And then the look on his face right after.
Like he’d just broken something he couldn’t fix.
I rolled over, trying to convince my brain that I hadn’t ruined everything. That pushing for something more before the tour was over hadn’t reinforced his walls until they could never be broken.
It was after six, and I knew I wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. With that in mind, I swung my legs over the side of my bed and headed toward the bathroom, but I froze when I heard Hayes’s voice coming through the partially open door between our rooms.
I could see just a sliver of his body, leaning against the wall with his phone in his hand. He exhibited his usual calm demeanor except that the muscle in his jaw looked ready to snap.
“Gray, I can’t keep doing this,” he said, pacing just out of sight. “It’s already gone too far.” His quiet tone was rough around the edges. The voice of a man losing a battle with himself.
Gray’s voice came through, warm and steady. He must’ve been on speaker. “You’re not making sense, man. You’ve been doing a great job. What’s changed? It’s two more days, just don’t let anything else happen.”
Hayes let out a humorless laugh. “You know exactly what changed. I crossed a line I shouldn’t have. It’s complicated.”
My heart lurched.
Gray sighed. “Hayes… it’s two more days. Stop waiting for history to repeat itself. You can handle this.”
“I’m not so sure.” Hayes’s voice dropped lower. “I don’t think I can work with someone who has me betraying my own ethics. I’m a mile outside my comfort zone here.”
The words hit like a punch. My stomach twisted, and I gripped the doorframe.
Gray’s voice softened. “You’re being toohard on yourself. You care. That’s not a bad thing.”
“Maybe not for most people,” Hayes said, his voice rising slightly. “But I know the kind of environment I need to do my job properly, and I’ve lost that here.” There was a long pause. Then, with a rough exhale. “Maybe it’s best if you send someone else to finish the job.”
That was enough. I backed away before I could hear another word. My chest ached, hot and hollow.
His words were confusing. Did he regret what we’d done? Was he mad at himself for crossing the line or at me for pushing him? I sure as hell hadn’t been alone in that hotel room.
Was he asking for a replacement so he could stop worrying about my safety and start worrying aboutus? I couldn’t tell. For now, I had events to attend, right beside the man who had me tied in knots. I needed to sort out my own feelings, and then we would talk.
Last night had meant something to me. It felt like a scene from one of my books, the kind you only share with someone who would be part of your future.
But maybe, to him, it just proved he wasn’t as in control as he wanted to be. Perhaps it made him think that keeping me close would only lead to more mistakes.
And I couldn’t shake the fear that, instead of trying, he was already planning to run.
By the time we loaded up the truck, the air between us felt tight enough to snap. Hayes was already behind the wheel, sunglasses on, posture stiff. I climbed into the passenger seat, clutching my coffee.
The silence settled heavy, not the easy kind we’d shared before, but the kind that hummed with everything unsaid.
“You get everything you need from the hotel?” he asked finally,voice low and too normal.
“Yeah,” I said, staring out the window.
Normally, he’d make some dry comment about my caffeine addiction. Today…nothing.
I glanced over. His jaw was tight, hands gripping the wheel.
“You’re quiet this morning,” he said.
I almost laughed. “Didn’t sleep much.”
He nodded, didn’t push.
The longer we drove, the more the words built in my throat. I wanted to ask if he’d meant what I overheard, if he really wanted Gray to replace him. If last night was something he regretted or something that scared him.
