The Do Over (11 page)

I was buried under my pillows doing everything in my power to block out the light that was shining through my blinds. The sheets draped over me created a nice cocoon of comforting warmth.

Thoughts of those blue eyes looking at me, in me, through me flooded my mind. I felt the softness of his gentle touch caressing my skin. With his hands running through my hair, his warmth pressed against me was sensitizing my body. His kisses—tender, deep, and passionate—aroused me. I moaned. I wanted to feel him closer. He couldn't get close enough. I was panting, longing for him.

"Liam," I whispered. "Please, Liam," I begged.

Suddenly, a jackhammer was pounding outside, or so I thought. It sounded close. There were more noises. They were very loud. I couldn't make them out. My head was throbbing. I needed it to stop. I was disoriented. I rolled over, my arm falling off of my bed.

A bright light caused a sharp pain to course through my head. Awaking, I reached over, patting the mattress, to find that my pillows were the only things in my bed besides me. I sat up abruptly, causing my head to spin and pulsate in pain. I was shocked as I looked around through heavily lidded eyes. I needed to get my balance. I was confused.

"Oh. My. God. How much of last night was real? How much was a…dream?"

With my head hanging, I let out a deep sigh.
Ouch, that hurt.
I rolled out of bed and slowly made my way around my room. Trying to silence the pounding noise and ease the pain, I ran my hands through my hair. I looked down to see that I was wearing a T-shirt. The dress I'd worn last night was folded on my dresser. I had no idea how that happened. As I walked by my dresser, I hit my knee against it.
That's gonna leave a bruise.

Feeling my way through my home, I headed into the kitchen and then balanced myself against the counter. I needed water and a double dose of Advil. I faintly heard my name being called. I tried to locate where the sound was coming from. Glancing slowly toward my window, I found a couple of women banging on it. I recognized them. They looked just like my best friends, except they were louder than usual. I stared for a moment or two until I realized that I should open the door.

"Oh, honey, this is why we need a key," Candace crooned as she came over and held me. Her voice and touch were comforting. "We've been trying to call you for hours. We even sent you several text messages," she said, concerned. "When you didn't respond, we came right over."

I had no idea what time it was. She mentioned calling me for hours.
How long have I been asleep?

"After you gave us the green light last night or this morning, however you look at it, we went home. We came over to make sure you were okay." She paused briefly as she gently brushed my knotted hair behind my ears, smiling compassionately. "So, do you want to give us the details?"

I knew that was the real reason they were here. They weren't concerned for my safety and well-being. They wanted the scoop, but I was still trying to figure out how she could look so perfect after a night of partying. I swore that one day I would figure out her secret.

At that moment, I couldn't remember why I hadn't given them a key to my home. I was positive that when I became lucid again, my reasoning would be very wise.

My brain finally processed her question. A goofy grin came across my face as I thought of my evening with Liam. My only concern was that I couldn't remember exactly how much of it was real and how much of it was a dream.

"Okay, I see we're in swoon hangover right now." Macy pulled out a tall bottle of water and a hangover remedy her cousin's grandmother, Concha, from Cuba swore by. We referred to it as
Abuela Concha's
potion. We had no idea what was in it. It worked, so we'd never asked. It was better that way.

Macy poured the concoction into one glass and handed it to me along with the water to use as a chaser. It was disgusting, but I knew it would work.

As the potion was traveling its way through my body, I slowly began to feel more like myself. They led me to the couch where I carefully sat down with my legs under me as I clutched a pillow. Macy sat next to me with a dirty little grin on her face, like she was the keeper of some secret.

"Dani, we're dying here. The guy is out-of-this-world gorgeous. Please tell me you're not a virgin anymore," Macy begged.

I took a deep breath and sat back. I began telling them everything, at least what I remembered everything to be. The thought of us watching the sunrise warmed me as a smile from deep within covered my face. Then, out of nowhere, I had a sobering thought.
What if it's all too good to be true?
Maybe I was romanticizing everything. Maybe after reading so many books, I wanted Liam to be my romantic hero.
What if, in reality, he isn't that into me?
I couldn't risk getting carried away.

As I was in the middle of my freak out, Macy got up and headed toward my bedroom. I wondered if she was going to be a sweetheart and make my bed for me. I doubted it, but it was a nice thought. A few minutes later, I watched as she walked toward me with my phone in her hands. Now, I remembered why they didn't have a key to my home. They had no boundaries.

"What are you doing with my phone?" I asked, aggravated.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just reading your text messages," she replied casually, like she was stating the obvious.

I rolled my eyes. "Has it ever occurred to you that someone might consider that an invasion of privacy?"

"Um, not really," she mumbled as she continued to scroll through my messages.

I slowly shook my head in disbelief. I didn't know why I bothered asking these types of questions.

She giggled, raising her eyebrows at me. "So, missy, care to amend your story a little bit?"

I had no idea what she was talking about. The last lucid memory I had before the pounding began was watching the sunrise with Liam. At least, I thought that was it. Everything between the sunrise to the pounding was a blur.

"Give me that," I insisted, reaching for my phone.

Macy pulled it against her body, teasing me with it.
Abuela Concha's
potion had worked as expected. I had the newfound ability to get up and chase Macy around my living room.

"Give me my phone," I pleaded with Macy as she continued to tease me. "I'm going to get you back for this."

Finally, Candace spoke up, using her calm and assertive Cesar Millan voice. "Macy…"

We froze in place.

"Hand Dani her phone."

