Capture

Dani: It's late.

Demetri: Don't it's late me! Just say yes, Demetri.

I smiled and texted back a thumbs up with a girl sleeping.

Dani: Yes, Demetri.

Demetri: Good girl.

Dani: Good boy.

Demetri: Hilarious.

Dani: Say hi to Lyss for me.

Demetri: Will do.

I set my phone on the nightstand then stood up and paced my room. Maybe he was right. I needed to do something fun this summer. After all, I was only going to be seventeen for another month. And then I'd be an adult.

Without any clue about my future or what I even wanted to do.

Every time I thought about moving away from Seaside, I started getting all panicky, yet staying there did the same thing.

It was as if no matter what I did — the anxiety would still be there.

Shaking my morose thoughts, I stripped off every inch of clothing and crawled into bed… another fun quirk. If I wore clothes to bed, I ended up sweating so much I had to change.

It was the nightmares.

The therapist had said to make sure my room was always chilled. And she'd thought that maybe my clothes brought on a panic attack because of the restriction, which caused me to sweat.

So I started sleeping without clothes.

And, thank God, it had actually worked.

Over on the nightstand, my phone buzzed again. I smiled, ready to text back to Demetri that he needed to get some sleep since he had to record tomorrow. But it wasn't Demetri. My finger froze over the little keyboard as I quickly collapsed onto my bed and read the text.

Linc: Tell me something funny.

Dani: Was that in the job description? Entertaining you?

Linc: It is now.

Dani: Are you that bored?

Linc: Try insomnia, and Wilbur went to bed hours ago so…

I snorted and sent him ten pig emojis.

Dani: And he normally does that job?

Linc: Hell yes, he does. Clearly, you underestimate our relationship.

Linc texted back a farmer emoji.

Dani: I have no jokes, but I can send you a picture of Demetri Daniels getting lit on fire. Would that help?

Linc: You do realize I was the one filming it, right? The one from the pre-production cast party?

Dani: Nope. Also. Still funny, regardless of who took it or how many times you've seen it.

Linc: Watching it right now. You think his arm hair grew back?

Dani: Last time I asked him, there was a lot of inappropriate language and middle finger flashing.

Linc: Still sensitive I take it.

Dani: He's afraid of birds, what do you think?

I giggled as I sent over Demetri's least favorite emoji of a crow circling over and over again.

Linc: You're kidding.

Dani: I hid one under his pillow thinking it would be funny and cement our friendship. He had to hide it in my house because every time he woke up, he cursed, thinking it was real.

Linc: Why not hide it outside his room?

Dani: Because he could feel it. His words not mine.

Linc: Ha ha, thanks for the ammo.

Dani: Yeah, well, I don't have jokes, but at least I can throw my best friend under the bus.

Linc: How did he earn that coveted title?

I swallowed the emotion in my throat and wondered if I should answer truthfully or just joke it off.

Dani: Easy. He understands my obsession with Sour Patch Kids.

Linc: So if I was to go to Costco and buy you a year's supply…

Dani: DON'T KID!

Linc: A two-year supply?

Dani: Demetri who?

Linc: I feel like I accomplished world domination just now.

Dani: Um, you're welcome?

Linc: I think I'll fall asleep with a smile on my face now… thanks for answering. One more thing…

Dani: ?

Linc: How old are you?

Dani: Had I filled out a normal job application, like a normal person, you would know that.

Linc: Does that mean I need to make up a bogus application just to find out? Or will you take pity on me and just say it?

I don't know why I was embarrassed about my age. Maybe it was because he felt so much older. Not that he was. Without losing my nerve, I quickly typed back.

Dani: Seventeen, turning eighteen in one month.

He didn't respond right away.

I frowned at the screen. What? Had I acted younger?

Linc: Thank you.

Dani: Sure.

Linc: Get some sleep, your boss is a real ass. Don't want him riding you tomorrow morning because you show up late.

My face heated.

Dani: Good night.

CHAPTER FOUR

Lincoln

SHIT. I WAS AN IDIOT. FIRST I'd asked for her age. Then I'd nearly fallen off my bed when she texted back seven — freaking — teen years old. I'd had her pegged at nineteen. How old did that make her sister?

And why did her age matter?

It wasn't like I needed her to be of legal age to work for me.

The cool sheets felt itchy against my legs. Kicking them off, I stared at my phone again. My mind had clearly been on vacation. Had I really said her boss would ride her in the morning?

No idiot, you typed it.

So if someone hacked either one of their phones I'd be going to prison for flirting with a minor!

Great. That was just freaking great.

Why did she have to be seventeen?

I needed to get laid. Plain and simple.

Maybe that was how you knew you were bordering on exhaustion.

You start daydreaming about minors — or obsessing over something as silly as what your name would sound like coming across those lush lips.

"Hellllll…" I pounded the pillow with my fist, then covered my face with the same pillow. It smelled stale, as if it had been sitting in the moving truck too long.