“Okay… um, thanks again.”
“I am going to head to bed,” he adds. “Feel free to watch TV in the living room if you want.”
He turns and walks away into his room, closing the door behind him.
I step into the room and set my duffel bag and backpack on the floor. The space looks like it belongs in a magazine. Everything is perfectly coordinated, the bed neatly made with crisp cream bedding that looks like it’s never been slept in.
I kick off my boots and shrug out of my jacket. Grabbing my laptop, I sit on the edge of the bed and pull up a show, only to realize I don’t have the Wi-Fi password.
It’s been less than ten minutes. He shouldn’t be asleep yet.
I walk across the hall and lightly knock on his door. Noanswer.
Well. Guess I’mwatching it on my phone.
I turn to walk away just as the door opens behind me. His deep voice stops me mid-step.
“Vanessa—everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah,” I say quickly. “I was just going to ask you for something, but it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it right now.”
“I’m awake now. What’s up?”
I turn to face him. He’s in gray sweatpants, tugging a green T-shirt into place, and for a split second I catch an unfairly good view of the deep V at his waist before I force my eyes back up to his face.
“I was just wondering if you have Wi-Fi,” I say. “Or the password, so I can use my laptop.”
“Yeah,” he replies easily. “The password isColumbia18Capital C.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Goodnight, Vanessa.”
“Night,” I mumble, rushing back to my room. I hear a soft chuckle before his door shuts.
Once inside, I drop onto the bed and open my laptop,connecting to the Wi-Fi. I pull up an episode of my favorite crime show and start scrolling through Instagram. I don’t have many friends or followers; I mostly use it to lose myself in other people’s lives and adventures.
I’m so focused on food pictures and mindless scrolling that I don’t hear the door open.
I don’t realize anyone’s in my room until Mateo is standing over me.
Oh shit.
FOURTEEN
MATEO
I lie in bed, my thoughts circling back to the conversation Gino and I had while Vanessa packed her things. She’s in my place right now, watching something on her laptop just across the hall.
The thought of her in this bed with me settles heavy in my chest.
“Dude, we might need you to marry Vanessasooner than we planned,” Gino says.
“Why?” I ask immediately. “Did something happen?”
“Yeah. Some Russian asshole found out about her and now he wants her. I’ve ignored him so far, but then I got a call from the Irish. And then from the Gallos.” He lets out a harsh breath. “How the fuck did they find out about her so fast?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew but didn’t believe it until they saw her. Once I started piecing it together, I tried calling both of you. No one answered.”
