10. Noah
I lean against the doorway of Dani’s childhood bedroom, her eyes glaring like they’re about to set me on fire.
The palm of her hand rests over her heart. “Knock on the front door next time, jackass. You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Why would I have to knock?”
“It’s the courteous thing to do considering you don’t live here.”
“I actually do.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your mom wants me to stay here. With you.”
“And why does she think having you stay here with me is a good idea?”
“Beats the shit out of me.”
She whips her head back. “You have to stay in the guest bedroom.”
“That’s so sweet of you to offer me an actual room to sleep in. And here I thought you’d have me sleep on the roof.”
“Oh, fuck off.” She rolls her eyes. “You might end up sleeping on the roof if you annoy the shit out of me.”
I look down, seeing she’s holding a flashlight. “A flashlight. What were you going to do with that? Blind the shit out of me?”
“Now that I think about it, it would’ve been better if I used it to murder you with.”
“You really think that could be an effective murder weapon?”
She gestures to me step closer to her. “Why don’t we find out?” She flips me off after I wet my lips with my tongue.
This is when it hits me.
Dani is standing here in nothing but a tank top and underwear.
Fuck me.
I’m having heart palpitations which are traveling all the way down to my shorts.
I clear my throat so loud it startles her, my hand spazzing out as I point to her. “Shorts.”
“What?” The anger on her face dissipates and transforms into confusion.
“Y-you’re…not wearing any s-shorts,” I stutter.
Chills travel through my entire body. My shoulders feel tight. I roll them in a backward motion a few times.
She looks down, noticing she’s only wearing underwear. “Oh…shit.”
She’s unable to meet my eyes, her cheeks all flushed. Grabbing her jean shorts, she runs into the bathroom and slams the door behind her.
I see Archie, her ginger tabby, sprawled out on his back. Our shouting and bickering startled him, but not to the point where he wanted to leave the room.
I go over to pet his soft fur, a whimper escaping his mouth. He’s too lazy to give me a full meow.
Standing in Dani’s childhood bedroom is a mind trip.
Her walls are still teal like they were five years ago.
There are Polaroid posters of albums that cover the wall next to her closet, going six down and ten across. Those weren’t there the last time I was here.
Walking over to them, my eyes land on The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. I gulp deeply, feeling a rather large lump go down my throat. My eyes wander over the posters for Currents by Tame Impala, Night Visions by Imagine Dragons, and Pure Heroine by Lorde.
Her book collection has grown massively. My feet drag themselves over to her bookcase.
No fucking way.
Kneeling down, I notice Dani has her own collection of mysteries and thrillers. Some of which I notice are the same books I have. A breathy laugh leaves my mouth as I look up at her knockdown ceiling.
The bookcase is filled to the brim with romance books. There are books messily stacked on top of each other.
Whipping my head around, I see the journal I got for her sophomore year of high school sitting on her desk.
Holy shit, she kept it. And she’s been using it. I thought she would’ve thrown it away.
It’s pretty beat up, but she’s kept it in good condition considering it’s around eight or nine years old. Opening it up, I skim through it and read through some of the shit she’s written in it.
I forgot how beautiful her handwriting is.
After, my eyes shoot to the bulletin board above her desk with a quote on it.
Remember to breathe.
A few photos of her, Bella, and Sage are pinned on there. There’s one of the three of them at our high school graduation. Another one at Loggerhead Beach.
There’s a photo strip of her and my mom from Sweet Salty’s grand opening. Goofy faces take up three of four photos.
Rolling my eyes, I laugh.
Making my way over to her dresser, I pick up the velvet box that screamed at me to be nosy and investigate.
Oh, fuck.
There’s an infinity ring inside. The one my dad gave to Dani after her father, Jacob, passed away.
I remember what Dad said when he gave the ring to Dani. It serves as a reminder that her father’s love for her will always be infinite. And that he’ll always be there, watching over her.
Slamming the drawer shut, I rush over to the bed with the ring box buried in between my thighs.
She’s been in the bathroom for a solid ten minutes now.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s having a full-on panic attack right now because I almost scared her to death and the fact that I saw her in her underwear.
The thought of her freaking out in there makes me want to see if she’s okay.
I know what it feels like when your mind is playing tricks on you.