Dreaming of Us (Spicy & Sweet Insta Love Shorts)

Prologue

brAYLIN

A sharp, bony elbow jabbing into my rib cage had me jerking with a pained grunt. I tore my gaze away from the object of my obsession to glare at my best friend as I rubbed at my tender side.

“Girl, you have drool on your chin again.” Tori laughed at me as my hand instinctively started to reach up to swipe at my face. My glare only got darker as I dropped my hand and turned my head back to the varsity quarterback who had stolen my heart the one and only time he ever spoke to me. When I didn’t see him, I frantically swiveled my head around, trying to catch sight of his tall frame.

Tori giggled next to me and pointed. “He’s over there.”

I sighed as I took him in again. He was one of the tallest guys in our high school, towering over most of the other boys and nearly all the staff as well. He had brown hair that was cut short on the sides and long enough on the top that he needed to sweep it back out of his light blue eyes. He had a drool-worthy face, and I wasn’t the only girl in the school who thought so. He was so popular that he was nominated for Homecoming King, and there wasn’t a person in town who didn’t believe he’d win.

He and his girlfriend.

Katy was pretty, with curly, honey-brown hair and big blue eyes. Honestly, she reminded me quite a bit of Amanda Seyfried with her pretty girl-next-door vibe. When the two of them were together, which was damn near always, they made a perfect couple. She fit right under his arm.

I sat watching below, where most of the school was on the field, congratulating the varsity team on another win. I didn’t really see the others, though, as I dreamed of having Colton’s arm draped over my shoulders instead. When he bent down to give Katy a kiss, I closed my eyes.

I was nudged again in the same spot that was still a bit tender from the last elbow. “Come on, creeper. Let’s get out of here.”

I nodded miserably, trying to stop myself from wallowing in self-pity. I stood up and carefully made my way down the steep bleachers behind Tori. Right before I hit the bottom step, I glanced at the happy couple one more time to see Colton carrying a laughing Katy in his arms. With a deep sigh of resignation, I turned away and moved toward the gates and over to the parking lot where Tori’s mom would be waiting to pick us up.

My dreams would be filled with Colton that night, the same way they were every night. I was a freshman in love with a senior who would be leaving for college in a few months with his girlfriend, and I would be staying right where I was. My rational brain knew that my obsession was ridiculous. Colton didn’t even know I was alive. I doubted he remembered bumping into me on the second day of school, but I would remember his crooked smile and the way his eyes almost twinkled as he looked down at me to apologize.

I knew I needed to get over him, and made a promise to myself with a firm nod of my head as I slipped into the back seat of Tori’s mom’s car. But maybe I’d wait until tomorrow.