Being an obedient pack follower, Macy handed the phone to me. I looked down to read the text on display.

Liam: I had a wonderful time with you. Will explain T-shirt later.

Reacting as any sane, balanced woman would, I jumped up and down, screaming like a schoolgirl. My excitement was contagious. Before I knew it, we were all jumping up and down, screaming and clapping our hands.

When we settled down, I began to rehearse my reply to Liam's text. After several attempts, I finally settled on what I considered a clever and acceptable response.

Dani: Me, too. Please fill me in on the shirt.

Okay, so it isn't that clever.
It was the best I could do. I hadn't had text banter in years. I needed to get my mojo flowing. Macy tried to help, but everything she suggested was just perverted. As I stared at my phone, waiting for a response, a panic started to rise within me. I took a deep breath as I put down my phone. I sat down at the table and then rubbed my face with my hands. My friends noticed the abrupt change in my mood.

Candace placed her hands on my shoulders. "Dani, what's the matter?"

I took another deep breath and then slowly exhaled. "I don't know if I can do this," I admitted. "There are too many what ifs."

"Dani, you can't think like that," Candace said, trying to console me. "Just enjoy the moment. No one says he has to be
the one
." She rubbed my back as she spoke gently. "Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. Either way, it doesn't hurt to get excited and just enjoy the moment." She leaned in, hugging me.

"I know all of that in my head, but my heart…" I paused. "My heart is another story."

Macy shook her head in disbelief or disapproval. With Macy, I just didn't know. "No one's telling you to fall in love or marry the man."

Candace chimed in. "Just don't give your heart away so easily."

Macy finished the thought. "Especially when you give him that special gift between your legs."

I smacked her and laughed. Macy had a way of lightening the mood while Candace had a way of bringing things back to perspective.

"Here's the thing, my friends, he's not the type you have a fling with. He's the real deal," I admitted.

"You seriously got that from making out with the guy? What does he have, like a magic tongue? Or did you do other things?" Macy asked incredulously.

"Yes, I did, and no, it's not just his gifted tongue. It was also in the way he looked at me, held my hand, touched me, and talked to me. I can't describe it. As corny as it sounds, it was magical."

"How did he—" Macy started to say.

Candace raised her arm to interrupt her. "Magic? Well, it would be a shame to miss out on magic just because you were hurt in the past."

My phone buzzed, alerting me to a new text message. Smiling like a giddy little girl, I looked at my phone.

Liam: Hello, sunshine. Hope you slept well.

Dani: Hey, you. How are you? Slept well. Thank you. So, are you going to tell me about the T-shirt?

Liam: Absolutely but not over text.

Dani: Hmm, this must be interesting. I'm intrigued.

Liam: It's very interesting.

Dani: Well, I don't like to be kept waiting.

Liam: Running around. Call you in an hour.

Dani: Talk to you then.

I couldn't stop thinking about her even though it had only been a few hours since I'd left her at her home. Although I'd barely gotten any sleep, I woke up early to finish prepping for some drills I had coming up. I tried to focus on what I was doing, but I had Dani on the brain.

Hoping that she was already up, I sent her a text message. It was actually my second text. I didn't want to come across as desperate, but I really wanted to hear from her.
Yes, I'm desperate. Shit.

Between the early morning and the alcohol, I was pretty sure that she would feel awful when she got up. I thought back to last night.

When I dropped her off at home, I wanted to do more for her. She pretty much passed out while we watched the sunrise, so I carried her back to my car. She wrapped her arms around me and then buried her head in my chest.

I tried to nudge her to wake her, but she was out of it. I didn't know if I should take her to my place or to her home. I knew where I wanted to take her, but I thought it was smarter to just take her home. The only problem was I didn't know where she lived. I tried to get some cooperation from her, but she only mumbled something as she motioned toward her purse. I looked in her purse to find her phone, lipstick, keys, and—
Thank God
—her license.

Down the street from the University of Miami, her home was a small pink townhouse in the Gables. When I pulled up to her house, she was dead to the world. I got out of my car, leaving her inside for now, and went to open her front door. The style and décor seemed to suit her. At least, it fit my perception of her. I went back out to my car and then carried her inside.

Still wearing my jacket, her dress shifted, riding up her body, as I carried her through her house. Finding her bedroom, I laid her down gently on her bed.

After kissing her forehead, I whispered, "Baby, you really should change into something comfortable."

While she twisted and turned to take off my jacket, her head barely making it off of the pillow, I found her T-shirt drawer. When I sat her up, her arms wrapped around me. She buried her head against my chest. Her hand came up to rest right below my heart.

"Okay, we have to finish getting you changed," I said. "Can you do the rest?"

She mumbled incoherently, so I carefully took off her dress. She raised her arms for me and then plopped back down on the bed. I really hoped she wouldn't be pissed off at me for taking all these liberties.
Damn, what if she gets mad?
I just wanted to take care of her.

Wearing nothing but sexy panties and those shoes, with her hair fanned across her white bedding, she looked amazing. She didn't have a bra on. I guessed it would've been impossible with that dress. I liked the dress, but I didn't like when all the men at the club had gawked at her, especially that Rick douche. I'd wanted to knock him on his ass when he'd talked about her. I wasn't sure that I wanted her to ever wear that dress out in public again.

As she was lying in bed, I pulled the T-shirt over her head and then tucked her in. More than anything else, I just wanted to climb in next to her to feel her close to me. I wanted to caress her and hold her. Damn, I wanted to love on her. I placed a chaste kiss on her lips, and then I brushed her hair off of her face.