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Maybe it is better this way. It’ll allow me to work through my fried nerves for tomorrow—the day I confess a decade-long secret that’ll likely make my best friend disappointed in me and ruin the trip.
I hesitate for a moment, knowing the words I type out are probably ones I’ll regret.
Me too.
No. No, I can’t send that right now. I delete the message, then replace it with something else.
Lily
Good night
There’s a small knock on my door.
Oh no.
Maybe that’s Avery right now, sensing the elephant-sized truth I’m about to crush her with.
A mop of brown hair peeks through the door, enters, and quickly shuts it.
“Nico, what are you doing here?” I whisper.
“I came to say good night.” He falls onto the mattress, and the springs creak loudly. He pulls me to lie alongside him.
“Text would’ve worked just as fine.” I allow myself to indulge in the nuzzle of his nose against my neck.
“Can’t kiss you over text.”
My thoughts swim. “What about our talk yesterday and agreeing to keep things friendly here?” I want to sink in next to him.
“Summer isn’t over yet.” Nico notices my indecision. “C’mon, just lie with me for a few minutes and I’ll sneak back to my room. They won’t know a thing.”
Maybe the argument wouldn’t hold up in a court of law, but it seems to do the trick in my brain.
“Only for a second.”
* * *
“Open up.”Avery’s voice sings through my door.
I launch out of bed as though I’ve been strapped to a catapult.
“Lil? I have coffee.” Avery rattles the doorhandle, bouncing it up and down.
Fuck, I’ve never been so thankful for locks in my life.
Beside me, Nico’s body is wrapped up in my blanket, his arm heavy around my waist. So much for him only staying for a second last night.
“Nico,” I whisper, violently shaking him while trying to remain as quiet as humanly possible.
There has to be a window, a nook, any kind of slit in one of these walls for him to squeeze through.
“Back to sleep, baby,” he murmurs, yanking me into his bear embrace.
“Wake up.” I bite his ear, but he just groans. “Ave’s out there. You can’t beinhere.”
The knock sounds again.
“Just a second,” I call out, lifting Nico’s dense arm off me and scrambling up the mattress. “Trying to find some pants.”
