Page 39 of Daydream

Halle’s palms flatten over my ears, and she applies pressure gently. Her thumbs find my temples, and to anyone else she probably looks like she’s about to kiss me, but she’s muffling the noise. Leaning in toward my left ear, she lifts the pressure of her hand slightly. “Should we leave? You’ve had a big weekend. Nobody would blame you if you needed to rest.”

Her hair tickles against my cheek. I tuck it behind her ear, placing my mouth next to her ear so she can hear me. “You only just got here. Your friends…”

“We’ve been together for hours and they won’t mind. Let’s go!”

Before I can object she’s picking up her bag and walking toward Cami and Ava. She leans in and they both nod and smile, seemingly unbothered that I’m stealing her away. The guys all give me a look as I let them know I’m leaving, and I don’t have it in me to argue that we’re not leaving together in the way they think. Halle slides her hand into mine as we navigate out of the bar, and as soon as the fresh air hits me the tightness in my chest slowly begins to ease a little. “Sorry for ruining your night,” I say as I summon a car on my phone.

“Has anyone ever told you you apologize a lot?”

“Never.” I slide off my jacket and place it over her shoulders. “Here, you’re not wearing a lot and you might get cold.”

“Thank you. I’ve sobered up a lot after the game and I’m notas protected from my own, well, Ava’s, outfit choices.” She pulls it tighter. “You haven’t ruined my night, by the way. You could never.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you to the game. I meant to, I just got in my head about something else. I’m happy you were there.”

“I did feel a little weird going at first. But Cami convinced me it wasn’t a big deal because it’s a sports game. I guess it’s just I would only go to Will’s gamesbecauseI was invited, so I didn’t want you to think I was… I don’t even know. But you don’t need to be sorry.”

“We talk about Will far more than I’d like.”

She bursts out laughing, and the soft sound only helps to soothe me. “He responded to my story earlier. I posted a picture in a Maple Hills jersey and he said ‘jersey chaser lol.’ I think I stared at my phone for like forty-five seconds and then I got the giggles and couldn’t stop.”

I know Will texted her before our date, so it doesn’t surprise me. “Important question. Whose name was on your jersey?”

“It doesn’t have a name. It wasn’t actually mine, I borrowed it from Ava.”

The car pulls up to the curb and I hold the door open for her to climb in. “Yeah, we’re fixing that on Monday.”

Chapter TwelveHALLE

TODAY HAS BEEN ONE OFmy busiest days in a long time.

I went to my classes, had lunch with Aurora, went to the library, put some new fliers up for Enchanted, delivered some groceries for Mrs. Astor next door, helped Gigi with her Shakespeare essay, started my own essay, and now I’m letting two imaginary people called Harriet and Wyn tear my heart up via an audiobook on 2X speed while making cookies. I’m exhausted and somehow still falling behind, but that’s an issue for another day.

And yet, despite all of those things to keep my mind very, very busy…

I can’t stop thinking about the fact I had a sex dream about the man sitting on my couch.

When we got home on Saturday after the club, Henry was clearly overstimulated mentally and physically. I put a blanket and pillows in the middle of my living room, and we lay down and watched my baking show in silence. Joy nestled between us, asleep, and at some point between the technical and showstopper of the first episode, I drifted off. When I woke up again, I was in my bed and Henry was asleep beside me.

Three times this week we’ve repeated that process, each time waking up closer together.

Except last night, when I slept alone, and the offending dream happened.

Now I’m keeping myself as busy as I can so I don’t have to look at him, because my imagination has seen things it can’t unsee, and I feel like I cannot make eye contact with him without blushing intensely.

This month’s book club read is playing loudly through my headphones, which means I don’t hear Henry approach or realize he’s behind me until his hand reaches past me to take one of the hot cookies from the baking sheet.

He gently pulls the headphones from my head. “You’re jumpy. Are you okay?”

I don’t realize how close he is until I turn around and we’re almost nose to nose. He takes a step back and uses one hand to cup under the cookie as he takes a bite.

He moans.

Of course he moans.

“Did these get better or is it just because I haven’t had one in a few days?” I shrug and look away as he sucks the melted chocolate chips from his fingers. “You’re being weird.”

“I’m not.” I so, so am.

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