“I have to see him every flight.”
Yeah…I’m starting to rethink this whole thing now.My vision blurs as my breaths get shorter. We’re in an elevator. Trapped.Is there any oxygen in here?Oh man. I don’t do well in tight spaces where I can’t quickly get out.
Fuck.
“Quick question…” I squeak. She looks at me like I just told her I thought the world was flat. “Could we maybe…um…start up the elevator again?”
Her nose wrinkles, and if I weren’t searching for air, I might think it was cute. “Why?”
“I may be a little…” I clear my throat, “…claustrophobic.”
“Fuck my life,” she grumbles as she hits the start button.
Thank God.
“Thank you. I’m…I’m sorry. I was honestly just trying to help. I didn’t mean to make things worse.”
“Well, you did,” she spits out as we reach the twentieth floor. “This is my floor. I’m going to bed. We’ll figure this out in the morning.” As she steps out of the elevator, I follow, and she gives me a painful look over her shoulder. “Do. Not. Follow. Me.”
I flinch. “I’m not following you.”
“Then why are you walking behind me?!”
“I, um…my-my room.” I point over her head. “It’s on this floor.”
Her shoulders slump as she lets out a loud sigh. “Of course it is. Whywouldn’tI be on the same floor as my newboyfriend?”
I mean, if weweredating, this would be kind of perfect.
As we walk down the hall, I stop at my door and notice she pauses one door past mine.She’s in the room next to me.I’m gonna need a very,verycold shower.
My hand shakes as I reach for my key, realizing I may have actually made this worse for her.
“Kennedy. I’m…I’m really sorry. I really was just trying to get him to leave you alone.”
Her gaze shifts toward the gray-patterned carpet. “I know. But this,” —she looks up, gesturing between us— “complicates things for me.”
For once, I really am at a loss for words. I’ve already said I’m sorry. I know she won’t let me comfort her.I want more than anything to tell her I think she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, but even my dumbass knows that would not go over well. So I just nod and stare at the carpet as well, clearing my throat. “Goodnight then.”
“Night,” she says as she taps the card on her door and disappears behind it.
I unlock my own door and step inside. This was the first real encounter I’ve had with her. And while I thought it was going well—she didn’t.Shit, I really screwed this up.
I kick my shoes off and flop down on the bed, the weight of my actions making me sink further into the mattress. It feels like I swallowed a rock, and it found a new resting place in my stomach.She’s embarrassed to be seen with me. The way people will view her…I’m sure her life as a female pilot is hard enough. My three older sisters have struggled to be taken seriously in their professions, even with my family connections, and I’m guessing Chadd the Gonad has a fucking loudmouth and will blab our lie everywhere.
I throw an arm over my eyes with a groan. She’ll have co-workers who view her as dating a guy who, for all intents andpurposes, acts like a complete himbo. They’ll assume she’s with me for my money. They’ll assume, like everyone else, that my moneysomehowhelped her get to where she is.I would give anything not to be me right now.Just to be a regular guy pining after a girl so far outside of his league is hilarious. A guy worthy of dating someone like Kennedy. No…not someone like her.Actually her.
My phone pings. I want to ignore it and lie here like the Michael Jordan crying meme trying to fall asleep. But my heart races as I jolt up in bed.Holy shit, maybe it’s her.I don’t think she even has my number, but maybe she got it from someone?As I look at the screen, my heart races for an entirely different reason. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Blocked Number
I told you to stay the fuck away from her. Doesn’t look like you’re very good at following directions.
Anotherping;a photo of Kennedy and me by the elevators appears under the text. We’re holding hands. Smiling at one another. A warmth spreads through my chest seeing us like that. Iwonder if it could ever be this way between us.But my breath catches in my throat. I feel like I’m being chased in a dream where I can’t run fast enough to get away.
Who the fuck took this photo?
13
