Page 61 of Daydream

“What’s Ryan Rothwell doing here?” Robbie asks, looking at me in confusion.

Aurora immediately waves Russ over, and by the fact they do that friendly but borderline awkward handshake Ryan and Nate do, I’d bet that Ryan knows Aurora in the way he seems to know every other woman in the United States. I look a few booths down and recognize some players from the LA Rockets, the NBA team Ryan plays for, with Kitty Vincent and some people I don’t know.

I shrug in response to Robbie’s question. “Looks like he knows Aurora.”

Aurora waves Halle over, and as soon as she’s close enough Ryan starts talking to her.

Halle starts laughing, and I’ve never experienced jealousy so quickly in my life. Robbie is watching just as closely as I am. “Does he know Halle?”

I’m confident as I say, “Halle doesn’t know anyone.”

Why is everyone laughing? What’s so funny that’s making everyone so happy? I’m about to get up and walk over, but then Aurora moves out of my line of vision, and I realize that Ryan’s dressed asSpace JamBugs Bunny and has the outfit to match Halle’s.

Robbie takes a long sip from his drink in my peripheral vision. “It looks like he’s trying to get to know Halle. They’re basically wearing a couple’s costume.”

“What do I do?” I ask him. I’ve never needed advice with women before, but I’ve never cared about who someone talks to before or after me.

“That depends on if you want to sit back and let Ryan take your girl or do something about it. He’s capable of it. The guy must have a magic dick.”

“She isn’t my girl. She’s my friend.”

“I don’t get you,” Robbie says, leaning closer so I can hear him better. “I’d get it if you said you wanted to hook up with other people so you don’t want to start something with her, but I haven’t seen you bring anyone home in—fuck, I don’t know. Have you brought someone home this year?”

“How do you know the difference between liking someone as a friend but being attracted to them, and them being someone you want to have a relationship with? How do you even know when you’re ready for a relationship withanyone?”

“Oh boy. Where’s Jaiden when you need him? You’ve just gotta take the chance, I guess. Look, I’m not good at this kind of stuff. Uh, imagine your friendship with her stays the same, you still spend time together as much as you do now, but Ryan goes home with her tonight. Next week it might be someone else taking her out on a date, but at the same time, you’re still doing whatever the fuck it is that you two do that makes you wanna be with each other every minute of your spare time. How would you feel?”

“Jealous.”

“Or the not as nice side of that is she doesn’t have as much time for you anymore.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” I argue. I feel like I know Halle. She wouldn’t drop me for a guy.

“How much time do you spend with Stas now that you’re friends with Halle? I’m not trying to make you feel bad, man, but relationships change things for people. Do you know someone asked Halle for her number yesterday? And she spent last night at her ex’s house. What’s it going to take for you to step up and do something about your feelings?”

He says it like it’s so obvious, but in reality I didn’t realize I had feelings for her until very recently, and I’m still working to get my head around it. Robbie is right, though, even though I might not like his delivery.

When I look back over to Halle, she’s taking a photograph with Ryan, and they look really good together. I hate how good they look together. I hate the idea of her getting experiences from other people. I don’t want her to look at other people the way she looked at me when I won her that fucking ridiculous duck at the pier. Or any of the other shit I won for her.

Ryan drapes his arm across Halle’s shoulders while they pose as Aurora takes another picture of them, and it’s the nudge I need to do something about it.

“Whatsup, man. Love the costume,” Ryan says as I approach them. He pats me on the back in the friendly way I’m accustomed to. “Stassie not with you?”

“Not tonight. Her parents are in town for the weekend.”

The worst thing about Ryan Rothwell is how nice he is. Nate always said it and I never understood how the worst thing about someone could be how nice they are. Now I get it. He isn’t doing anything wrong and I want to get Daisy to throw him out. It’d be a more tempting option if I thought speaking to Daisy wouldn’t result in Halle’s friends trying to kick my ass.

Halle takes the spot at my side and looks up, her bunny ears slipping backward. “You okay?”

“Want to dance?” I ask her.

Her eyebrow quirks. I’m as surprised as she is. “Uh, sure.” Halle takes my hand and leads me through the crowd to a less crowded spot out of the view of our friends. “Spill it.”

“Spill what?”

“What’s got you all agitated? You definitely don’t voluntarily dance. Do you have your noise reducer things in?”

“It isn’t that. I—” She’s looking up at me, patiently waiting for me to say something. “Have you been to a Halloween party before?”

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