His Reverie (Reverie #1)(33)

Hale House is my one glimmer of hope. Gaining some work experience there could help get me out. If I’m careful, I could even save enough money to take a couple of classes at the community college this upcoming fall, if I can still somehow enroll. Probably can’t do it till next spring though, which is probably better. That way I can have even more money saved. I need an education. I need an advantage to get me out of here for good.

Before I’m forever stuck.

19

Conflicted: contradictory, a struggle

July 11th

I arrive at Hale House early so I wait in my car the last fifteen minutes before I’m scheduled to clock in, slugging back some cheap-ass coffee I bought at the gas station and listening to the radio. I slept like hell last night after my conversation with David and I’m desperate for a distraction. And at the moment, the distraction I’m most looking forward to is seeing Reverie.

Despite telling myself I don’t deserve her, despite replaying my conversation with Michael over and over again in my head, I still want to see her. Just…breathe her in. See that shy smile. Let myself get lost in her presence for a little bit. She takes all the ugly in my life and makes it beautiful, at least for a few stolen minutes.

I can look right? Just for a little bit?

What’s so stupid is I’m nervous just to freaking look at her. What we shared in the stables feels like it happened months ago. Or maybe that it didn’t happen at all. Like it was some sort of awesome dream I conjured up.

But it wasn’t a dream. I kissed Reverie. She kissed me back. If I’m an idiot, I’ll try and kiss her again even though I shouldn’t.

Yeah. I shouldn’t.

So here I sit, too amped up and anxious to actually see her because I have no idea how she’s going to react when she finally lays eyes on me. Is she pissed at how I just left her in the stables? I had no choice but girls are weird. As in, I never know how they’re going to react. They can get upset over the smallest things. And maybe that wasn’t so small. I was kissing her. She seemed to be really getting into it too.

I know I was.

Memories come at me, one after another and I lean back in my seat and revel in them. Her soft lips. Her wet tongue. The taste of her, sweet and addictive, hooking me instantly. How she felt in my arms, how I wanted to come out of my skin when she touched me…

I hear Reverie before I see her, her voice knocking me from my thoughts. I slouch low in my seat, not wanting her to see me sitting here staring at her like some sort of stalker.

That doesn’t stop me from wanting to get a look at her though. Just…soak her up a little bit before I have to go to work. She’s in the front yard standing next to her mother, talking animatedly. Her hair is down and a little wild looking this morning. She’s got on a sunny yellow dress and with her golden skin and blonde hair she’s like a flash of intense hot summer in the otherwise cool Monday morning.

Reverie throws her arms up in the air, her long blonde hair flying out behind her. Her mom says something in response and Reverie rests her hands on her hips, tapping her sandaled foot on the grass impatiently. I can feel the tension in her from all the way over here. Whatever she’s talking about, it’s got her riled up. I don’t think she’s angry but she’s certainly…passionate. She’s always pretty meek and quiet, especially around her mom so I gotta admit…

I like seeing this.

They’re standing among the various rose bushes that Valerie Hale tends to. And they aren’t looking in my direction either so I lean forward, wrapping my arms around the steering wheel as I rest against it. Reverie seems to calm down and she reaches up, running her fingers through her hair again and again, as if she’s combing it.

My fingers twitch. I remember how soft her hair is. I’m dying to touch those silky strands again…

I punch the steering wheel and mutter a curse under my breath. I’m an idiot. I’m driving myself insane by watching her. Longing for her. It’s f**king stupid.

I’m f**king stupid.

By the time I’m climbing out of my car to head toward the house, Michael shows up, parking next to me and hopping out of his tiny car full of boundless energy as usual.

“What are you doing? Spying on the Hale ladies?” Michael asks as he approaches. He flicks his head in their direction and I look to see that they’re heading toward the back of the house, their backs to us as they walk side by side.

Thank Christ. I have no desire to explain myself to Michael. He’ll just twist it around to make me sound like some sort of pervert anyway.

“I was waiting for your late ass,” I drawl, playing it off, praying Reverie won’t turn around and see me. Or worse, what if she said something to me? Not likely that would happen since she’s with her mom but still. I’m paranoid.

“Gimme a break. I got here right on time,” Michael says as we walk toward the house. “Your days off were good?”

“Yeah.” I don’t give him any more details because while for the most part my two days off were fine, yesterday’s visit with David still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

“I saw Heather.” Michael drops this tidbit like it’s nothing. No big deal. But I know it’s a huge deal because I’ve seen him chase after her like crazy while she continues to ignore him.

“No shit?”

“Yeah. I practically attacked her in the back seat of my car Saturday night,” he says with a shrug, that cocky smile on his face telling me he’s pretty pleased with himself.