Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Twenty Two: My Worst Nightmare

I wake up shaking in the middle of the night after a very horrible and very vivid nightmare, no guesses what it was about. I lift myself to get up and grab an extra blanket but I'm restrained by something heavy. In my confused half-asleep state I can't figure out why I can't move; have I become paralyzed by fear?

Is that even possible?

Oh god.

I start to panic and it starts getting harder to breathe but that's only before I turn my head to the side and find Warner pressed up against my side with his arm slung over my torso.

Oh.

OH.

Now my heartbeat's skyrocketing for an entirely different reason. I guess we accidentally fell asleep in my room last night. All I remember is holding Warner and then talking for a while but I guess we just fell asleep.

I try to shift in my uncomfortable position and when that fails due to his blue whale of an arm I try to make him move but it's pointless. He's just unwilling to move even an inch so I give up and ease back into place. His face is mere centimetres away from mine and I can see every single line and contour of his face clearly. He looks so innocent, so childlike in this state that one might get baffled by how different he really is. He's gorgeous, of course, he is I won't deny that any further but he's also...

Mean.

If he was so mean why did he get you that dress? says a nagging voice in my head.

Conceited.

With a face like that who wouldn't be?

Annoying!

Maybe he just needs a friend?

I shake the thoughts out of my head before that stupid voice can defend Warner some more. It's annoying and I don't like that any part of me however small it is, is starting to accept him faults and all. I do owe him for what he has done for me lately but he owes me ten years' worth of humiliating memories.

Though that's not what I think when I shift just a little closer to him seeking his warmth. His breath fans my face and boy does he smell good. It's an addictive scent making me want to move closer and closer to him. Taking me by surprise, his arm tightens around me and pulls me closer so that I'm now pressed up against his chest.

I would question his motives and hit him but it seems like he's sleeping rather soundly and cannot be held accountable for his actions. So even though my breath hitches and my skin tingles I don't move away from him. I just feel his heart beating against my own, corny as that is and somehow it relaxes me. I stare at his face for some time trying to understand this boy with his irreparable habit of constantly shaking up my life and realize that he's changed.

He's changed; he isn't the guy from elementary school who left a stink bomb in my locker on valentines day. Something's happened which has made him change his attitude towards me.

So as I'm having my second sleepover with Warner Brooks I try to think of a reason as to why he's acting the way he is and honest to god I'm just too terrified to find out.

I close my eyes to go back to sleep but there is knocking at my door, it starts off quiet but turns into louder banging. If Warner wasn't awake before he sure was now.

The banging gets louder and I groan untangling myself from Warner. I look at the time and suddenly the banging makes sense. It was 2 pm and the Westshore soccer team has a big game today at 3.

I rush and open the door to Adam who is already in uniform. Once he peers past me to Warner sitting on my bed his face drops. I wish I could disappear.

"Seems like Emily was right all along."