“Well, that’s one way to get to my room, I suppose.” Her stare, filled with humor, holds my own.
“Thanks again for everything you did to make tonight happen. It was awesome, and I want you to know it was really appreciated. Everyone had a great time.”
She nods. “It was no problem. I plan for a living. A get-together among friends wasn’t hard to coordinate. It was nothing, really.”
“Well, I appreciate the way you always take care of me and everyone around you.” I tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. Her eyes go wide, and her body tenses. “Is there anything you need?”
She shakes her head.
“Because you know I would do anything for you. I may not be able to predict people’s needs as you do, but I am more than happy to help. Just tell me what to do.”
“I’m good,” she whispers.
“Okay.”
We stand outside her bedroom door, neither of us saying anything for a solid minute. There’s so much I want to say and do. So much I wish she’d say. At the top of that list would be an invitation inside her room. But she doesn’t. She simply looks at me. I see—or at least I think I see—desire behind her eyes. I feel the heat radiating off her body, matching my own. It’s there—this more-than-friends connection between us—but I won’t be the one to say anything. It has to be her. She’s made it clear she only wants friendship. I won’t do anything to make our living arrangement awkward for her. If she wants to change her stance, I’m here.
Leaning down, I kiss the top of her head. She pulls in a sharp breath. I clear my throat. “Good night, Sunshine.”
She dips her chin. “Night,” she croaks out, the single word barely a whisper.
Using all my willpower, I turn and walk away.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
MIRANDA
“Please God. “Please God. Please God. Please God,” I chant over and over, clinging to the armrests of the private plane.
“I didn’t realize you were so religious,” Anna teases from the chair across from me.
I’m sure she’s smiling, but I don’t pry my eyes open to look. I’m focused on praying to every entity that ever existed. My lap aches where the seat belt digs into my skin as the plane jolts and tosses me in the leather seat.
The captain’s voice comes over the speaker. “Experiencing some mild turbulence, ladies. No need to worry. We’re making our descent into Detroit and will be landing shortly.”
Anna laughs. “Mild is a bit of an undersell, huh?”
I’ve flown on more planes than I can remember. I surely can’t ever recall the turbulence being this bad.
“Jaden says they’re having a thundersnow storm.”
“What the heck is a thundersnow?” I grip the armrests tighter.
“Apparently, it’s like a blizzard with snow, thunder, lightning, and lots of wind.”
“That’s a real thing? And seriously… it’s April. When we left, it was nice. I wouldn’t say warm but pleasant, like spring. Is the snow ever going to stop?”
“He says thunderstorms are rare and usually happen this time of year when warm and cold air are colliding. He also said that every year, just when you think spring has arrived, they’ll get a random snowstorm, but it usually thaws out pretty quickly.”
“You had to fall in love with a guy from Michigan.”
“I know, but I don’t miss LA. Do you?”
I halt my internal prayer chant and think back over the past couple of days. Anna and I flew out to LA to go over some contract details with her agent, meet the producers of her upcoming movie, which is set to film this summer, and sign some paperwork. I was looking forward to the trip, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. I had conveniently forgotten about the traffic, the smog, the parking, and the fact that we had to look amazing everywhere we went in case we were photographed. I’ve stepped out of the house in Michigan looking like I just rolled out of a thrift-store bin—hair disheveled, bags under my eyes—telling the world I’d given up, and I didn’t feel self-conscious at all. And while the cameras in LA are never on me, they’re there for Anna. I have a certain appearance to maintain as her representative.
“I thought I would, but no… I don’t,” I admit.
