Chapter 18
18
Juliette
I stretched, cracking my eyes open to the best wake-up call ever—Dylan gently kissing my cheeks and eyelids.
I needed to get up from my nap. I could tell from the gray hue of the room that evening, and therefore our plans with Dylan’s friends, was approaching, but I felt like a pile of goo that had melted into the bed. I couldn’t move. I was too comfortable and too happy to allow the moment to end. I snuggled closer to Dylan.
“Wake up, baby,” he whispered.
“I don’t want to. I was having the best dream where I was frolicking through wildflowers with you.”
“That’s not just a dream, Juls. We did that.”
“It had to be a dream. I don’t hike or frolic.”
“You do now that you have an incredible boyfriend who loves to hold your hand and hike and frolic with you.”
“I don’t think you frolic, either.”
“Only with you.”
“I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
“I’m the lucky one. You’re amazing.”
I squeezed Dylan, snuggling in closer.
“Are you still tired, Juls? We can just stay in and take it easy tonight if you’d rather?”
“No, I want to go.” I sat up with a groan. My body felt wonderfully sore. After the most perfect day on the Riverwalk and declaring our almost-love for each other, we came back here and made love. That sounds dramatic, but there were no other words to do it justice. Dylan kissed and caressed every inch of my body, then made sweet, slow, passionate love to me, gazing into my eyes and murmuring the most beautiful declarations of love without actually saying the word. We slept naked, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Now, here we were, getting ready to wrap up our weekend together with an evening at a bar downtown with Dylan’s friends and a couple of girls Cole was bringing. Honestly, I didn’t really want to go. Having this time with only Dylan had been amazing, and I wasn’t ready for the outside world to interfere, but I knew how important Dylan’s friends were to him, so it was important for us that I could hang out with them too.
“Are you sure, baby?” Dylan looked at me with enough doubt and compassion that I could tell he knew I wasn’t being quite truthful and that he truly would be okay with it if I declined. And that’s exactly what made me want to go.
“I’m sure. I’ll go shower and get ready.”
My heart sank as soon as we opened the door to the bar. I tightened my grip on Dylan’s hand and he squeezed me back. There was a live band playing, and it was loud and crowded with people dancing everywhere. I instantly regretted coming.
Dylan pulled his hand out of mine and slid his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Just say the word and we’ll leave,” he whispered into my ear.
I nodded and felt him sigh. I felt our mutual disappointment in me down to my bones. We both knew I wouldn’t be talking tonight.
Dylan led me to a table and gestured for me to sit before joining me. I was relieved to see Liam on the other side of me. He seemed easy to be around. He kissed my cheek and flashed me a relaxed smile. I smiled back at him and waved to Ethan, who was sitting next to him. I smiled and waved across the table to Cole, two girls, and a guy who seemed to be with the other girl. I wondered if Ryan and Brady were coming. From the stories Dylan told me, the guys usually came as a package deal. I didn’t ask, though.
Cole introduced the others, but I couldn’t hear their names over the music. I forced a bigger smile and nodded.
“I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t know it would be so loud. We’ll have one drink and leave,” Dylan whispered, his breath hot against my neck. I nodded and pulled away. I fought the urge to rub my neck where it still felt hot and moist. My whole body was on such high alert that even his touch made my skin crawl, and his arm around my shoulders felt sweaty and heavy.
I tuned out the conversation and the people around me and focused on the band. They were young and looked thrilled to be up on stage. The crowd dancing in front of the small stage was enthusiastic, and I was happy for the guys in the band.
A few songs later, Liam touched my knee. I jolted from my thoughts and snapped my eyes to his. He nodded slightly towards the girls across the table, who were watching me. I looked back at him questioningly.
“They asked you something about watching a show. Sorry, I don’t know exactly what it was.”
I smiled nervously back at him, then looked towards the girls whose names I still didn’t know. I smiled, shrugged, and nodded my head, probably looking like one of those puppets on strings being controlled by an old lady with tremors.
They said something else, and I responded in the same spastic way. They beamed back at me. Shit, what did I say yes to?