Page 94 of Only in Your Dreams

“Noah’s a good kid,” I tell her as she curls into my side. “He deserves to have someone looking out for him.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” she whispers, smoothing a hand down my chest, grazing my stomach, leaving a light tingle over every inch of skin she touches.

Something’s definitely different tonight. It wasn’t just the jersey or the hug. She’s left no air between our bodies, has melted into me so perfectly I feel her, soft and warm, in every rise and dip of my body.

For the first time in weeks, we don’t feel like two people hovering in the awkward grey area between friendship and something more. For the first time in weeks, it feels like she’s taken a step forward. Toward the finish line I’ve been standing at since I was fourteen, waiting—hoping—for the day she’ll join me.

“Clover,” I mumble as she runs her hand down my side. “What are you doing?”

“Feeling around for crazy scars. A third nipple.”

I burst into a shocked laugh. “Why the hell are you inspecting me for a third nipple?”

“Because you only ever take off your shirt in the dark. Have you noticed that?”

Fuck. I’ve been waiting for her to call me out on that. “I guess I’m a little shy.”

“You, shy? I don’t think so.” Her fingers curl and she grazes her nails over my chest, smirking at the groan it earns her. “It’s okay if you have a third nipple. I promise to love it, same as the others.”

I breathe out a laugh. “I don’t have a third nipple, Clover.”

She hums skeptically, and her hand rests over my pounding heart. “You’re so full of secrets, Zachary. The shirt. The lip balms.” The moonlight streaming into the room illuminates her eyes. “You bought all my new clothes.”

My stomach drops.Fuck.

That’s two strikes against me in one night. Earlier, realizing how stupid I’d been not to break in the lip balms I’ve been leaving around for her. Now this.

I consider denying it, but she didn’t ask a question. She’s got me cornered, and I never meant for her to know this. Did everything I could to make sure she’d never know this. I got Brooks to initiate the shopping trip with Summer, called Callie with my credit card number and asked her to say that whatever Mel wanted would be on her.

There was no joy to be had in sneaking around Mel like that. In fact, it was absolute torture.

But the last thing I wanted was to make her feel like she owed me something for it, to wonder why I did it, what I wanted back. She lived through six years feeling like she owed that piece of shit for every way he spoiled her. As though the privilege of spoiling Melody Woods wasn’t reward enough.

“Who was the leak?”

Her brows rise, like my copping to it caught her by surprise. “Drunk Callie let it slip at the game. Why’d you do it?”

Damn it, Callie.

“Because you deserved it. Because I knew you needed it, and I wanted to make you happy.” When her brows crinkle, I add: “Are you angry? I wasn’t sure… He paid for all your old stuff.”

“He chose all my old stuff. Dressed me the way he wanted and then held it over my head that he paid for it. Every single thing in that closet had strings attached to it, and I didn’t get a say in any of it.”

“I don’t want you to pile on the gratitude,” I say quietly, hoping she believes me. “Like it wasn’t the best money I’ve ever spent to see you feeling good about yourself again. Like you didn’t deserve the gesture.”

She reaches up, runs her fingers through my hair. “Zac, thank you. For the clothes. The lip balms, having me over every night, and cooking me breakfast every morning. For making me write that playbook, and making me feel like I could take back control of my life.”

“I don’t need you to thank—”

“No,” she cuts in. Her soft skin rubs mine as she shakes her head. “Here’s the thing. If I have to learn how to let you do nice things for me without looking for a motive, then you have to learn how to accept athank you. Deal?”

There’s enough moonlight filtering into the room to light up her smile, and thank God for that. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Clover.”

She nuzzles into me. “I don’t understand how you’re single.”

“I’ve never been single. I’ve been yours.”

The words slip out without a thought, and I think I messed up. Showed my hand before I was ready to, and there’s no way she won’t put it together now that my heart has beat at a rhythm that called to hers since I was fourteen. That when she left Oakwood Bay, it was with a piece of me that I don’t even want back, anyway. It belongs to her, just like the rest of me.

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