Page 41 of Make Me Dream of You

She shifts on her side to face me. “Speaking of cute… Mark was asking about you tonight at the bar.”

Oh, right. Mark.

“He said he texted you after your date, but he hasn’t heard back,” she says casually.

Yikes.

“Yeah. I meant to reply but I’ve been busy.”

“Date wasn’t great?”

“It was…okay.”

The bed bounces with Bex’s silent laughter. “You’re not feeling it. It happens. Don’t worry about it. You’re young. Date as much and as many people as you want. Play the field. Have fun. You don’t owe anybody anything. Oh my god! You know what you should do?”

She scoots closer and leans up on her elbow.

“What?”

“You should totally go out with Wood. He’s super nice, and he’s crazy hot, and he hooked up with Bethany—who used to work at the bar—a little while back and she said he’s amazing in bed. Like, life changing.” She waggles her eyebrows at me.

I laugh. “Why don’t you date him, then?”

She rolls onto her back and sighs. “Wood would be a fun little fling, but he’s still in the revolving door stage of dating. It’s fine for when you’re still figuring out what you like, and as long as you go in with your eyes open, so you don’t get hurt. But I think I’m past that part of my life. Noah started off my rebellion bad-boy phase. Do you remember? Mom hated him.” She chuckles softly. “That was half of his appeal. I have love for him now, but he was kind of a shitty boyfriend at eighteen. He hasn’t had any long-term girlfriends since we reconnected as far as I know, either, so maybe he still is. Anyway, Wood and I—even if he wanted something serious—I could never.”

“Why not?”

She scoffs. “I mean, he’s Noah’s cousin. You never date an ex’s family member, or a family member’s ex. That’s code.”

A heavy feeling settles in my stomach. “Even though you and Noah dated so long ago and are cool with each other now?”

“Yep. There’s no statute of limitations on that code. I mean, maybe if they weren’t all that close—but they’re not just cousins, they’re roommates and best friends. It would be hella awkward. What if it worked out, and Wood and I got married, and we’d all know that the bride and best man have slept together? It’d be too weird.”

I nod, even though she probably can’t see.

She’s right. If Noah and I hooked up, it could get extremely awkward. Worse, it might hurt her. He’s my boss now, anyway. I really need to let go of this silly crush I have on him and move on.

Noah Dixon is officially off limits.

CHAPTER 8

NOAH

Waking up to the sound of clanking pots and pans accompanied by Wood’s stellar rendition of “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift in the kitchen hits different when you’ve had less than three hours of sleep. It’s okay. Less time with my bad dreams.

I trudge downstairs from the loft where I slept—or tried to—last night.

Wood’s got eggs scrambling and bacon frying. Coffee is brewing. It looks like he ordered an entire bakery with the assortment of pastries, donuts, muffins, and bagels in baskets around the kitchen. There’s also a large bowl of fruit on the table that wasn’t there last night.

Oblivious, he flits around, shaking his hips and bobbing his head, a kitchen towel thrown over his shoulder. He gets out a large mixing bowl and whisk, then starts digging to the back of one of the cabinets.

“What are you making now?” I ask.

There’s a low thud and then an “ow” from inside the cabinet. Wood steps back, rubbing the back of his head with one hand and holding a waffle iron in the other. “Livvy requested waffles,” he says with a smile.

Macy bursts out of the hall bathroom, still in her clothes from last night, messy bun, permanent creases in her forehead as she looks around for something. Wood practically leaps over the island to get to her, a full plate of food in one hand, a basket of pastries in the other.

“Breakfast? I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I kind of got everything.”

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