When in Rome

Chapter ①①

Chapter ①①

"You're funny." He whispers leaning in.

"Funny? That's all?" I tease.

"Well," he leans in further,"you're smart... kind..." He trails his finger along the contour of my cheek. "...Caring." His eyes fall away from mine as a small chuckle falls past his lips."You smell like vanilla." Then he leans down, leaning his forehead on mine, and leaving our lips millimeters away from touching. "And you're beautiful." The words are brushed against my lips just before my eyelids flutter closed.

"Ow," I groan turning over and flick my arm out, finding the culprit to my sleep disturbance.

"Ade!" Someone whispers, harshly slicing through the still sleepy fog in my mind, and I groan again, hugging the fly away pillow to my chest. "Ade!" Another pillow gets thrown at my head and I force my eyes to open. Well, now I'm up.

I slowly sit up on my forearms as I remember where I am, and after patting the floor around me for a few seconds, I find my sweatshirt and throw it on. Ducking my head down, I quickly retie my hair before standing up, and stretching out the kinks in my back. Then I bend back down and pick up the pillows before chucking them back at a sleepy eyed Mia.

"Ade!" She whispers again from her position on the bed and suddenly sick of hearing my own name, I finally whisper back.

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

My eyes fall away from her to the pillow and blanket lying on the floor parallel to her bed and I bend down to pick them up. "Sleeping..."

"Ade!"

"What?" My eyes cut back over to hers and the accusing look on her face softens.

"Why were you sleeping on the floor?"

I readjust my grip on the pillow and blanket in my arms. "I thought I'd give it a try."

"Adeline," Mia's voice becomes stern again. "Does this have something to do with—"

"He who shall not be named." I finish for her and she wrenches back the covers on her bed.

"He's not Voldemort!"

"Mia!" I give her a warning look with my eyes while making the shush signal, gesturing to a still sleeping Georgia in the other bed, but she just waves me off, pushing out of the bed.

"Ade," she wags her finger at me, "you can't avoid him forever."

"Psh—not forever... " She smiles as I hold the pillow in between my legs and start folding the blanket in my hands, using it to curtain my face. "Just for the rest of my life."

"Adeline!" Mia rips the blanket out of my hands and I yank it back.

"Mia!"

"Fine." She flicks away a piece of hair that fell away from her bun and into her eyes. "Well, I suppose he was wearing a blue shirt in your dream then."

"No, it was green." I immediately slap a hand over my mouth and a victorious smile stretches across Mia's face.

"So you did dream about him."

"N-No, no," I vigorously shake my head and begin folding the blanket once more. "No, I didn't."

Mia puts her arm out, karate chopping the movement. "You guys need to talk."

"Talk?" I throw her an incredulous look. "Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about."

Mia takes a determined step forward. "Are you serious?"