I Hate Football Players

39: Security Blanket

The book fair was much more than I imagined. An impressive amount of organization transformed the field into a homegrown carnival atmosphere, with large tents of gently used books, small kiddie rides, a petting zoo, games organized by Seaside's PTA, and a food area.

I curled my fingers around Harper's wrist and dragged her into the first book tent. The lovely smell of aging paperbacks tickled my senses from one pile of treasures after another. She dragged me out when my fingers brushed over a beautiful copy of The Way of All Flesh.

"You're wearing that look again." Harper smiled. "Is it because of Samuel Butler or Logan Hightower?"

"Samuel Butler." I whimpered, still feeling the pristine cover's imprint in my hand. "It was a limited-"

"Not as much as my patience. And what you need to buy is something with smut in it."

"What? Why?"

"Educational purposes, my dear Elle." Her eyes dragged down my appearance. "Contrary to dickhead's criticism, you look like a Valentine's Day snack."

The bite in her voice drew my eyes to hers. Her low-cut, baby blue lace cami, short jacket, tight jeans, and shin-height boots put her curves on full display. Jake eyed her the way I drooled over the churro stand. My black leggings and red V-neck shirt with three-quarter sleeves were fine until Harper sat next to me. "I'm surprised he saw anything but Chloe." I shook my head and squeezed my hands.

In the most uncomfortable moment of this year, Jacob –as Chloe called him, with warmth pooling her eyes to a golden hue– set aside his arrogance. His voice and gaze softened at her, and his enamored expression was so unfamiliar it creeped me out. Awkward and weird, for sure.

Jake being smitten-kitten for Chloe elicited Harper's disgust. "I'm surprised we didn't drown in your brother's drool." A flush of pink sat on her cheeks, and the flecks of green in her eyes brightened them closer to a light aqua. Harper never blushed, but her pursed lips and icy glare were the ones she always reserved for Jake.

"Harper, are you..." The word 'jealous' dissolved on my tongue.

"Jealous?" Her head whipped back and forth, swishing her hair with it. "No. I don't like seeing him with girls, especially sweet, meek, innocent ones. He thinks he's so smooth, but he's such an asshole. They don't know that, basking in the glow of his attention."

I opened my mouth for my usual 'he's not that bad' spiel, but she waved her hand. "Enough about him. Are you going to see your asshole tonight? Because if anyone breaks your kissing drought, it needs to be the one who brought these out." Her index finger depressed near the left corner of my mouth, where I smiled all week. "You're excited to see Adonis."

Her teasing pulled my smile wider. I tucked the corners of my mouth into my cheeks. I shared most of the details with Harper, but not the part where I fell asleep and snuggled into him. He was so warm and inviting, and I drooled on him. How embarrassing.

I also hadn't shared, with Jake or Harper, that I had another nightmare. All week, I thought and thought about my dream changing until my head hurt enough to split open my skull. I couldn't figure it out and must be crazy because now Logan was in them. Why were they happening again? I wished I knew how to make them stop. While I hadn't had any more, one was enough to tailspin my mind through unanswered questions.

"Don't give me that look." Harper frowned. I wasn't aware I wore a look, but she shoved her phone screen in my face. "Feeling's mutual. Look at the shit he polluted my phone with."

EllesCrush: Can you give Ellie a message?

Me: You have five seconds before I get bored.