Page 89 of Daydream

I don’t like where this is going, but she’s so excited I don’t want to stop her. “And it got me thinking about how when Will and I broke up he kept all the friends, but what if they broke up but she kept the friend? His best friend. Or they grew closer because they both wanted something more from this same person, and the thing that was missing broughtthempeace with each other as they both grieved what could have been romantically and platoni-cally?”

“So that’s what you’ve been writing? Her and his friend?”

“Kinda. Starting to set it up anyway. The thing I keep thinking is, what is the price of love? And how much is too much? At what point do you look at the choices you’re making and decide the price is too high? How much should we sacrifice for someone we care about?” She’s glowing, and I can’t stop watching her. “I’m approaching this last act, and I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen, so I just wanted to get all my thoughts down while I could before writer’s block could hit me.” She cups my face with her palm and kisses me gently. “Thank you for coming over so quickly.”

“When did you know you wanted to be an author?” I ask. I can’t believe I’ve never asked her before.

“When I was about six or seven. My mom took me to a kids’ event at the library where the author was doing a reading, and I just thought it was so exciting and special. I can’t even remember whothe author was, but everyone was hanging on her every word, and I decided I wanted to do that.”

“I want to see people hanging on your every word in a library,” I say softly, resting my hand on her thigh.

She picks it up, kissing my knuckles gently. “Hopefully.”

Chapter Twenty-SevenHALLE

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT WALKING OUTinto the fresh December air knowing I don’t have to think about college again until the first week of January that makes everything in my life so much better.

Henry is engrossed in his cell phone on a bench when I walk out of the English building with Rory. He’s completely oblivious to the group of women talking about him to his left when we walk toward him. He looks up as I reach him, smiling at me in a way that makes my heart pound.

“Is the oxygen oxygening more today?” I ask when he stands, pushing his phone into his pocket and kissing my cheek. “Or is it me?”

“Halle’s being weird today,” Aurora says. “Like, really super weird and unnaturally joyous.”

His eyebrows crease, nose scrunching in the way it does. “It’s you. Air is air.”

“I have so many things I’m going to achieve over winter break and I’m excited to not feel like a failure anymore,” I say. “I’m going to get ahead in everything and get my life in order.”

“Sounds boring. How much more in order can your life get?”Henry says, pulling my book bag from my shoulder and slinging it over his.

I don’t bother answering him because he has no idea how many half-written and half-thought-out chapters I have collecting virtual dust on my laptop right now. I also need to type up the chapter I for whatever reason decided to write by hand. My first draft was supposed to be done so I could spend the next couple of months editing before I need to submit in March. I still haven’t finished the second act, and God knows what will happen when I get to the third.

I’m so behind, but I’ve decided to see spending Christmas working as a blessing and not a disappointment, and that when class starts again, I’ll be back to my usual undistracted and organized self.

“Yeah, I’m with him. You’re one of the most put-together people I know,” Aurora says, turning to face Henry. “But speaking of people who don’t have their lives together… How’s the soul-crushing panic treating you? When’s your last exam?”

“You’re being very judgmental about my choices for a person deeply in need of therapy,” Henry says, and while my instinct is to gasp, Aurora laughs. “It’s this afternoon and I’m genuinely not worried.”

“I also think lying is fun.” She looks down at her cell phone and smiles. “Russ just texted to say he’s finished. We’re going Christmas shopping; do you need me to pick anything up for you?”

I think she’s talking to Henry at first, but then I realize she’s looking at me. “Sorry, what?”

“Have you finished your Christmas shopping, or do you need some help? We’re going to the mall, but if there’s something specific you need, I can use the personal shopper service my mom has. They’ll gift wrap and arrange for it to be mailed to Phoenix for you, too.”

I know it’s not a huge deal, but Aurora’s offer catches me off guard. She already did me a huge favor by helping me organize thegift from my siblings when they were hounding me; I’d never expect her to help with anyone else.

I also can’t think of a time when anyone has offered to help me at Christmas. I’m always in charge of making sure everyone has the right gift for everyone else, and people think nothing of it.

“I’ve finished already, but thank you for offering.”

“No problem! Text me if you think of anything. Bye, lovebirds.”

Aurora lifts her phone to her ear as she walks away, and when she’s out of earshot, Henry finally talks. “I have two hours to kill. Do you want to break the ‘No heavy petting in the library’ rule with me?”

An unexpected laugh bursts out of me and he pulls me closer, laughing too. His hands settle on my neck, tilting my head back gently to look up at him. “As festive and not at all voyeuristic as that sounds, I promised I’d work at Enchanted for a couple of hours to help with the last-minute gift-buying as people start to leave town for Christmas.”

He pouts. Like actually. “Are you saying no to me?”

“You do keep telling me that I should say no to people.”

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