Turning Pages

Chapter Twenty-three

TWENTY-THREE 

Blake seemed a little distracted the next day. I kept glancing over at him, wondering what was up. Did he feel awkward about spending time with me the night before? I hadn't done anything to embarrass him, had I?  

Maybe I had. Maybe he caught on to how I was feeling and knew he had to keep his distance. Waves of guilt crashed over me. Maybe he thought I was trying to move in on him, even though that was totally not my style. I should probably stay away from him altogether unless I had something library-related to say. 

Half an hour later, he walked up to me. "Any word about the rat?" 

"Yes, thankfully. The vet called this morning. Scampers made it through the night and they think he's going to recover." 

"That's awesome. I'm really glad to hear it." He rested his hand on my shoulder for a second, then pulled it back like he'd been burned and went into the office. 

"Blake seem a little weird to you?" Melanie asked me as we continued to work on the boxed-up books in the corner. 

"Yeah. But I don't know why." True-I didn't know why. I was only conjecturing that I'd come on too strong and embarrassed him, although I couldn't figure out exactly what I'd done. And it's not like I could read his mind like he could read mine. It would sure make things easier if I could.

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"And then he got out of bed and started sleepwalking through the apartment," Chase said, holding his arms out in front of him like a zombie. Melanie and I were laughing so hard we were both gasping for air, and Blake's face was bright red. 

"It's really not that funny." He reached across the table for the ketchup. 

The morose tone of his voice sent us off into another gale of laughter. I waved at the waitress for a soda refill and tried to calm down, but I couldn't suppress the giggles. 

"Sometimes I sleepwalk when I'm under stress," Blake went on. "It's a very common condition, actually."  

Chase slugged Blake's shoulder. "You just keep thinking that if it makes you feel better." 

It had been Chase's idea for the four of us to go out, and I was glad he'd suggested it. Things had been off for the last couple of weeks, and I didn't know how to fix it. I could trace it all back to the day we'd taken Scampers to the vet and I'd spent nearly the whole day with Blake. Maybe that was a little too much Addie all at once, but we'd spent the day together at work lots of times, so I didn't think that was it. I'd embarrassed him somehow. That was the best explanation I could come up with. Tonight, though, things seemed better. We were laughing and having fun, Blake was once again the butt of our jokes, and I felt as though a piece of my universe had clicked back into place. 

We walked out to the parking lot. I'd come over with Melanie, yet Chase climbed into her car and they zoomed off. I was left with Blake and his motorcycle. That seemed a little too convenient, and I wondered if Chase and Melanie had planned it that way on purpose, or if they just wanted to be alone. 

"Your raise came through," Blake said after a moment of awkward silence. 

"It did? Already?" 

He nodded. "I was pretty insistent." 

"Thanks. I really mean it."  

"And you'll go car shopping, right?" 

I smiled. "Absolutely." 

"Maybe take Chase with you. He'd know what to look for." 

"I think I will." 

We stood there another moment, the glow from the streetlight bathing our faces, and then he handed me the spare helmet. Without a word, I climbed on and wrapped my arms around his waist, and we drove off into the night.