Page 33 of Sweet Dreams

“Shit, Silas.” She groans.

A few seconds later, I find my own release. Feeling a wave of emotion, I gently bring my head to her neck and plant a soft kiss.

“I’m going to go clean up. I’ll be right back.” She doesn’t even look back as she says it, and now I’m just standing here, second-guessing myself. Did I mess up somehow?

Pulling up my pants, I wash my hands in the kitchen sink and tidy up the food, feeling concernedwhen Teagan hasn’t emerged from the bathroom. I move to the bathroom to see what she’s up to; I find her sitting on her bed in pajamas.

“Teagan? What’s wrong?” I sink onto my knees before her, taking her hands into mine.

“Did we make a mistake?”

My heart drops. “Why would this be a mistake?”

“Because, Silas. We’re friends. This is going to change how we see each other now.”

“No, love. Nothing will change. I’m still Sunshine, and you’re still Dimples. Nothing will change. You can still yell at me when I don’t do my job correctly if that makes you feel better.”

She laughs. “If my shop ever opens again.”

“You still have to tell me what happened.”

She pulls my hands away, falls back onto the bed and groans. “Please don’t. I wasn’t thinking and didn’t think Taylor would arrest me. He’s such a pussy.”

I climb on the bed, pulling her into my side. “Yeah, but I like your pussy more.”

She slaps my arm. “Don’t start.”

“I can finish if you want.” I run my hand down her stomach, but she stops me.

“Can we just sleep?”

“Of course.” I pull the blanket over us andsmooth her hair.

No matter how often I reassure her, I can’t shake the feeling that this has altered our relationship. Perhaps it was easier when I wore a mask and stayed astranger.

I should’ve stopped it, but goddamn Silas was amazing. And now I’m suffering the consequences. Then again, it’s what I deserve. Friends and sex don’t mix. This is why I have stayed single all this time. It’s not worth the heartache.

I woke up alone. Which honestly doesn’t surprise me. I knew sleeping with Silas would change things, even though he said it wouldn’t. But why wouldn’t it change? Sleeping with a friend can complicate things when you’re not in a committed relationship. I let my emotions seep into this entire thing, and I’m unsure how I can pretend otherwisenow.

The only thing I have left to do now is drag my ass back down to my shop and see if John is down there. And probably call my parents and explain my stint in jail. Maybe I’ll call them as I walk, blow off steam, and no one can bug me. AKA Elma, she can’t say anything if she finds me.

I dial my parents and the ancient contraption known as a landline shrieks for attention, much to my dismay. Naturally, my parents are the proud owners of this relic, clinging to the past with their refusal to embrace voicemail. Go figure. I swear, trying to track those two down is a task of its own.

Me: I need to talk to you and Mom. Call me

If that doesn’t work, I have no clue what will—maybe getting Mom a cell phone.

As I approach my shop, a wave of joy washes over me. Even with the renovations, I still adore being here. I only hope it has a chance of reopening. With the amount of blood that is being poured into it, The Dancing Goat will dance once again.

That joy flew out the window when I noticed John wasn’t at the shop with his crew. He should be here ripping up the place, permit or not. I fumbled to find my phone and dialled him.

“John, what’s going on?”

“Teagan, I couldn’t get a hold of you yesterday. We got called away for another job. I’m so sorry.We won’t be able to get to your shop for a few more days.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I sorta got arrested.” I unlock the door and step in. As I venture deeper into the shop, the scent of wood hits me square in the nose.

I swear, I can practically hear John touching the bridge of his nose. “Teagan.” He exhales. “Stop pestering Nancy. We can’t work with you in jail.”

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