“It’s giving serial killer vibes,” he mutters.
“Don’t be such a snob, Conley. You could always sleep in the car, you know.”
I step out into the freezing night air, relishing the coolness against my skin after five hours stuck in a stuffy tin can with Lewis. I fish my bag out of the trunk and make a beeline for the motel, Lewis hot on my heels as I push open the door.
“The inside is even freakier. You’ve got great taste, Hitman—anyone ever tell you that?”
I glare at him. “Shut up!”
“Got a double?” Lewis asks the sleepyhead behind the counter.
A double?
He catches my look. “It’ll be cheaper.”
I harden my stare—I want him to know I’m not buying his bullshit.
“Okay, okay.” He sighs. “I thought I’d feel safer with my own personal bodyguard sleeping next to me. Just in case that serial killer breaks in and tries to skin me, or something.”
He tosses his card down on the desk, while I squint at the key the receptionist has just handed me. I blink. I could ask for a second room.So why don’t I?A mix of fear and excitement is washing over me, and even when I part my lips, no words come out.You are such a loser, Amy!
We walk down the hall in silence, and I’m breathing hard with every step, until finally we reach our room for the night. My heart skips a beat.Jesus, rein it in!
Stepping inside, I toss my bag on one of the two queen-size beds, while Lewis locks the door behind us, falling back onto his mattress with a sigh, folding his arms behind his head. I’m staring, I realize. I rifle through my bag, searching for something to change into, before making a dash for the bathroom. We’ve been on the road for a whole five hours, and though I was exhausted when we pulled into the motel, I’m suddenly awake. Very much so.
I take my time in the shower, letting the water rain down on me, feeling my nerves still, my edges settle. I put on leggings and a sweater, brush my teeth, and run through Raven’s labor breathing exercises. They aren’t working. Shocker.
I’m all out of excuses now—time to get out of this bathroom and face the music. My hand hovers over the doorknob, and then it hits me. I’m scared.
I lean my head against the tiles.
“Oh my God, Hitman,” I whisper. “Get it together!”
Scraping together every bit of courage I have, I swing open the door and head straight for my bed, taking care to ignore Lewis, who’s already lying on the mattress beside mine.
I dunk under the comforter and let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Lord save me.I’m like an overexcited kid whenever he’s around—and now here we are in a motel roomtogether, a foot away from eachother, and my hormones are running wild. I honestly can’t explain why, though. I have no idea why I’m drawn to him the way I am. It’s not like we click; it’s not like we’ve known each other for years; it’s not like he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever met, or anything. It’s completely baseless, and yet here we are. I saw him on campus one day, and I was unfortunately… hooked—as simple as that.
As I stretch out on the bed, flashes of skin, lips, hands crowd my mind.
Is it me, or is it hot in here?I fumble for my phone and set an alarm, and when I reach over to slide it back down on the bedside table, I catch sight of my roomie.
He’s fast asleep.
I stifle a laugh—and then pause. Instead of flicking off the light, I roll over onto my side and watch him for a moment. His breathing is slow and even, one arm flung over the pillow, and my brain goes straight to how it would feel to be cradled there.
Who even has lashes this long?
And why do I even like him that much? I search his face for answers and find none that make sense. Just that quiet pull in my chest. The way my pulse picks up for no good reason every time my eyes land on him.
I’ve had more crushes than I can count, but this one feels different. Louder. Harder to ignore.
Why a guy who’s my literal polar opposite?
I press my face into the pillow and exhale. I must really love to suffer.
MY ALARM IS BLARING INmy ear, and my knee-jerk reaction is to tell it to fuck off. That was a damn good night’s sleep—I had totally forgotten where I was and what I’m supposed to be doing today. Hoarse laughter shatters my early-morning reflections, and I turn my head, squinting over at the bed beside me. Lewis is sitting on the edge of the mattress, his hair damp, his chest… bare?Oh, shit!My eyeswiden as I drag the comforter over my head—anything to hide the expression on my face.
