Bet You Won't Fall For Me

The Dream

I was exhausted.

Physically, mentally, emotionally—completely drained.

By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was collapse onto my bed and forget this day ever happened.

But, of course, my brain had other plans.

I should be relieved. The date was canceled. I didn’t have to sit through an awkward dinner with André Young, and most importantly, I didn’t have to deal with his insufferable smirk all night.

And yet…

As I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind kept replaying everything. The drive, the phone call, the way his entire demeanor shifted. The way he said, “It’s an emergency.”

I frowned. Why was I even thinking about this?

I should be sleeping.

I pulled the blanket over my head and squeezed my eyes shut.

Forget about it.

Don’t think about it, Jade. It’ll all be normal again after tonight,” I whispered to myself, trying to find some comfort in the words, but my body wouldn’t let me relax.

After this, everything would go back to normal. I wouldn’t have to deal with him again.

I exhaled deeply and turned to my side. Then the other side.

Minutes passed.

Then an hour.

I couldn’t sleep.

I groaned, shoving my face into my pillow. This was ridiculous.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep when suddenly…

I was sitting at a small table, the warm glow of candlelight flickering softly across the surface. The room around me was dim, but the flickering candles cast strange shadows that made everything look… off. I was dressed in something completely different—a sleek, black dress that made me feel completely out of my element.

And across from me, staring at me with that smile, was André.

I blinked.

What is happening?

“Jade,” he said smoothly, his voice dripping with charm. “You look beautiful tonight.”

What. The. Hell.

I opened my mouth to tell him to shut up. To roll my eyes. To do anything normal.

But then I heard it.

A giggle.

A giggle.

From me.

I giggled at him like some lovestruck i***t.

Oh my God, I’ve been possessed.

André chuckled and reached across the table, his fingers brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was gentle, almost… affectionate.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to flip the table and run.

But my body just sat there, smiling like an i***t.

The horror escalated when he started leaning in, his lips parting as if—

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!”

I jolted awake, screaming, and fell from my bed. “Aray!” (Ouch)

My heart was racing, my face burning, and I felt like I needed a hundred showers to wash away the sheer disgust coursing through my veins.

“Ew,” I whispered, my face scrunching up in disgust. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as though I could somehow erase the feeling.

What kind of cursed dream was that?!

I clutched my blanket like it had personally betrayed me.

“No. Nope. Absolutely not.”

This was not happening.

Because there was no way I was allowing my subconscious to betray me like this again.

I ran my hands through my hair, still trying to calm my racing heart.

André Young? In a romantic dream? With me?!

I needed therapy. Immediately.

This was beyond unacceptable.

This was a violation.

I got out of bed and paced around my room, muttering under my breath.

“It was just a dream, Jade. A stupid, stupid dream. It doesn’t mean anything.”

But the embarrassment lingered.

And the worst part?

I had to see him later.

The thought sent a fresh wave of humiliation through me.

What if I accidentally remembered the dream and made things awkward? What if I looked at him and my stupid brain replayed that scene?

I groaned. I was doomed.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It was still early, but sleep felt impossible now. Today was Saturday.

Taking a deep breath, I marched to the bathroom. A cold shower. That would fix this.

I turned on the water and stood under the freezing spray, letting it shock my brain back to reality.

But as soon as I closed my eyes—

Fairy lights.

Candles.

André’s stupid smirk.

I screamed.

I actually screamed.

This was a nightmare.

I turned off the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, pacing my room again.

I needed to act normal today.

The idea of André—of him even being close to me in that way—made my skin crawl. I had agreed to that date, yes, but there was no way I was ever going to let myself forget who he really was. He was arrogant, self-centered, and far from anything I could ever let my heart get tangled in again.

I shook my head again, trying to clear my mind.

But no matter how much I tried to focus, the feeling from the dream lingered, making my skin crawl, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the universe was trying to tell me something… or if I was just going insane.