Oh, fuck.
This was another reason why I didn’t want Blake staying with me.Now I needed to explain this to Jude.“Um, we can get dinner.”
“Okaaaay,” he said slowly.
“And, how about I stay out at the resort tonight?”
Jude didn’t miss a beat.He narrowed his eyes.“What happened with Blake, and why is he staying with you?”
I leaned against the wall behind me, thumping my head back for a second.“He’s fine,” I insisted.“But remember his old girlfriend, Cheryl?”
“Yeah.”
“She convinced him she was sober and needed a place to crash.She’s not, but he is actually sober.He called her brother, who’s coming to get her.But her brother can’t make it for three days.”
“Why areyouresponsible for this?”
“I’m not responsible.I’m just trying to help my brother.”Defensiveness rose inside.
Jude cleared his throat and nodded.“I get it.”
“Can we stay at the resort?”
Jude held my gaze for a long beat and shrugged.“We don’t have a private room.Lincoln’s in the only open room now.”
“Oh.”I chewed the inside of one of my cheeks.
“I love you and I want to spend tonight with you—because I’m about to be out for five days—but I definitely don’t want to stay in your tiny studio with your brother,” Jude said.The sound of him clearing his throat was like a record needle scratching over my heart.
“Oh, Jude.I wasn’t even thinking about the timing.”
“It’s okay.”
I could tell he was playing it all calm and cool, like it really wasn’t a big deal.“Should we get dinner?”I asked.
Jude thumbed over his shoulder in the direction of Heartfire Falls.
“I’m having dinner out there.You’re welcome, but I planned to go over trip prep with Lincoln, who’s going with me.”
“Oh.”
“Do you want to come?”
“Oh,” I repeated.Everything suddenly felt stilted and uncertain.“It sounds like you’re going to be busy then.”
“Not too busy, but we have to get organized, not just for us, but for the group going with us,” he explained.
My head bobbed.“I totally understand.So, I’ll see you when you get back.”
I started to walk over to him.Just then, Tommy appeared.“Hey, Jude,” he said with a grin.
Jude flashed a quick grin.“Hey, hey.”
“Race you back to the resort?”Tommy said.
Jude eyed him.“Uh, no?”His voice held a hint of a question.
Tommy let out a dramatic sigh.“Well, that’s no fun.”
