I lied awake, pondering over the oddly realistic dream I had just awakened from. I could feel mixed emotions bubbling inside my chest, and still loving the thrill of reliving the dream.

The setting took place in a forest. It must’ve been autumn, because every single surrounding tree had leaves of gold. I did not know where this forest was, but it was beautiful. The light breeze had a few golden leaves dancing in the air, falling softly to the forest floor.

I was walking in that wood. I didn’t know where I was going, but I was looking for him. I didn’t know why, but my gut told me I had upset him. I continued on walking, looking left and right constantly in my search for him.

After what seemed like forever, I came to a rise in the forest, which evidently was a cliff. That’s where I saw him. He was looking over the edge. Without even speaking, I knew that he had no intention of jumping; he was merely looking over the ledge. I called his name and told him I was so sorry, and he turned. I ran in to hug him, and the embrace was one of the most amazing feelings I’d ever experienced. Even though it was only a part of a dream, the hug felt so real, like it had actually happened in the waking world.

Suddenly, the two of us were sitting in the middle of the clearing, the ledge behind us. I remembered the entire scene so clearly: The golden leaves falling against a bright blue sky, the soft ground padded with the fallen leaves. He had on a yellow shirt and a blue baseball cap with the bill facing backwards, even though that was nothing like his style. He would never wear a baseball cap, let alone backwards. He sat behind me, and my head rested on his shoulder. His strong arms held me around my belly.

I do not know what he had said, but I could feel his voice. With my head on his shoulder, his vocal cords touched my ear, and the vibrations of his speech tickled my cheek.

I awoke with the feeling of his voice still on my cheek, and the thought of him holding me tight. Why I had dreamt such things about a coworker, I had no idea. The thought repulsed me, especially considering he was off limits¬; You don’t have feelings for a best friend’s ex.

Of course, I would soon realize that I found more than a coworker in him, despite the ‘girl code’

Later that night, after we’d both gotten off work, he waited with me until my mom came to pick me up. We talked about everything and anything, and all too soon, my mom showed up. I told him good bye, and hurried out the door before things could get out of hand. We drove across the parking lot to the gas station. Suddenly, my pocket vibrated, and my phone revealed a text from him. “What stopped the hug there?” With my heart pounding, I replied to him and told him to meet me in the lobby.

I told my mom I forgot something and that I’d be right back. With that, I raced across the parking lot in the freezing down pour of rain. He met me right there in the lobby and I dove into his body, encircling my arms around his torso. His arms did the same, and I melted into the heat of his warm body.

“You’re warm,” I observed.

“Yeah, I always am.” We released each other, and bidding each other good night, we parted again. I darted back to the van and we headed home, my heart racing and my face probably blushing. I was thankful for the darkness so that my mom couldn’t see the pink in my face. I knew it would happen…I’d just fallen for him.
When I checked my phone upon returning home, the text from him read “Best hug ever. I could feel your heartbeat.”

~I could feel your heartbeat <3