Page 39 of Fever Dream
“Why does that look better on you than it does on me?” he asks, finger tracing his name on the back of my jersey. I try to hide the way his touch makes me shiver.
“I seriously doubt that, Casey,” I force out, his touch lingering. “Have you seen your biceps?”
That makes him laugh as he drops his hand from my shoulder, and we continue down the stairs. But when I look back at him, he’s staring at my jersey and the look in his eyes thrills me in ways I never expected. Because my dearest, apparently straight-leaning bestfriendis looking at me in a way I can only describe as somewhat dark and possessive.
And it’s sending my pulse, and my imagination, spinning out of control.
CHAPTER 16
casey
It’s in our hotel room in Adelaide that Izak and I come up with the plan. Now that I’m back on the game roster I’m sharing my room with Izak and I’m trying to be okay with that even though I think things were working out just fine with me and Harrison.
But I digress. We have a bye coming up next weekend and Izak is the one who suggests a quick boys trip up to the Gold Coast. It can only be for the two nights the club will grant us leave but I’m quick to jump on the idea. Sonny will be a definite in and I am eager to suggest Harrison too. I mean, he’s brand new to our country and hasn’t been able to see hardly anything of it beyond my house and the Fever’s training facilities.
Izak is on board with the idea of inviting Harrison. I’m so excited by the plans that I don’t even obsess over the narrow loss we suffer at the hands of the Adelaide City Royals that weekend. I mean, I did my bit for the team, racked up over thirty possessions, kicked two goals and kept my opposing number to a handful of meaningless kicks. And even though my adductor flared up at the end of the game, I am increasingly aware of the vast improvement in my pain levels and speed of recovery.
The fact I’m able to walk without a limp on Monday morning is already a thousand percent improvement than where I was last season. Harrison fusses over me like a mother hen, but I honestly could kiss him right now for how much better I’m feeling. Like with tongue and all. That’s how grateful I am. Between the ice baths and his magic hands soothing my pain away, I feel like I am literally in heaven.
Izak and I mention the Gold Coast idea while waiting to board in the airport lounge. Of course, Sonny and Harrison are both in for the GC and Izak and I are quick to book flights and find accommodation in an upmarket hotel as soon as the green light is given. Harrison will put up a fuss about me paying for everything and I’ll pretend that he can pay me back later but like hell am I taking a cent from him. I’m so thrilled with everything he has done for me that I’d buy him a bloody house if he let me.
Besides, it’s kind of cute when he’s all like,no, Casey, you paid for dinner last night.OrSeriously, I can pay for my own smoothies,when I’ve already tapped my card. It’s really adorable, the way his face gets all frowny and serious and I just laugh while smoothing out the frown line between his eyes.
Doesn’t he realise though? Doesn’t he realise that I’d buy him the whole world if he let me? If I could afford it that is. I earn alright but I don’t earnthatmuch.
Do you think he’d accept a car?
***
It’s raining in Sydney when we board the flight to the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon where the forecast is for a weekend of sunshine and humidity. I can’t wait, already feeling on holiday mode as Harrison settles into the seat beside me, Sonny and Izak on the next row over.
Harrison is wearing his cute red headband which I’ve already teased him about when I picked him up in the Uber on the way to the airport. I think he’s maybe getting annoyed with me when I tug on the end again and he bats my hand away with a huff.
“I’ll take it off if you do that again,” he grumps.
“Please don’t,” I implore, sending him my big eyes. “I love your headband. It’s cute.”
“You can borrow it any time you like if you want to touch it so much.”
“Nah. Suits you better than it would me anyway. It’s like, made for your curls.” I reach over and twirl my finger through a curl, one that is currently demonstrating the effectiveness of his headband to perfection. His hair is soft and brown and smells nice, just like Harrison always does. I take a surreptitious sniff of his hair—mmm, citrus and cedar—and curl it around my finger. He doesn’t bat my hand away though so I take this as progress.
Flight time is just over an hour from Sydney to the Gold Coast so it’s not long before I’m breathing in the steamy humidity in the air, feeling myself visibly relax. I can’t wait to hit the hotel pool.
The hotel Izak and I booked is a lot fancier than either of us expected but the price should have given it away. I mean, I’m just a snotty kid from the outer suburbs of Melbourne but Harrison looks like he belongs in places like this. It’s classy and sophisticated and he looks at home here in those navy shorts and linen shirt, white leather trainers on his feet. He sounds it too with that posh English accent. My cute aristocrat.
The beach is literally on the other side of the road from our hotel, but I have seen the hotel brochure, and the pool and its associated bar is where I want to spend the rest of the evening. We make our way to the check-in desk in the expansive lobby decked out in marble and gold, Sonny and Harrison hovering behind Izak and me as we give our names.
“I see you’ve booked two ocean suites with twin beds,” the concierge on the desk says as she taps on her computer. “We had a golf convention here over the week which has run overtime and one of the rooms isn’t quite ready. I do have an ocean suite with a king bed, otherwise I can check you in now but the room with the twins won’t be ready for another couple of hours.”
“That’s fine,” I say, not quite seeing the dilemma. “Harrison and I will share the room with the king.” Not like we haven’t spent many a night sharing a bed before. Harrison clears his throat and I glance back at him, realising I probably should have checked with him first.
“That okay with you, bud?” Sonny asks instead.
“Um, yeah, that’s fine,” Harrison says, fiddling with the zip on his carryon bag.
“Well thanks for volunteering as tribute, man,” Izak adds. “I love you, Sonny, but we arenotsleeping together.”
“Sucks to be you then,” I grin just as Harrison chokes out another cough and I realise what I said. “I mean, not like Harry and I will besleepingtogether. Just, sleeping together.”
