Page 11 of The Genie’s Wish (Harmony Glen #10)

Chapter Eleven

RAYA

As I roll over in bed, everything feels heavy. My mind, my body, my soul. Just… everything . It’s like I feel all the emotions at once, but also none.

It’s exhausting.

Just a few days ago, it was like I was riding a high—I was literally high on life. Everything is going well, I’m enjoying all the things I normally do, and then bam.

The cloud returns to my brain. The storm that wasn’t in the forecast—and it’s not showing any signs of stopping.

I’ve sent a few texts to Arman—he’s proven to me that he’s sweet as can be, and actually does want to get to know me.

I think he genuinely cares, so I don’t want to ignore him randomly—he doesn’t deserve that. Thankfully, he seems content with my sporadic messages of the past few days.

He hasn’t been too pushy, but has still checked in, asking if I’m okay or need anything. I tell him no each time, but it’s nice that he offers.

Orie has offered too, the difference being I did let her bring me some soup. She uses her shadow-traveling powers to go all the way to, like, France, or something, and brings me back soup.

She’s the best friend, I don’t know how I got so lucky.

I try to return the favor when she’s sick or down…but I can’t travel to France and back in an instant. She has to settle for me making her a grilled cheese, or getting food from somewhere local.

Lazily sweeping the bed with my hand, I search for my phone. I need to do something to get me out of this down.

Even if I don’t want to. Even if my brain is telling me to just rot in bed all day—for the rest of the week.

I shoot a text to Orie. She knows the most out of anyone about what I deal with, and she’s seen me in worse states.

Movie night and takeout? I need a pick-me-up :P

It doesn’t show as read right away, so I set the phone down. I keep my hand on it, waiting to feel the vibration when she eventually does text me back.

I don’t know how long I lie there staring at the wall, but my eyes feel dry by the time my phone vibrates.

Absolutely! Soup, or something more exotic?

You choose please.

Also, I will leave the door unlocked for you. :)

Closing my phone, I use as much strength as I can muster to drag my arms below me. It almost feels like my limbs don’t even belong to me.

Like, a faint fuzzy feeling vibrating through each cell of my skin. One that makes it feel almost foreign.

Pushing up, I slide very slowly out of bed, not bothering to make it afterward. Once I’m moving, the fuzzy strange feeling begins to fade. As it does, I get a little bit more energy.

First, I need to unlock the front door. Then, I can get comfy on the couch while I wait.

I hear my door creak open, a few footsteps, and then the thud of it closing. Orie is here, finally . It feels like it’s been forever since I texted her.

“Tonight, we dine with elegance,” she calls out into the house, exuding much more high energy than normal. “ Real pizzas, with real mozzarella, all the way from a little town in Italy.”

Sitting up, I look over my shoulder toward Orie’s voice. She holds, like, five pizzas above her head with one hand, balancing on the tips of her fingers.

Tilting my head, I raise a brow. “I thought you wanted something more exotic, if not soup.”

“It’s from Italy , that’s exotic to us,” she scoffs, setting the pizzas down on the coffee table. “If you want something more exotic, I could get your genie boyfriend for you.”

If I could raise my eyebrows any higher on my forehead, I would be doing it right now. “You gonna pull him out of the shadows or something?”

“Only if you wanted me to.” She winks. “It could be nice, though. A hangout with your two favorite people—but I’m the most favorite.”

Slipping back down onto my couch, I shrug. “Yeah, it would be nice, but he’s probably busy…it’s last minute.”

She holds up a finger and speeds off, heading back toward the front door. My curiosity controls me, and I prop myself back up, looking in the direction she disappeared.

The front door opens and closes again, but the sound of footsteps is doubled. Within seconds, Orie returns, Arman trailing her with a smile.

“You sneaky devil, you.” I laugh, but tears bite at the back of my eyes.

She teasingly corrects me. “It’s demon, not devil.”

“I brought dessert.” Arman holds up a bag, but it’s nondescript, leaving me to wonder what’s inside. “I’m going to put it in your fridge, then we can watch the movie.”

When he disappears into the kitchen, Orie slides in next to me dawning a cheeky grin. “He wasn’t busy.”

“What if I had said I didn’t want him to join?” I ask, narrowing my eyes while smiling.

She shrugs, opening the top pizza box and grabbing a slice. “He knew that if I didn’t come get him in the first like, ten minutes, to go home.”

“And he was willing to wait—even if it wasted his time?” My eyes sting as the tears well up.

Nodding, she rubs my arm. “You aren’t a waste of time. To him, or to me.”

Mouthing thank you, I take a deep breath to try to regain any of my composure. Some food might help with that.

I swing my legs off the couch so that I’m sitting properly, and reach over to the boxes. I open each pizza box as I restack them, taking a peek inside to see what the options are.

There’s a pepperoni, vegetarian, meat lovers, four cheese, and one I’m unfamiliar with, the label saying Napoletana. I keep it open, the warmth from the pizza wafting into the air and carrying its delicious smell.

It has a few toppings on it. Some sort of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves—I think—and an oil of some kind. If I had to guess, probably olive oil.

“Here, we call it Neapolitan pizza—but its original name, the one they still use in Italy, is Napoletana. Cool, right?” Orie tells me between bites.

I nod, taking a slice of it to try. “Interesting indeed.”

Arman returns from the kitchen, sliding in on the other side of me. He opens the box of four-cheese pizza, taking a slice before reclining and throwing his free arm over the back of the couch behind me.

“Well, what’re we watching tonight?” he asks before digging in.

Orie has the remote in hand, turning on the TV. She knows what movie we’re going to watch, because we watch the same movie on all of our cozy-comfort nights.

I give him a small smile. “How do you feel about rom-coms?”

He returns the smile, only bigger. “My favorite.”

As Orie hits play and the opening credits begin to roll, I rest my head on Arman’s shoulder. Having them here, but not asking why I’m feeling the way I do…it means a lot.

“Thank you, guys,” I whisper, taking another bite of my pizza.

Arman leans over, planting a kiss on my forehead. Orie shifts so that her head rests on my shoulder, leaving me in the middle of a gentle cuddle puddle.

It’s exactly where I need to be right now.