AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
An hour later,sleep still hadn’t found me. I’d changed into my favorite pajamas and had gotten comfortable on the fold-out bed. But the murmurs from Lily’s room—my room—and the thud of footsteps overhead, along with doors slamming and laughter out in the hall made it impossible to drift off.
Frustrated, I pushed off the sheet, pulled on my hoodie and shoved my feet into my sneakers. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I couldn’t stay in here for a second longer.
Grabbing the remaining key card, I opened the door and peeked out. The hall was empty, so I ducked out of the room and hurried for the stairwell, making my way up to the rooftop. I’d seen the sign for the rooftop terrace in reception during check-in. Of course, I doubted anyone would be up there this time of year.
The fire exit door loomed ahead, and I pressed down on the bar, shouldering the heavy door. The frigid air met my warm skin and I shuddered, but there was something about feeling the cold against my face that made me inhale a deep, calming breath.
The moment I stepped onto the roof terrace, I faltered though. “You,” the word fell from my lips.
Xander looked up, his eyes clouding with something. He let out a slow, steady breath. “You shouldn’t be out here.”
“I didn’t come looking for you, if that’s what you think.”
“Shit, Peyton,” he sighed, “that’s not… what are you doing up here?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He stared at me, waiting for some other explanation I didn’t have. But I added, “I needed to get out of the room.” Before I did something stupid.
Xander tracked me as I moved to the edge of the terrace. The hotel was only five stories high, but it overlooked the city, making everything below seem small and insignificant. Before he could stop me, I climbed onto the ledge and—
“What the fuck?” He rushed over to me. “Do you have a dea—” Xander stopped himself.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to jump. I just like the feeling of being…” How did I explain it?
“Reckless?”
My eyes slid to his, and I nodded gently.
“Please, get down from there,” he said, softer this time.
“Will you tell Jase if I don’t?”
His brow arched. “What do you think?”
“Fine.” I snapped, lowering myself back down and going over to one of the rattan couches. “What are you doing up here anyway?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Xander said, joining me. His eyes dropped to my bare legs, lingering for a second. Heat flashed through me, but I silently chided myself for being so foolish.
Xander didn’t see me as anything more than an over-emotional teenage girl. He’d made that obvious on more than one occasion. And part of me hated that he’d seen me that night at the river. Not because I ever expected anything to happen between us, I wasn’t that deluded. But because for the first time in my life, someone had seen me. The real me. Lost and flawed and scared.
Xander had seen me at my most vulnerable and it terrified me.
But there was another part that was relieved that it was him. Because if I was right, then he carried some of the same darkness I did. I didn’t have to pretend around him.
“I’m surprised you’re not sneaking into the guys’ room and—”
“And what?” I snapped, hurt snaking through me.
Is that what he thought of me?
That I was just some high school hussy?
“That’s not what I meant, Peyton,” he said as if he could hear my thoughts.
“So what did you mean?” Indignation sat heavy in my chest.
