In Your Dreams

48 || Emmett Larkin

"So, his name is Dex?" Samuel asks, rubbing Dex's belly. I'm surprised that this cat just lets people touched his belly.

Normally, I think cats would just attack any incoming hands that is inches away from his belly. Like some kind of bear trao. Also For a cat who usually avoids people—what waiter from the café said earlier—Dex is surprisingly relaxed, sprawled out on his back, inviting anyone nearby to pet him. It's like he's begging for attention to anyone present in the room. I expected him to hiss or shy away or even run around the room avoiding anyone as possible, but there he is, lying on the floor, happily letting Samuel rub his tummy.

Asher narrows his eyes, glancing between Samuel and me before his gaze settles on mine. "Isn't that a dog’s name?" He raises an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. But judging how one of the corners of his lips twitched a little, I can definitely say that he's also amused by this. "Like, short for Dexter?" He wrinkled his nose, his gaze boring straight to my cranium. "Isn't that a dog's name?"

I blink, noticing movement in the corner of my eyes, before turning to Phoebe—who’s trying to discreetly signal Asher to stop by swiping her hand in a "cut it out" motion across her neck while showing her teeth. When she notices me watching, she quickly stops and flashes a bright smile and pretended like nothing had happened and she didn't just signaled Asher anything.

Turning back to Asher, I frown, a bit hurt he doesn’t appreciate the name I gave the cat, as well as feeling betrayed by how Phoebe was hiding the fact that she didn't like the name Dex. "It’s a great name! Phoebe didn’t complain when I said the cat should be named Dexter." I point a finger at her before glaring at her to even dare tell me otherwise. I still remember her reaction when I told her that the cat's name is Dex. There's no way she really didn't approve of that name.

Unless, she's doing this on purpose to mess with me. Of course she'll do that, there's reason for her not too. But if she why though? After our time together earlier...

A chuckle breaks out and pulled me away from my thought, and we all turn to see Alecks behind his drum set, shaking his head with a grin. "Maybe Phoebe was just being supportive," he says, eyes twinkling between Phoebe and me. "And interesting that you're using her as a shield." He waggles his eyebrows at me.

Phoebe and I groan in unison—it was almost comical at that point. "She was the one who suggested I name the cat," I point out, jabbing another accusatory finger in her direction. Phoebe feigns a gasp, but I press on. "Even though I asked her to name him, she said, 'No, you owe the cat; you owe him a name,'" I say, mocking her soft voice.

Phoebe gasps, her mouth stayed open for a few seconds. "I don’t sound like that!" She shakes her head, then looks at Alecks. "His first choice was to Clay." she says, her tone filled with disappointment.

My three closest friends—my trusted and long-timed friends—laugh, and I can't believe how quickly she’s turned the gang against me. She’s getting a little too comfortable for someone who’s only here temporarily. This madness has to stop.

"You know I'm terrible at naming things," I counter, sticking my tongue out. "You could have just spared me and name the cat yourself if you have a problem with me naming him Dex or Clay." I say through gritted teeth.

She sticks her tongue out too, but before she can respond, Alecks coughs loudly, interrupting our argument. "Could you two lovebirds quit it with the lover’s quarrel?" Both Phoebe and I groan in unison again as Alecks grins, unfazed by our unamused expressions. "You already left for a ‘coffee date’ this morning, and now you’re disrupting rehearsal time arguing about the cat's name." He shakes his head in mock disappointment, his hand gesturing down at the cat sprawled all over the floor with Samuel sitting beside it.