Page 49 of See You in Your Dreams

“Seriously,” I sigh. “Would it kill her to actually set a schedule for her house calls and visitations and stick to it?”

A grin lights up Dylan’s face. As always, the sight sends a sheen of happiness prickling my skin. “No doubt predictability would ruin Madame Stellestra’s mystique.”

I snort and shake my head, the motion sending black bangs falling over my eyes. I swipe them absently out of the way. “What about your place?”

“Uh uh, no way. Not after what happened last time I brought you over. Besides, Patrick and Tommy are even worse than your aunt. If soccer practice gets cancelled or Tommy comes home early and finds us…”

He shudders, worry creasing his brow. I’m on my feet in an instant, wrapping him in my arms. “Hey, it’s all right. If that prick gives you any trouble, he’ll have me to answer to.”

The tension eases out of Dylan as he returns the embrace. “My knight in shining armor,” he teases. “Though for the record, I don’t support resorting to violence.”

“That’s okay,” I reply, kissing his brow. “BecauseIdo.”

His answering sigh makes me grin, though my good humor fades at his next words. “I just wish we could do more than sneak stolen kisses. Maybe if I borrowed my mom’s car or we rushed here right after school one day—”

“Stop,” I say, swatting him lightly on the arm. “These past few weeks have been the best of my life. The physical stuff’s nice, but it’s not as important to me as spending time with you.”

I mean every word. For all I’d worried about anyone learning my secret, it’s been amazing having someone to confide in. So long as I keep my power safely suppressed, maybe letting someone else in isn’t the end of the world after all.

Dylan sucks in a breath when I lean in and nip his earlobe. “Besides,” I murmur, “I’d rather wait until we can properly appreciate our first time instead of sneaking a quickie in the back of your mom’s car. We’ve still got plenty of time before graduation to enjoy ourselves.”

Dylan suddenly stiffens in my arms.

I frown, pulling back just far enough to meet his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” His hazel eyes flick away, and he lets out a strained chuckle. “Just surprised at how much of a secret romantic you are, that’s all.”

He’s lying—that much is obvious. The real question iswhy.

I settle down on the edge of my bed, gesturing for Dylan to join me. He does, gripping my hand and plastering on a smile despite the tension still radiating through him.

“So,” he says cheerfully, “have you done tomorrow’s Econ homework yet? I could use some help wrapping my brain around price-level determination.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Cut the bullshit, Dylan. There’s only room in this relationship for one emotionally stunted partner. Now, spill.”

His grin wavers around the edges. He manages to hold it another handful of moments before it collapses in on itself, his back slumping as he releases a pent-up sigh.

“It’s not that big of a deal. I was just thinking about the future. About graduation in a few months…and everything that entails.”

His downcast eyes flick to me and then quickly away, and realization strikes.“Ah.”I reach over, resting my free hand on top of our linked ones, lightly tracing his skin while I choose my words with care. “I’ve spent the last five years dreaming of the day I can set off on my own. I…I can’t promise anything.”

My stomach twists at Dylan’s poorly suppressed wince. “I know. And I wouldn’t ask you to change your plans—not for me. What will you do once you graduate?”

The question catches me off-guard. “I’m not sure,” I admit. “Until now, the future’s always been an amorphous concept. I’d finish high school, leave home, and be free. But when I try to actually picture it, I come up blank.”

The thought unnerves me. I’d never been happy with the Ellingtons, so it had been easy to imagine leaving them behind and never looking back, even if I didn’t know what else my future might hold. But after only a handful of months, I already can’t stand the idea of losing Dylan. Just the thought of it squeezes my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Dylan gestures at the wall, snapping me back to the present. I follow his gaze to my haphazard arrangement of sketches. “You should be an artist. Take some classes or something. The world needs to know how talented you are.”

The praise stirs something in me close to pride. The unfamiliar feeling leaves me mildly uncomfortable, and I force a shrug. “Maybe.”

A plaintivemewcomes from the doorway, and I look over to see Onyx scampering into my room. Her leg has mostly healed by now, along with her other injuries save her ear. With her clean fur and a few extra pounds from consistent food, she looks like the healthy, happy kitten she always should’ve been.

“Aw,there’smy little girl,” Dylan coos. He reaches down, letting Onyx sniff his hand before she rubs her head against it, purring.

Gripping her gently, he lifts her up and cradles her in his arms. Had I tried such a maneuver, she’d have batted at me and meowed to be let down, but with Dylan, her purring only intensifies.

Watching the two of them together, I can’t hold back a small grin. “What about you?” I ask. “How are your college applications going?”