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Suddenly, that invisible thread between us tugs tight, and my arms are circling behind his neck as he wraps his around me. He pulls me against him.
It’s the first hug we’ve shared in four years. My cheek still fits beneath his collarbone, and he curves his head down into my hair. It occurs to me that being locked in his arms like this feels like coming home after a long time spent away. I decide that it doesn’t matter what this means, if it means anything at all. Maybe Ethan and I will always “just be” whatever we are.
He starts to pull away and I follow his lead. “Thanks. Guess I needed that.”
“Seems like it.” I smile. There’s an intensity in the depths of his eyes that makes me a little breathless.
“Sounds like you needed today, too.”
“How do you mean?”
“Sounds like you were short of sleep.”
I sock him in the shoulder. Try to ignore the fact that my cheeks are burning fifty shades of red. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Don’t worry, Teeny.” He chuckles. “It’s cute. Your loud and unabashed snoring is one of my favorite things about you.”
Please don’t say stuff like that…
I suddenly feel altogether too close to him, and I take a step away. I shoot him a glare, but my mouth is betraying me, tugging up at the corners. “Okay, wise guy. Let’s get on the road, shall we?”
“Absolutely. Have to get to the hotel.”
“Two rooms, right?”
“Two rooms.”
I breathe a secret sigh of relief. My own room far, far away from Ethan is exactly what I need right now. Because even though I vowed to put the past where it belongs on this trip, I’m presently feeling a lot of very familiar, very unwanted and unwarranted feelings
Friends! We’re just friends, Val!
How quickly the heart seems to forget.
16
Val
True to his word, Ethan did book us two rooms.
Right next to each other. Connected by an adjoining door.
I wish I could say that I wasn’t hyper aware of every sound in the night, every creak and bump, but I was. Partly because I was wondering if he’d knock on my door (likely to ask for extra toilet paper or something sexy like that), and partly because I was worried my snoring would come back with a vengeance and he’d hear me through the walls.
But I fall into a heavy, dreamless sleep, and when I wake, the sunlight is streaming through the windows of the roadside hotel.
I lie in bed for a while, spread-eagled in my pajama shorts and old Top Gun T-shirt. It’s full of holes around the bottom and one side is stretched out from a fitful, mildly violent sleep a couple summers ago when the A/C was out.
I check the time on my phone and sit straight up. Ethan’s going to roast me for waking up past 9am. I’m shocked he didn’t wake me himself.
I’m momentarily distracted by a calendar reminder on my screen—something from the Brookrose. I feel a twinge of guilt for ditching Ivy this weekend, and make a split second decision to call her. It doesn’t even occur to me that calling the Brookrose has the bonus advantage of delaying another heart-confused day in the vicinity of Ethan Holmes.
Nope. Not at all.
“Brookrose Inn, Ivy speaking,” a cheery voice answers.
“Hey, it’s Val. Thought I’d call and see how you’re doing?”
“Val!” Ivy screeches so loud, I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “How’s the trip? Doing some fun stuff so far? You better not be worrying about how things are going here. That’s not the right way to adventure.”
