Page 44 of Hard Pass

“Yeah,” he mutters. “That pretty much fucking tracks.”

The emotion in his voice shifts. Not annoyed. Not pissed. Just . . . resigned.

“It’s okay, Trouble,” he says softer. “Get some sleep.”

The mattress lifts. There’s a slight sound that I make out to be him tossing the key card on the dresser. And then there are footsteps moving toward the door.

“You’re right. You sure as shit deserve better than me.”

The door opens.

Closes.

Then the silence is as weighted and heavy as his parting words.

I don’t move right away. Can’t. Because if I do then I just might admit what I almost did.

What I almost let happen.

And worse, what I know I wanted.

Sleeping with a stranger on a dare to myself.

Trying to be who I’m not.

Trying to convince myself that a man who can kiss that incredibly well hasn’t had so much practice that I wouldn’t just be another notch in his bedpost.

And that right there proves my exact point.

I was trying to be another notch. Trying to pretend I’d be okay with it simply, just to prove to myself I wasn’t boring. Predictable.

Instead, I tried and failed at it.

Not sure which is worse.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cole

The door clicks shut behind her and for a second, I stand there, staring at the empty space she left behind like somehow that’s going to explain what the hell just happened.

I drop back into the chair and drag both hands over my face.

It took you three days to remember who I was.

That fucking comment. It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t be anything more than a throwaway jab in a conversation full of them.

She sounded hurt by it. Like I’d missed something I wasn’t supposed to.

Did she really think I didn’t remember her?

I huff out a breath and lean back, staring at the ceiling.

It’s not like she was forthcoming in acknowledging she remembered me.

It was one night. Barely even that. A few drinks, an incredible fucking make-out session that I still remember years later. And a girl who pretended to fall asleep like that was her emergency exit.

Nothing happened. So why the hell does it feel like it did?