“Oh, that’s right. I’m glad you’re here actually. Got any plans for tomorrow night?” She lets go of Chloe’s hand and her little girl goes running to the back where Maggie fixes the table.
Do I have plans? If plans count as rotting on my couch with a blanket and a movie on my night off then yes, I do.
“No. No plans.”
“Do you wanna come out with me and the girls? Well, and the guys. It’s a combo bachelorette and bachelor party. Honestly, it was the only way Charger would agree to let me go to a bar.”
“Let you?” My brows raise. He doesn’t seem like that type, but I don’t really know them all that well.
“Ah. Let me rephrase that. It sounded worse than it is. Had I wanted separate parties, he would have stuck a bodyguard on me. But honestly, I was okay with the guys joining us. Here let me take that.” Jules holds out an arm, and I place the dress over it. “It’s at The Fallen Star. No where crazy. So, what do you say?”
Going out with them and the guys doesn’t make my stomach sour, in fact, a rush of excitement sparks in me. “I’m in.”
She smiles. “Normally I’d do a little girly hop in excitement but considering I’m only months from giving birth, I fear this little babe might slide right on out of here.” I chuckle. “I can’t wait to tell Tequila. All right, I’ll see you after your shower. Breakfast should be ready by then.”
We part ways as I head up to find Charger’s old room. I realize Jules never specified which one is his.
Shit.
There’s music playing from behind the door on my left, so I keep going and walk a bit until I reach another. I try the handleand when it opens, the inside of it looks desolate. With only the bare minimum. A bed. A dresser. And a bathroom. It’s tidy and clean, so this must be it. It doesn’t even look lived in. The bookshelf near the bed catches my interest and I run a finger along the older looking spines. Classics. Charger liked to read classic literature.Interesting.
The shower has a bar of soap, shampoo, but also a bottle of body wash. Guess it’s here just in case.
I turn on the light and close the door with a familiar scent rolling through me. I can’t place it, but I know I smelled that tobacco and woodsy scent somewhere before. Or is it pine?
I undress, stepping into the warm spray of water and close my eyes. It feels so damn good on my skin. My muscles ache with an extreme tightness, so the heat is heavenly. I can stay here forever.
Taking the bar of soap, I lather it up, running it all over my body. Not sure how sanitizing this is, but it is soap. It’s self-cleaning.
Even though I don’t want to get out, I also don’t want to be rude and miss breakfast. Or be weird and spend forever in Jules’s fiancé’s old room.
With the towel tucked securely between my breasts, I shake out my hair, giving the natural waves a chance to surface.
Outside the bathroom, a picture lays on the floor. It wasn’t there before, and the door must have blown it off from wherever it was. The pocket size picture is too far away to make out any details, but I can tell it’s a woman. Maybe a picture of Jules that got left behind which is super sweet to think Charger keeps a picture of her close by.
I bend to pick up the photo and with it now in my hands, I go still. The woman staring back at me is… oddly familiar. So familiar that my blood turns cold, it rushing to my toes.
The bedroom door opens, and I jump back managing to place the photo back down onto the dresser. I create a scenario in my mind that I made this up just now because the woman in the photo couldn’t possibly be her. And who the hell will believe me?
THIRTEEN
Danika
My back straightens in a hurried manner, and I practically climb the wall trying to escape as I lock eyes with Hush.
He stands there in the same clothes he wore to the gym. Sweatpants hanging low with his T-shirt still dampened with sweat. He swallows, his mouth parting but keeps his attention glued on me.
Why is he here?
Then the obviousness of the situation hits me like a brick to the face.
I have the wrong room.
I’m in the wrong freaking room.
“Oh, my god. I’m so sorry. This is not how it looks.” I tighten my grip on the towel and heat rises on my cheeks and then to my ears.
It’s then that Hush takes a quick glance down at my half naked body. His face contorts into a painful look which kind of hurts. Am I that disgusting to him? Does he see me as tainted. When he flinched at my touch back at the gym, is that why? Is he that repulsed of me?
