Page 7 of Unbound

Who hasn’t seen Star Wars?

She nods, fluffing up one of the pillows. “You should get on the bed. I mean, it’s huge. We can share.”

“I’m good,” I tell her, throwing my feet over the armrest of the sofa.

She purses her lips, her gaze running over my body. “I’m way smaller. Let me take the sofa.”

“Eden, I know we just met, but I would rather take another bullet than let you sleep on this sofa tonight.”

She sighs, finally sitting on the edge of the bed. She toys with the hem of my sweatshirt, eyes trained on the TV. I’ve seen this movie a hundred times, but she’s watching Return of the Jedi like it’s her first time.

I’m starting to fall asleep when I feel a poking on my shoulder muscle. My eyes jerk open to see an angelic figure with long golden hair looming over me.

“Please just sleep in the bed. I know you won’t touch me.” She crosses her arms over her stomach, chewing her lip. “I can’t sleep if you’re over here. Just get in the bed, please.”

She walks back over to her side, sliding into the bed. I study her face, wondering what the hell has happened to her that she feels this guilty about me sleeping on a sofa for a few hours when she’s homeless and covered in bruises.

I finally stand, walking over to her side of the bed. “You sleep over there. I gotta be by the door.”

She scoots over to the other side, wiggling under the covers. Her eyes are wide, not quite fearful, but definitely curious. She’s as close to the edge as she can be without falling off it.

I slide under the covers, barely stifling a groan when I stretch all the way out on the mattress. I’m six foot two, so sleeping on a bed that’s actually big enough for my body after driving for nine hours feels like heaven. I usually pull over at a truck stop to nap in the car when I’m on long trips alone.

“Good night,” she says quietly.

“Night,” I mumble before drifting off to sleep.

There’s a warm presence near my side when I wake up. My eyes flicker open to find Eden curled up into my body with her head against my shoulder. My arm is wrapped around her.

I inhale her scent, shutting my eyes to concentrate on it. She stirs, releasing a soft, feminine exhale. I don’t want to move and freak her out, so I pretend to be asleep.

After a few steady inhales, she gasps, moving away from me. I open my eyes, lifting my hand off of her shoulder. She’s blinking at me, her eyes still sleepy.

“Morning,” she mumbles.

“Good morning.” My voice is always deeper in the mornings.

Her eyes widen as her cheeks flush crimson. She looks away, pulling farther back from me. She nearly falls off the bed in her scramble to climb off and disappears into the bathroom.

I sit up, stretching my arms overhead. The clock reads eight a.m. I’m surprised I was able to sleep so late. I normally get up at five thirty.

I use the bathroom after her, changing back into my Wranglers and a clean T-shirt. When I get back into the room, she’s dressed in her clothes from last night with my sweatshirt folded up nicely on the bed.

“You wanna see about breakfast? I’m starving.”

I’m really not that hungry, but I’m worried she might be. After she devoured that burger last night, I’m wondering how long she’s been on the run without food or shelter.

She nods. “I could eat.”

We gather up what little belongings we have. I pull out my phone and search for the closest grocery store. She doesn’t have anything with her, not even a toothbrush. Even when we part ways in Virginia Beach or before, I can’t just send her off with nothing.

The hotel has a free hot breakfast, so we eat it in silence. I catch Eden sneaking a prepackaged muffin into her hoodie, but pretend like I didn’t see it.

Once we’re done and I check out at the front desk, I open the truck door for her.

“I gotta stop at the store. You wanna come inside or wait in the car?”

“I’ll come inside.”