Dreamers- Book 1

Chapter Thirty Seven- Pippa

Her palms were sweaty as she debated in her head whether waiting for him in the park has been the best idea. Did he expect her to wait for him in the park where he woke up? Or maybe the town, outside the shop he changed his clothes in. What is she had missed him, and he had gone to her house straight away?

She was overthinking it. She knew she was overthinking it. In fact, she was overthinking the fact that she was overthinking about it.

It was just a kiss.

But what did it mean?

He liked her? He loved her?

She shook that notion from her head straight away.

He couldn't love her. He hardly knew her. She hardly knew him. She didn't even know if he was real or not.

The wind whipped around her as she walked slowly up and down the field, umbrella in hand as the rain continued to fall, trying to keep herself busy while she waited.

He was real. He was going to be real... at some point in the future. It was a mantra she kept in her head to stop her from going crazy. From feeling crazy.

Because she was crazy. She was definitely crazy.

"Hey."

Pippa spun around, mad at herself for being so deep in thought that she hadn't even noticed him walking towards her.

"Hi." She whispered back.

Her hands clung to the handle of the umbrella, she was too nervous to do anything else.

"I-"

"I-"

They both stammered out at the same time, pausing, blushing and looking away from each other as they fell into an awkward silence.

"You go first." Pippa said, quickly filling the silence, and eager to know what he had to say.

"I just... I wanted to apologize. For last night. You know..." Bellamy couldn't meet her eyes, his hand grasping the back of his neck nervously, the other twitching by his side.

"You, want to apologize?" Pippa replied, mimicking his tone. Hurt pierced her heart, confusion filling her mind. He didn't like her after all.

"Yeah. It was wrong of me to do that, just before we fell asleep... woke up... you know what I mean." His words fell out in a jumbled mess.

"Oh. Right." Pippa replied, nodding robotically.

Bellamy just stood and watched her before nodding back slowly.

"We should go inside." Pippa said, breaking the awkward silence that was slowly creeping back.

Bellamy followed her in silence, weaving their way through the muddied park, through the puddled streets and into the warm and comfort of her home.

"So, how was your day?" Pippa asked, shaking the water from the umbrella as they shrugged out of their jackets.

"It was interesting, thank you for asking." Bellamy replied, Pippa raising an eyebrow at his formality before shaking it off and walking into the kitchen.

"How about you?" He asked.

"Awful." She groaned. "I was stuck inside all day, and it looks like we will be inside all tonight as well. I hate the rain... Hot chocolate?" She asked, holding out a mug to him.

"Oh, yes please. I am sorry to hear you're not having a good time. I guess one of the few perks of living in a giant literal bubble is that the weather is very carefully controlled." He smiled ruefully as she chuckled.

They carried their steaming mugs of hot chocolate and sat together on the sofa. Pippa shuffling uncomfortably as Bellamy picked off the mini marshmallows she had sprinkled on top and chewed them slowly.

Setting her mug down, deciding to drink it once it got a bit cooler, she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. The silence surrounding them felt awful and it was all because of that stupid kiss and him telling her that it was a huge mistake.

If he really was a figment of her imagination while she dreamed, then her subconscious was a bitch.

Bellamy, following her lead, set down his mug next to hers. Looking over at him, her heart sunk as he did everything he could to avoid eye contact.

"The rain hasn't stopped." Bellamy said, breaking the silence.

Pippa took a cautious glance over to the window, even though she knew that the rain was still pouring.

"Yep. Its flooding and thunderstorms in my reality too. So I must be bringing it here... sorry." She replied.

"Oh, no- don't apologize! Being stuck inside without isn't the worst thing in the world."

Pippa shifted uncomfortably, her skin prickling at his brash comment.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He exclaimed. "I just meant that I like being with you and that being alone with you isn't the worst thing. In fact, it's probably the best thing! I mean, it's really nice. I like being around you." His words rushed out, his expression tortured and then embarrassed as he tripped up over his words.

Pippa smiled at his awkwardness, her hair falling over her eyes as she looked down to stop herself from looking at him for too long.

She felt a tentative brush against her cheek. Glancing up, Bellamy had scooted closer to her, his eyes trained on her face. Her eyes, across to his hand on her cheek, and finally down to her lips.

"Screw it."

His hand fisted in her hair, his lips crashing against hers.

Pippa froze for the briefest of seconds before matching him in a passion filled frenzy.

"I thought you didn't like me." Pippa gasped as they pulled away to catch a breath of air.

"Your perfect. I think about you all day, every day." He said in between the breaths he took as he kissed her swollen lips.

"I don't care about the consequences; I don't care about any of it." He said pulling away, staring at her lips.

"What consequences?" Pippa stroked his cheek, bringing his eyes up to meet her own.

"Of being with you. Only you. Even if it means I only get you in my dreams." He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers sending electric tingles down her shoulders and spine.

"I don't care either. If I get to be happy with you, then all I want is you." She replied, knowing that a future of being in love with him, getting to see him every night, love him, was all she needed.

He nodded slowly, searching her eyes for something. Whether he found what he was looking for or not she didn't know. All she knew was that his lips were on hers again, and that's all she wanted.