Page 47 of Puck Princess

I’m in a dreamless sleep when the bed shakes.

I’m drowsy, confused. Then I hear Callie cry out.

In an instant, I’m up and wide awake. I reach across the bed and find her still sleeping next to me. Her hair is spread across her pillow, one hand tucked under her cheek.

She’s fucking perfect, and I start to wonder if I wasn’t dreaming it all, after all.

Then her face creases. She murmurs in her sleep and tosses violently. I have to dodge a flying fist.

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. “Callie, wake up.”

She cries out again before her eyes flutter open. They’re red-rimmed and swollen. Her cheeks are wet.

I brush the tears away. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Bad dream,” she croaks. “A really bad dream.”

She’s sniffling, her chest hitching as she tries to calm down. I hush her. “What was it about?”

She shakes her head and buries her face against my chest. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I won’t.” I kiss her on the forehead.

“You promise?” she whimpers.

“Of course, I do. I swear it.”

She sniffles again, choking back a sob before she drifts back to sleep.

I hold her and don’t fall back to sleep for a very long time.

16

CALLIE

Good morning, handsome. Didn’t want to wake you, but I’m getting an early start. See you at work. XOXO Callie

I leave the note on my pillow and sneak out of Owen’s apartment, trying to leave the remnants of last night’s dream behind me as I step into the hall.

But it wasn’t just a bad dream, it was my worst nightmare.

Quietly, I open Kennedy’s door. She’s still asleep, and I’m kind of relieved. I just want to take a shower, no questions asked. I also need fresh clothes because, again, I’m still straddling apartments.

I feel like I’m straddling everything lately, struggling to stay upright. At the very least, Owen is one of those things. That’s still something to be grateful for.

I hop in the shower, relishing the quiet time. But as soon as I open the curtain and reach for a towel, Kennedy barges through the bathroom door.

“Naked!” I scream, throwing a towel around myself.

“My house,” Kennedy fires back. “Yours is next door. Or did your boyfriend rock your world so hard you got lost?”

I tighten my towel around my chest and step around her. “I just needed a moment to myself and some clean clothes.”

“Well, I can offer one of those things. There’s a pile of your clothes on top of my dresser.” Kennedy claps her hands together. “Okay, here’s the plan: You get dressed while I make some coffee. I got those pumpkin spice pods you like. Then you can tell me what happened that made you run from your boyfriend’s bed at six in the morning after what sounded like a good night for you two.”

My face flushes in horror. “You couldhearus?”

“I think the whole third floor could hear you. These walls aren’t even thin. You two are just loud.”

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