I smile in return, relief making some of the exhaustion fade. She can probably see just how tired I am as I set my purse down on the counter so I can rifle through it for my wallet. My boss isn’t going to be happy with this expense report, but he’ll just have to deal with it.
“Yes, please,” I say with a smile, hoping to counteract the way I’m sure Everett is frowning behind me. “If you have two rooms, each with a queen bed, that’d be incredible, but if not, two rooms with twin beds will work.”
At this point, anywhere to sleep would be thrilling. It’s hardly past sundown, but I feel like I’ve been awake for two days straight. The good mood that has been blooming in my chest trips over itself and deflates as soon as she winces, shaking her head apologetically.
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” she says, glancing between the two of us. “I’ve only got one room open for tonight. It’s got a queen bed and a sofa, though.”
I feel the blood rush from my face. “I—sorry?”
Caught between panic and dismay, my heart stutters in my chest. There’s no way I can share a room with Everett, not with how much of a mess my head is right now.
Sharing a bed with him would be downright disastrous.
I may not have much experience in dating, but I’m not foolhardy enough to test my resolve by falling asleep a foot away from him. Before I have a chance to really spiral into worry, Everett coughs uncomfortably behind me.
“There’s another motel down the road, like I said,” he says. “You take this room, I’ll go there.”
His face twists into something that could be distaste or annoyance, and for some reason, the sight sparks a flash of hurt in my chest. It aches sharp and hot up into my throat, and without thinking, I turn back to the woman. I slap my card down on the counter and slide it toward her, my shoulders set firmly.
“We’ll take it,” I say.
Everett blows out a frustrated breath behind me before I feel his fingers wrap around my bicep. He tugs, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get me to turn and meet his eyes. Confusion swims over his features, his brows set in a deep frown, and it just makes that strange fluttering feeling in my chest kick up more strongly.
“What are you doing, Ms. Bryce?” he asks, his voice low enough to offer us a semblance of privacy.
“Getting us a room for the night,” I say plainly as I tug at his hold on my arm.
But he doesn’t let me go.
His eyes search my face for an explanation, but I doubt he’ll find one. Honestly, I don’t even have one for myself, just a gutdeep need to not let him walk away right now. He shifts his gaze to where the woman is staring at us in confusion, nodding apologetically as he pulls me a few steps away.
“A moment, please,” he says to the woman.
“Go ahead and ring me up, if you would,” I toss over my shoulder.
He leads me closer to the door so we can pitch our voices down and at least pretend that we can’t be heard. The lobby is quiet save for the clacking of a keyboard as the woman behind the desk rings me up for the room.
“Ms. Bryce,” Everett starts.
“Mary,” I cut him off firmly. “My name is Mary.”
He doesn’t even roll his eyes at me like he usually does when I correct him on my name, which probably isn’t a great sign. I don’t know why I’m being so insistent about this—the room, my name, hell, even fixing his damn ranch—but desperation is bubbling in my gut. “I don’t want to be alone,” I blurt out.
He blinks at me for a moment, his shoulders slumping a bit. It looks like he was expecting an argument of some sort, like he thought I was mad for some reason, although I don’t know why. I find myself talking before I have a chance to think through my words, babbling out excuses.
“My phone doesn’t have service, and I have no clue where we are,” I say, gesturing wildly to the hotel lobby and the darkening streets outside. “What if something happens and I can’t get a hold of you? There could be a fire, or—or someone could break in!”
My voice cracks as I stutter out half-realized worries, and I realize my hands are shaking only when I clench them into fists at my sides to stop myself from reaching out for Everett.
He still looks confused, but there’s that same softness in the corners of his eyes that made me melt earlier. It’s like he wantsto comfort me, but has no idea how to do that, no idea what comfort looks like anymore.
I’m probably just tired and stressed beyond my limits, but I kind of want to cry.
“You don’t have to worry about someone breaking in around here.” His voice is still gruff, but the familiarity of his tone is soothing all on its own. “The motel is right down the street. I won’t be far if you need something.”
It’s a shoddy attempt at alleviating my concerns, but it works nonetheless. The scent of his cologne puts a little of my panic to rest. Though, he seems to waver for a moment. Hesitation fills his face as he lets out a heavy breath and turns toward the room.
“I’ll come make sure the room is safe,” he offers, “if you want.”
