a surprise?—”

“I’m not mad. I… I don’t know what to say.”

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