***
“One bed,” Ashley said as hewalked into the room, soaking wet but more upbeat than he had been all day. “AmI supposed to believe this was the last room available and it justhappenedto only have onebed?”
“No.” I hesitated in thedoorway. “I thought. Y’know, strange place, storm outside, you’re a littlerattled… figured you’d want me within arm’s reach.”
“Oh.” Ashley turned to lookat the bed again.
“I can go switch rooms ifthat’s not okay,” I said. It’d seemed like a good idea at the time, but ifAshley wasn’t okay with it, I didn’t want to make things worse for him.
“No, that’s… that’s… I’mglad. I was just teasing. I’m sorry, I’m so tired.”
“Kick your shoes off,” Isaid, dumping my overnight bag by the door-side of the bed. “I’ll keep watchwhile you nap.”
“Too wired to nap,” Ashleysaid, kicking his shoes off anyway. The cheap mattress springs creaked underhim, a sign that we were both going to feel this in the morning.
Better than driving throughthe storm outside, though.
The lights flickered ominouslyright as I had the thought.
It hadn’t eased up atall. When I’d decided to get off the road for the night, it’d been motivated byother things, but now I was glad I’d gotten us to safety before we got trappedon the freeway for hours. In the dark, this would have been genuinely dangerousweather.
“I can read you a book, butI’m in the middle ofThe Hound of the Baskervillesright now and I’m not sure it’sall that soothing.”
Ashley snorted. “Sherlock Holmes?Really?”
He wasn’tteasingexactly, not thistime, but he was surprised.
“Fox says I’m not allowed torender an opinion on his detective skills until I’ve read it.”
This time, Ashley laughedaloud, tugging his jeans off and retreating to the safety of the covers. “Whatisyour opinion ofhis detective skills?”
“I think he’s great,honestly,” I said with a tiny flush of embarrassment.
Yeah. Ididthink Foxwas great, and I could see how it’d looked like a crush to Gray. It was, probably.
But it wasn’t a tenth asintense as how I felt about Ashley, how much I liked his company and his smileand his approval.
I didn’t know how todeal with that yet. Especially not when I was about to lose him.
I pushed the thought aside.One more night. The weather had bought us one more night, and maybe I wasmaking things worse, but my heart hurt a whole lot less now that I wasn’t activelydelivering Ashley to his soul-crushing hometown.
“There was an incident awhile back,” I continued. “He almost got me arrested while he was busydetectiving.”
Ashley’s eyes widened.
I grinned at him. “Surprised?”
“Surprised,” Ashley agreed. “Littleturned on. I didn’t know you were a bad boy.”
The bed springs creakedunderme, too, the mattress giving way by a good few inches as I satdown to kick my boots off.
“There were no clues, Isuppose,” I said, running my fingers along the scars on my face.
Ashley had never said athing about them. He’d never avoided them, either.
Maybethatwas why Ifelt so strongly about him. I hadn’t felt this accepted… ever. I’d neverexpected to feel like this.
The lights flickered again,came back on, and then with a final crack and a burst of sparks from the nearbypower line, gave up.
