AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There, ahead, I spot Conrad. He’s deep in conversation with Grayson, their heads close together, serious expressions on their faces. Curiosity prickles at me. Is Grayson coming on this trip? It hadn’t occurred to me before, but it makes sense—another professor to handle our sizable group.
I want to say something, but I decide against it, not wanting to draw attention. Instead, I just board the plane.
The plane’s engines hum a steady promise of departure as I settle into the window seat, clutching my bag like a lifeline. The aisle fills with chattering students, the air tinged with the scent of too-strong perfume and underlying excitement.
“Cozy spot you’ve got here,” Sierra teases, slipping into the seat beside me. Her grin is infectious, but I know what’s coming next.
“Expecting someone special to join us?” She winks, elbowing me gently.
I roll my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips despite the flush creeping up my neck. “No, just hoping for a good view.”
“Sure, Brielle. Because you’re all about the scenery,” Sierra chuckles, her gaze flickering to where Conrad stands a few rows ahead, giving instructions to another student. “Not the Greek-god-looking professors leading the trip.”
“Sierra…” I warn, though the heat in my cheeks betrays my feigned annoyance. She knows I find them attractive, of course—everyone does—but I’m not just another girl caught up in a crush. With Conrad…it’s different. Real.
“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” She nudges me playfully before turning her attention to the crowd. “Speaking of which, have you seen the new intern in the finance department?”
“Blonde, curly hair, always carries that oversized calculator?” I ask, recalling the woman who caused a stir in the faculty lounge last week.
“That’s the one,” Sierra confirms. “Heard she’s been spending a little too much time in Professor Hargrove’s office.”
“Scandalous,” I murmur, unable to suppress a smirk. We exchange glances, sharing a moment of silent understanding about the soap opera that is campus life.
The plane taxis forward, and we’re off. The plane levels out, cruising altitude. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and glance at Sierra. She’s flipping through the in-flight magazine, oblivious to the storm brewing in my mind.
“Sierra,” I start, voice barely above the hum of the engine. “Is it crazy…to like being with more than one person?”
She looks up, brow creased. “You mean, like, simultaneously?” She snorts, shakes her head. “Brielle, that’s just…nuts.”
I flinch, as if the word is a physical blow. My gaze drops to the tiny landscape below, heart squeezing tight. The clouds are an unbroken stretch of white, innocent and pure. Not like me. Not like my tangled heart.
“Never mind,” I murmur, turning my face away from her and toward the window. The glass is cool against my forehead. I watch the world pass by, a blur of reality speeding underneath us. Each mile widens the gap between what I feel and what’s deemed sane.
“Hey.” Sierra nudges me gently. “You okay?”
I nod, not trusting my voice. Outside, the sun glints off a river, a silver thread in the vast quilt of the earth. It flows, unconcerned with norms and judgments. If only I could be so free.
Finally, we arrive.
The hotel lobby buzzes with people and luggage. I roll my suitcase behind me, the wheels clicking on the polished floor. At the front desk, I give them my name.
“Brielle Rose.”
The clerk taps on her keyboard, eyes flitting across the screen. She frowns. Taps some more. The line behind me grows, a snake of impatience.
“Sorry,” she says finally, “there’s no reservation under your name.”
My stomach drops. “What? There must be some mistake. Can you check again?”
She obliges, but her answer doesn’t change. No room for Brielle Rose.
Panic claws at my chest, a live thing desperate to escape. I step aside, out of the queue, pulling out my phone. But who to call?
“Everything okay?” Sierra’s voice cuts through the murmur of the lobby.
I shake my head, show her the confirmation email that’s apparently worth nothing now. “No room for me.”
“Stay with me,” she offers quickly, but then hesitates, biting her lip. “Except…Jenna’s already my roommate.”
