Ghost Flowers

9. Sleepover

After a couple of hours of watching TV and talking, Faye looked at the time. "Hey, we should get moving. I have to get up early and help mom with the dogs."

Savana frowned. She wasn't ready to leave and deal with her dad. But she understood how much Faye wanted to help with the daycare. She also knew how much work it was after helping out a couple of times herself. Nicole and Faye moved to Unity three years ago. The daycare was up and running within a year. The daycare was very successful for being so newly opened.

One day while Jesimae took Savana shopping for her mom's birthday present, she noticed Nicole and her daughter were there. Jesimae explained to Savana that she and Nicole were roommates in college. Unfortunately, they fell out of touch after graduation. The last she heard, Nicole moved back in with her parents in Middleton fourteen years ago.

Savana convinced her to say hi to Nicole and catch up. Jesimae hesitated, but Nicole noticed her too. Nicole wasn't surprised to see her. She knew they would eventually run into each other since moving to Unity. She felt embarrassed about how she acted toward Jesimae the last time they spoke. Soon after their fallout, Nicole realized how right Jesimae was about Kyle.

Jesimae immediately recognized Faye's paternity. She had no idea Nicole was pregnant when Kyle left. She felt overwhelming guilt for not being there for her friend. She knew all too well what it was like to raise a child alone. The women gave each other knowing glances and reconciled their friendship.

Both women thought the other looked almost identical as they had in college, except for a few wrinkles. They awkwardly smiled as they greeted each other and introduced the girls to each other. When Nicole saw Savana, she swore she was looking at Samara, Bellamere's younger sister. But she was murdered fourteen years ago. The brutality of the crime shocked the entire county.

Savana was excited to meet someone new. One of her best friends had just moved across the county, and she felt lonely. Savana wasn't interested in making friends with her classmates. She thought most of them were too snobby. Faye was a shy girl, but once she met Savana, she opened up significantly. After only a few weeks, they were inseparable. Faye came over to Savana's house to watch movies and eat snacks. It was usual for them to laugh until their stomachs hurt when they were together.

As the girls were about to leave Ezra and Damon's house, Savana had a different idea. She hadn't thought things through before asking. "Actually, Ezra, would you mind if I stayed the night here? I really don't want to deal with Dad tonight." She looked down at Ezra, still sitting on the couch.

Before Ezra responded, he looked over at Damon. Without hesitation and with a mouth full of popcorn, Damon nodded his head. Ezra laughed. His smile could have made Faye faint.

"If Damon doesn't mind, I don't care. But you'll have to talk to your dad eventually. And he should know you're staying here tonight." Ezra said.

Savana gave him a look she knew he couldn't stand. She looked like a child whose ice cream fell on the floor.

Ezra sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll give Gavin a call and tell him I'll bring you home tomorrow."

Savana smiled and looked back at Faye, still swooning over Ezra's smile.

"I'll text you tomorrow, okay?" Savana felt guilty for not riding with Faye back home. But the thought of seeing her dad so soon left a rock in the pit of her stomach.

"Sounds good! Maybe after I'm done with the dogs, we can go to the lake again." Faye replied as she put her shoes back on.

Ezra jumped in. "I'll come too!"

Faye's smile and eyes grew wider. "I'll see you later!"

Ezra stood up and walked over to hug her goodbye. Faye's heart wanted to explode. She awkwardly hugged him back. Her head barely reached his chest. She was usually the shortest person in the room. Ezra followed her out the door and waited until she left to call Gavin.

Damon and Savana continued watching TV and sipping drinks. It was silent for a moment until he stood up from the couch. "I'll be right back." He walked into his bedroom.

Within a few minutes, she saw Ezra step into the living room. "I'm glad you're friends with Faye. She's so nice." He smiled and sat on the loveseat.

"I'm glad too. Did you talk to dad?" Savana wondered if he was mad she wasn't coming home.

"Yeah. He's fine and glad you're okay." Ezra said as he ate more popcorn.

Savana felt relieved but also guilty for not coming home.

A few seconds later, Damon returned with a blanket and a pillow. "Here, you can use them tonight."

"Oh, you don't need to give me your stuff. There's a pillow here I can use and I don't need a blanket." She didn't want to be an inconvenience since he let her stay.

"No worries, these are extra." Damon handed them over.

He moved onto the loveseat next to Ezra so Savana could have the oversized couch. She thanked him and rubbed her hands on the soft pink blanket. She wondered why he had a pink blanket with white clouds.

Another half hour later, Ezra headed to bed. Damon looked at Savana, lying on the couch. "Are you ready to go to bed too? I can shut the TV and lights off for you." He started to stand up.

"No, I'm fine. You can keep watching TV if you want." Savana yawned and snuggled into the blanket. Damon sat back down, and they watched TV silently. Ten minutes later, he glanced at Savana on the couch again and saw her eyes closed. He stood quietly, turned off the TV and lights, and headed to bed.

A few hours later, Savana crawled up from the couch and stumbled in the dark toward the bathroom. After peeing, she stepped into the kitchen and stood in front of the refrigerator for a few minutes. She eventually returned to the living room and stood by the coffee table for another few minutes.

Next, Savana wandered into the next room. Moonlight came through a window and cast shadows along the walls. She got into the bed in front of her and pulled the covers over her.

Damon woke up to something moving in his bed. Still half asleep, he rolled over and slowly opened his eyes. The last thing Damon expected to see was the back of a person's head next to him. Fully awake, he quickly jumped out of bed and panicked. "What the hell?"