“Um.” She glances between us, looking genuinely pained. “Mr. Kane, I have a reservation for you, but…it’s for next weekend.”
Silence.
“Next weekend?” Brody repeats.
“February nineteenth through the twenty-first.”
I watch Brody’s face. He’s trying to hide it, but I can see the frustration. The embarrassment. His jaw tightens. Shoulders tense.
And then I remember.
The dyslexia.
Numbers get jumbled sometimes. Dates. Addresses. It’s not his fault. It’s just how his brain works.
“That’s my mistake,” he says, forcing a laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Must have mixed up the dates when I booked.”
“I’m so sorry,” she says, and she actually looks sorry, “but we’re completely booked this weekend. Multiple weddings, family reunions—there’s not a single room available.”
“It’s okay. I get it.” Brody pulls out his phone. “I’ll text the guys. Maybe someone has space in their room.”
He types quickly.
We wait.
His phone buzzes.
His expression says it all.
“They’re all full,” he says. “Four guys per room already.”
The attendant winces. “There are a few hotels in town. Let me check availability for you?—”
But Brody’s already pulling up his phone. Scrolling through booking sites. His expression gets grimmer with each swipe.
“Everything’s booked,” he finally says. “Within twenty miles.”
Which makes sense. Maya’s wedding is kind of a big deal. And this isn’t exactly Minneapolis—it’s a small town that probably has, what, three hotels total?
I take a breath. “You can stay with me.”
The words come out before I can think about whether they’re a good idea.
Brody looks at me. “Chloe?—”
“The room has a couch that pulls out. It’s big. There’s plenty of space.”
“I can’t ask you to?—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” I try to sound casual. Like this isn’t making my heart race. “Besides, it’s either that or you drive three hours home and three hours back tomorrow morning. Which seems excessive.”
He hesitates.
Because he’s a gentleman.
Because this is complicated.
Because we’ve been walking a fine line between friends in a fake relationship and more than friends in a doomed one.
