Daydream (Maple Hills, #3)(101)
“No. You’re being honest and I like honest. We tell each other what we want, and we respect each other’s needs. It’s what we do now, Halle. I don’t see how it can go wrong.” I slap my hand down against her ass. “Go write. I have a really interesting story to tell you about the origins of New Year’s when you’re done.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
* * *
AFTER THE QUIET OF HALLE’s house, returning to my house always feels like walking into a zoo.
She’s close behind me, her fingers threaded through mine as we walk into the mess of all the people who do not live here.
After she finished her chapter earlier, she climbed back on top of me, and what I thought was going to be a celebration of its own turned into her falling asleep on me with Joy. She says she’s not sick, but I definitely think she’s getting sick. Her eyes are redder than normal, and her skin is pale and clammy. When Russ texted me to say that people were going to order food and hang out at the house tonight instead of finding a party or going to a club, we decided to join them.
I set the cat carrier at my feet as Halle nudges me. “Gigi is calling. I’m going to take it in your room. Make sure she doesn’t pee anywhere.”
“Oh my God,” Aurora squeaks, immediately jumping up from the couch and dropping to her knees in front of the carrier. “I didn’t know you were going to be coming, too!”
“She can’t answer you, Aurora,” I say. “She’s a cat. Also, cats don’t seem to like you, so maybe don’t get too close to the door.”
Robbie is spending New Year’s in New York with Lola’s family, and Russ has promised to help me scrub this place of every single cat hair tomorrow before he gets home the day after.
“Why is she here?” Aurora says, unlatching the door and reaching in.
“I don’t want her to be afraid of the fireworks if she’s alone.” Halle told me that Joy has slept through every New Year’s Eve since she was born, but I’m not convinced. “And she’s cute.”
“She is cute,” Aurora says, talking to her like she’s a baby. Which I definitely don’t do. “Hi, pretty girl, you are so lovely.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, which is the only thing that can drag my attention away from Aurora potentially stealing Joy’s affection from me.
HALLE
UPSTAIRS!
NOW!
“Don’t lose her,” I say to Aurora as I head toward the stairs.
When I push the code into my bedroom and see her standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, I think maybe I’ve misread the signs. “Am I taking my pants off or what? Because you sounded horny, but you look mad, so I’m confused.”
“Look at my neck!” she yells, pulling the collar of her sweatshirt to the side. There’s a reddish-purple mark on her neck that I don’t remember seeing before. “You gave me a hickey!”
I shake my head. “That doesn’t sound like something I’d do.”
She pulls the sweatshirt down farther so I can see the same marks on the top of her breasts. “I haven’t been letting anyone else put their mouth near my chest, so I’m pretty confident when I blame you. Gigi just spotted the one on my neck and now I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
“That doesn’t quite sound like proof, though, does it,” I say, trying not to show the weird kind of pride I’m feeling. I like knowing her enough to know how to joke with her. “Do you have your makeup bag with you?”
“I tried concealer, and it didn’t work,” she says with a huff.
I kind of like it when she’s feisty, too.
“That’s because you need to color correct it first. Do you have any stuff for that? I don’t really want to have to find the Halloween face paint.” She nods, her pout still making me want to kiss her. After searching her bag, she produces a color corrector palette and a sponge. I pull her collar away and brush her hair back with my hand. “It’s just color theory, Cap.”
“Do not be sexy about art right now. I’m mad at you.”
“Do you want to give me one so we’re even? I don’t mind. You can leave them all over me.” She’s trying not to laugh. “You’re cute when you’re pouty.”
“Just hurry up before one of the guys launches Joy’s online cat career.”
I dab quicker, the colors immediately changing like I knew they would. “So to be clear, I’m not taking off my pants?”
* * *
AS FAR AS NEW YEAR’S Eves go, I think this has been one of my favorites.
It’s taking a lot to control my jealousy as Joy trots between each person, looking for attention. Halle has kissed my cheek occasionally, promising me that she can tell she still likes me best. When Joy eventually grows tired of Mattie and Bobby trying to take her photograph with her paw on a puck, Halle picks her up off the floor and she settles on our overlapped knees.
With only five minutes until midnight, it’s nice to know whom I’ll be kissing, even if that person has fallen asleep on my shoulder. I’m still really worried she’s sick and she’s going to be too stubborn to admit it.