My phone buzzed. I glanced toward it, breaking from my daze. A text notification bubble was on the bright screen. I assumed it was Tyler and leaned over to read the message.
Can I bring you breakfast tomorrow?
Not Tyler.
Gavin.
Breath shuddered in my throat. I stared at the screen, unable to function or think of a reply.
Chloe, if you’re awake, please talk to me. I was a dick.
I bit my bottom lip, hating that the sentence had almost made me smile.
And a jealous asshole.
I finally picked up my phone.No, you had it right the first time. Asshole is too mild a way of putting it,I replied.
Three dots strummed the bottom of the screen, disappearing and reappearing with a second between like he was typing and deleting.
Hi, he finally decided to say.
Hi, I said, smiling at the screen.
I didn’t mean to wake you.
You didn’t, I said.I haven’t been able to sleep for a couple of weeks.
Neither have I.
Maybe we should have a slumber party. Night owls united.
I like the way that sounds.
My thumbs moved over the keyboard, looking for a word to type. But Gavin beat me to it.
I’m sorry, he wrote.
For what?I asked.
A lot of things. Things that I’d rather say to you in person.
Like over breakfast tomorrow?
I thought you were inviting me over for a sleepover.
Not tonight, I wrote back, smiling at the screen.Too much work to do. The big dating app company I’m working for has these impossible deadlines, and their CEO is a terrible distraction.
It sounds like I should have a word with him.
You should. He's already devised the best marketing scheme to date. It’ll be hard to beat it.
What scheme was that?
Naughty candy hearts.
There was a pause, and I knew he was debating where to go with this conversation or how far he could push it.
They were fun, weren’t they?he finally typed.
