A Dreamers Dream

Even my phone, misses your call. By the way. USA.

"Come on, let's get you back to the hotel," he says with a resigned sigh and pushes himself up off of his stool beckoning me to follow.

The only time Dean utters a word for the entire cab ride back to the hotel is when he is giving the driver the address. He takes the front seat, leaving me to curl up as tightly as I can next to the window in the seat directly behind him, hoping that if I can make myself small enough, invisible enough, he'll forget I'm here. By the time we reach the elevator in the lobby, the silence is almost deafening, though, and my stomach is starting to churn uncomfortably from the tension in the air. We stand awkwardly in the lift, Dean on one side of the small space, leaning up against a mirrored wall with his arms folded tightly across his chest, his expression unreadable, and me on the other tapping my foot idly to the cheery instrumental music floating through the unseen speakers in an attempt to seem normal. By the time the large silver doors slide open on my floor, I can't take it anymore, I have to say something to break the tension so as we both step out of the lift, Dean a step or two behind me but clearly planning on walking me to my room, I take a deep breath and try apologising again.

"Dean I really am sorry, I know it's no excuse, but I really wasn't thinking straight after all those cocktails and I.."

"Maddie stop." He says forcefully, placing a hand gently on my arm and spinning me back to face him. "I get it OK, you aren't the first person to have their heartbroken and go looking for solace in the bottom of a bottle or the arms of someone else." He says, and I think for a moment that I see understanding in his eyes before he turns his gaze from me abruptly as if he can't bear to look at me right now. "But next time, maybe don't jump on someone that you already know has feelings for you. Just because you're hurting, doesn't mean you need to inflict pain on someone else."

I feel my face heat up at his words, and I am sure that the shameful blush creeping up my neck and across my cheeks is easy to see under the harsh fluorescent lights bouncing off the stark white walls in the hotel corridor. Did I realise he liked me? I ask myself seriously, searching for my brain frantically for the answer and trying to be completely honest with myself. Yes, a small voice echoes in the back of my head. I did know, I think I knew from the first night we met when he hugged me and pulled me in a little too tightly, held on to me for just a little too long. Shit.

"You're right, it wasn't fair of me. I'm.."

"If you say you're sorry one more time I'm going to have to rethink forgiving you," Dean says exasperatedly and runs his fingers through his short hair, but there's a smile playing on his lips.

"I'm forgiven?" I say, hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess. I've known from day one that your heart already belonged to him. But if you want my honest opinion? I think you need to try and move on. You've got an opportunity here, a real opportunity to do something amazing, to have the life you've always dreamed of, don't throw it away cos of some guy, no matter how bloody good looking he is." Dean smirks, making me giggle.

"Thank you," I say sincerely, feeling my shoulders relax slightly as the weight of guilt and fear are lifted slightly from them.

Without another word, Dean starts walking again, leading the way down the long corridor to my room and waits whilst I try multiple times to get the bloody key card to work before impatiently taking it out of my hand and slowly swiping it for me, of course, it works first time for him, bloody typical. He pushes the door open and holds it open so that I can step inside.

"Goodnight Maddie." He says in a low voice, and I stretch up on my toes once again, only this time, when I lean in, I kiss him lightly on the cheek instead of pressing my mouth onto his.