Idealistic in Vision, Tactless in Expression

Continued from Part 3.


Joe rolled over and looked at the clock.

3:17.

He'd awoken from an unsettling dream. Something about Nina that he shouldn't have dreamed. He knew he didn't choose to dream it, but it's hard not to feel guilty when your subconscious is spontaneously acting out betrayals you'd rather pretend were impossible.

He covered his face with his hands and rubbed his forehead. He was in a cold sweat and not awake enough to be thinking rationally.

It was December and everyone was around a lot more now. Barbecues every week, going out to bars to play a bit of pool at night, swimming during the day, sport on the weekend. But this also meant Nina was around a lot more.

Maybe this is why he dreamed about her. His subconscious was just getting confused after seeing her more. She was the only girl he ever really saw, after all.
What made it worse was Nina was sleeping right down the hall.

Joe had the house to himself for a few nights, so the boys had come over for a few drinks and to watch a bit of cricket. But of course, the boys included Nina.
Some of the guys didn’t know Nina as well as Matt and Joe did- well, no one probably knew Nina as well as Matt did- but none of them ever complained when Nina came around.

Just a few weekends ago she’d only met Nick for the first time, and an hour later the two of them were drinking bourbon together and doing shots of Midori in the kitchen.

Joe sat up and gulped from the glass of water next to his bed. He listened carefully in the dark to see if there was any noise in the house that might have woken him up.
He waited a few seconds and decided there was nothing.

Once he’d woken in the night at Matt’s house and thought he’d heard Nina moan, then felt instantly perverted for even being awake.

He rested his hands on his knees and leant his head in his palms. His eyes were beginning to droop again.

Matt never seemed to get jealous of Nina hanging out with the guys. One night she’d spent a whole flat warming just talking to Joe. He was incredibly drunk at the time, and hardly remembered their conversation- something about annoying teenage girls, and he vaguely remembered singing Wagon Wheel with her.
Matt just laughed about it the next day and that was that.

Joe lay down and sprawled out.

He heard a cough from the kitchen and felt instantly awake again.

Maybe he’d just go to the kitchen and get more water.


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Continued in Part 5.