Shedoesseem safer now. That’s what matters. Evie is back to looking out the window, with her hands on her lap.
My fingers twitch.
I’m the problem—the one who wants to touch her, hold her, keep her safe. I’m the one who wants more when I can’t have it. We’re stuck on a flight for half a day, closer than ever, and completely alone. How could this get any worse?
We land in Dallas.There’s no more turbulence and no more handholding. That’s a good thing, but my fingers feel empty the rest of the flight. I clutch my carry-on while we glide through the airport, taking comfort in the rough canvas beneath my fingers.
“Um… Theo?” The uncertainty in Evie’s voice captures my attention.
She bounced back right after the turbulence and spent the flight talking to me about various things—complaining about the snacks they offered, telling me about the reality show she was watching, and talking about the only time she’d ever visited Dallas.
She didn’t like it last time, but it’s not like we’ll be hanging around the city for long. We have other places to be.
Now, she sounds worried again, and I stop myself from groaning. Everything is going right; she planned it all perfectly. Why do I feel like something is about to go wrong?
That’s how my luck goes. I try to do something good, but a million tiny things get in the way.
“Our flight was delayed.” She stares at her phone, her head ducked low. “For ten hours.”
Dammit.
I check the time on my phone. Freaking out isn’t my style. I’m an action-oriented man, and theremustbe something we can do in this situation. What are the options?
It’s already the middle of the night. I look outside, taking in the night through the window, and consider our options. We caneither sit around the airport for half a day or stay in a hotel for the night.
“That’s fine,” I grunt. “Not like we can’t afford a hotel, right?”
She nods. “Right.”
If I were alone, I would bunker in the airport; I’ve done it before. Evie’s comfort matters to me, even if it’s only for ten hours.
“Can you find us a room for the night?” I ask, stopping by the first food stand we pass. Greasy fast food should be enough to cure our stress. At least, it will knock one thing off the to-do list. “One room with two beds is fine. It’s just for a night.”
She perks up. “You got it.”
We’ll have to get used to being close to each other. Our cabin will be small, and even though we have our own rooms, we’ll be sharing a bathroom, a living space, and a kitchen. I’ve been in close quarters with employees, both my assistants and others, and it’s not supposed to be a big deal.
Why the hell am I making a big deal of it?
Traveling puts me in a bad mood. That’s the truth. We haven’t even been on the long flight, but I’m grumpier than I would like as we load into a car and catch a ride to the nearest hotel with decent reviews.
Traffic is hellish, too. It’s more travel for me to endure, and poor Evie has to deal with my sour attitude.
“What’s going on?” I ask the driver, flashing him a good-natured smile. “Is there a pop star in town?”
“Not quite,” he says. “Convention. Some comic book thing.”
“Great.”
That means the hotels will be packed, too—no wonder Evie struggled to find us a room. I groan and lean back in my seat, closing my eyes. The coffee I had at the airport should keep me awake, but it won’t.
“This is a blessing in disguise,” I mutter. “I’m terrible at sleeping on planes, so… I can get a couple of hours of sleep in the hotel.”
“If we ever make it there,” Evie whispers.
I chuckle. “Yeah. That’s starting to feel like a high hope. We may have to turn right back around.”
“I’m sure it won’t come to that.”
