Daydream (Maple Hills, #3)(39)
“Thank you. I’ve sobered up a lot after the game and I’m not as protected from my own, well, Ava’s, outfit choices.” She pulls it tighter. “You haven’t ruined my night, by the way. You could never.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you to the game. I meant to, I just got in my head about something else. I’m happy you were there.”
“I did feel a little weird going at first. But Cami convinced me it wasn’t a big deal because it’s a sports game. I guess it’s just I would only go to Will’s games because I was invited, so I didn’t want you to think I was… I don’t even know. But you don’t need to be sorry.”
“We talk about Will far more than I’d like.”
She bursts out laughing, and the soft sound only helps to soothe me. “He responded to my story earlier. I posted a picture in a Maple Hills jersey and he said ‘jersey chaser lol.’ I think I stared at my phone for like forty-five seconds and then I got the giggles and couldn’t stop.”
I know Will texted her before our date, so it doesn’t surprise me. “Important question. Whose name was on your jersey?”
“It doesn’t have a name. It wasn’t actually mine, I borrowed it from Ava.”
The car pulls up to the curb and I hold the door open for her to climb in. “Yeah, we’re fixing that on Monday.”
Chapter Twelve HALLE
TODAY HAS BEEN ONE OF my busiest days in a long time.
I went to my classes, had lunch with Aurora, went to the library, put some new fliers up for Enchanted, delivered some groceries for Mrs. Astor next door, helped Gigi with her Shakespeare essay, started my own essay, and now I’m letting two imaginary people called Harriet and Wyn tear my heart up via an audiobook on 2X speed while making cookies. I’m exhausted and somehow still falling behind, but that’s an issue for another day.
And yet, despite all of those things to keep my mind very, very busy…
I can’t stop thinking about the fact I had a sex dream about the man sitting on my couch.
When we got home on Saturday after the club, Henry was clearly overstimulated mentally and physically. I put a blanket and pillows in the middle of my living room, and we lay down and watched my baking show in silence. Joy nestled between us, asleep, and at some point between the technical and showstopper of the first episode, I drifted off. When I woke up again, I was in my bed and Henry was asleep beside me.
Three times this week we’ve repeated that process, each time waking up closer together.
Except last night, when I slept alone, and the offending dream happened.
Now I’m keeping myself as busy as I can so I don’t have to look at him, because my imagination has seen things it can’t unsee, and I feel like I cannot make eye contact with him without blushing intensely.
This month’s book club read is playing loudly through my headphones, which means I don’t hear Henry approach or realize he’s behind me until his hand reaches past me to take one of the hot cookies from the baking sheet.
He gently pulls the headphones from my head. “You’re jumpy. Are you okay?”
I don’t realize how close he is until I turn around and we’re almost nose to nose. He takes a step back and uses one hand to cup under the cookie as he takes a bite.
He moans.
Of course he moans.
“Did these get better or is it just because I haven’t had one in a few days?” I shrug and look away as he sucks the melted chocolate chips from his fingers. “You’re being weird.”
“I’m not.” I so, so am.
Henry washes his hands at the sink and turns, leaning against the surface as he dries them on a towel. “Watching you zoom around is tiring. Sit down with me and Joy?”
“Oh, it’s you and Joy now, is it?”
He is smiling in a way that feels illegal to enjoy as much as I do. He walks back toward me, stopping the same distance away as earlier. A normal distance that would not even be an issue if he hadn’t done an endless number of filthy things to me in my subconscious last night. “Jealous?”
“You wish.” I, reluctantly and with so much resistance, let Henry take my hand and walk me to the living room couch. “We need to finish the research for your essay soon. This is the only time this week I’ll have time to help you.”
“Shhhhh,” he says, pulling me down onto the couch beside him. “Let’s nap instead.”
“Don’t shush me to get out of working. I have my own essay to do, too, so it’s happening whether you like it or not.”
“I’ve already finished it, Halle.”
I sit up immediately and look at him properly for the first time. “What?”
“I finished it earlier. It was on something I already knew a lot about. I went through a phase. I just stuck to the structure you showed me and it was easy. So you need to find something else to boss me around over, Cap.”
“I’m not bos—”
“I like you bossing me around, Halle,” he says softly. “You’re allowed to be assertive. You don’t always have to do what other people want. Except for now, open your laptop and write your essay. I’ll supervise.”
I’m pretty sure my jaw is hanging open. Standing from the couch, I walk across the room to grab my laptop from the last place I used it. Henry is showing Joy a fish video on his phone when I sit back beside them. “Unbelievable,” I mutter as I tuck my feet under my butt and open the screen.