Catfish//Daniel Seavey

Chapter 45

I stumble out of bed barely awake and running on four hours of sleep. I walk downstairs trying to avoid the places I know that creak. I walk into the living room to find a peaceful Daniel sleeping on the couch. I walk over a sleeping Zach and Jack. The boys insisted we stay up to celebrate the exact moment I aged. Personally, birthdays are not a big deal and I wish I had a full seven hours of sleep. I tap Daniel's shoulder, when he doesn't budge I shake it. He mumbles something I can't understand. After shaking him a few more times he finally opens one eye. I give him a small smile.

"Hey Dani, you said you'd come see my mom with me. Do you still want to come?", I ask hope etched in my voice. I'd be lying if I said I didn't care if he decided not to go. Something about Daniel is— special? I don't know why, but I trust him. A lot.

He yawns and runs a hand through his messy hair. He closes his eyes. I can feel my heart sinking and a frown coming on. When I turn around to walk away he grabs my hand. "I just need ten more seconds", He mumbles. I smile and start counting. One. Two. This is taking too long. "Hurry up", I usher. He pulls the blanket off and gets up. I motion for him to be quiet, careful not to wake up the rest of the boys.

I sit in the kitchen while he looks for his shoes. I wonder what it's going to be like to share such a— vulnerable, maybe even sacred moment. The back of my thoughts nag fear at me. What if he thinks it's weird? What if I make it awkward? What if I make him uncomfortable? What if...? What if...? What if...? The anxiety hidden deep within me pushes me to call it off. The hope high within me is saying that Daniel would never hurt me and that it will all be okay. "Breeze", He calls out for my attention. A wash of relief comes over me and suddenly I know it'll be all right. I get up and walk over to him with my keys in my hand.

He greets me with likely, the best hug I have ever received. I close my eyes and soak up the moment. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding in. He rests his head on mine and softly whispers, "Happy birthday, Breeze", followed with a kiss on the forehead. I smile into his chest, with the cheesy thought of never letting go. Maybe he thought the same because he didn't pull away either. It gets suspicious when he doesn't let go. "Dani", I whimper. "Hmm?" "Just making sure you didn't fall asleep", I quietly laugh.

I finally pull away and nod my head towards the door. He sighs and follows behind me. Surprisingly, he didn't fight me on driving. We get into the car and sit in quiet silence. Daniel breaks the silence when he starts humming a song to himself. I listen closely trying to figure out the song, but I'm mostly mesmerized by the fact that his humming is so beautiful, it could kill. I was too focused on trying to figure out the song name and driving without crashing that I didn't notice my hand was now intertwined with his. Oh boy, this is turning into a romantic movie, and it's one of the cheesy ones.

I think Daniel noticed I was trying to figure out the song. "I randomly came up with it at one in the morning", he explains, "it just feels right." I turn for a moment and smile at him. "I wouldn't mind hearing it", I hinted. I can tell Daniel is thinking about it when I see his shoulders stiffen and his eyes focus on the dashboard in front of him. He sighs and lets out a deep breath. "It isn't finished yet, but anything for you", He clarifies. I shrug and encourage him, "Finished or not, you have real talent and I know I'll love it."

"We could talk, we could dance
Don't matter the circumstance
We don't let it change us
That's the beautiful thing about us
'Fore all the diamonds and rings, we got trust
Roll with me, get it right, faded on a summer night
Let's see where it takes us
I got real big plans, baby, for you and me
So love me for who I am and for who I'm gonna be
Ain't got everything you want, but got everything you need
So take a chance, take a chance on me", He ends it softly.

My face is showing pure joy, but my heart feels as if it was punched, hit with a train, then used as a baseball. I really wish I hadn't asked for him to sing. The song is incredible and that's the problem. It was incredible and everything incredible needs something to build off of—inspiration. Inspiration from someone, a girl. A beautiful, incredible girl that isn't me. A girl more than me. I clear my throat and keep my frown hidden. Jeez, I'm hurt and I can't hide it. "Who did you write it for?", I question, secretly praying he doesn't like anyone.