Page 50 of Awakened in September (Sleepless November Saga 4)

“Aw.” He coos. “Little baby Holden is in love.”

“Shut up, douche. I don’t do love.”

He ignores me completely and continues gloating. “I feel like a proud parent. I honestly thought this day would never come.”

“Yeah, thanks. You’re really making me feel better about this.” The sarcasm drips from my lips.

Brandon calms himself down. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” He snorts. “But think about it. You’re getting everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“How do you figure?”

“You get to have her without the boyfriend obligations of everything. Isn’t that like, your ideal situation?”

“Holy shit.” I breathe. “You’re right.”

“Just…” He pauses. “Try not to let yourself get too wrapped up in her. If she’s not serious about you, you can’t become serious about her. I’d leave my guard up if I were you.”

My phone vibrates against my ear, and I pull it away to see a notification that makes my heart skip. I sit up on my bed and open the text quickly.

Kayleigh: Free tonight?

“Bran, I have to go. She just messaged me. I’m finally taking her out.”

He grunts humorously. “Well, I see where I land on the priority list.”

I laugh and get off the phone, knowing he isn’t actually jealous. Jumping off my bed, I grab my towel and go to take a shower. I now have a date to get ready for.

THE RESTAURANT IS ONE I’ve never been to before. She looks nervous as she stares at the place through the window. It’s a bit of a risk, bringing an anorexic out to dinner, but I’m still set on helping her through this. I place my hand on her knee and squeeze lightly, reassuring her that it’ll be okay.

We get out of the car and start to walk inside. A part of me wants to hold her hand, but I resist the urge. We’re technically just friends, and I don’t want to do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable. We get a booth in the corner and sit down.

“How’d you find this place?” She questions to make conversation.

“I googled restaurants when you texted me. This one had good reviews.”

She looks a little taken back. “You haven’t been here before?”

I shake my head. “No. I figured you wouldn’t want me to take you to a place I’ve gone with Bree.”

“Thank you.” She smiles shyly. “You were right.”

The rest of the date goes smoothly. We talk about things from her friendship with Emily, her favorite person from back home, all the way to joking about the weird kid in our sociology class. For his project, him and his partner sat in a crowded field in only their underwear, eating vanilla pudding out of a mayonnaise container. Just the thought of it makes me cringe.

After I pay the bill, we leave the restaurant. As we’re walking back to the car, she slips her hand into mine. The gesture brings a smile to my face and I bite my lip to suppress it.

“Thank you for dinner.”

I pull her close and place a kiss on the top of her head. “Thank you for not fighting me on it.”

She looks down. “It was only a salad.”

“And what did you have for dinner last night?” Her lack of an answer tells me she didn’t have anything. “You don’t have to hide it from me, babe. I’m just glad you’re trying.”

On the drive back, I’m not sure exactly where I’m headed. “So, do you want me to drop you back to your place?”

She smirks, almost as if she can sense my anxiety. “Is that where you want to take me?”

“Am I that obvious?”

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