Page 34 of Double Booked

She laughed, noticing his cheeks were flushed.

“Anyway, you should get some sleep.” He turned and started walking away.

“Cole?”

“Yeah?” He paused and faced her again.

“I left my phone on the kitchen counter. Can you bring it to me in case my sister calls?” Earlier, she’d sent pictures of Bear Lake to Hope, and she expected her to call to talk about it. On the other hand, Hope had recently started seeing someone and might be out on a date.

“Sure,” he said. He went out and returned seconds later with her phone. He handed it to her, looking disgruntled.

Patrick had sent another message.

“I guess it wasn’t a mistake after all,” Cole muttered.

She set the phone on the nightstand face down.

“You’re not going to read it?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Why should I? We broke up, and I’m not going back to him.” That much she was sure of. There was no way she’d ever be able to trust him again, and without trust, what was there?

His lips quirked up. “Good for you.”

He sounded proud and somehow that pleased her immensely. She smiled at him, and he slowly backed up toward the door. “Get some sleep.”

“I’ll try.”

He slipped out the door, gently closing it behind him. She heard his footsteps as he went upstairs and into his bedroom. Now that they’d admitted to overhearing each other, she listened closely as he moved around above her. After a few minutes, she heard the water running in his bathroom, and imagined him getting ready for bed. He’d taken a shower earlier, so he was probably brushing his teeth. Soon afterward, she heard his bed creak as he climbed into it. It struck her that he’d been inside her bedroom, but she’d never been in his. Not that she had a reason to be, but she was curious. Was it as big as hers? Did it have the same king-sized bed? Was there a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom?

He’d also seen her in various states of dress, including pajamas, a bathing suit, and a tank top. Not to mention her bra hanging on the doorknob. In contrast, she’d only seen him fully dressed. How is that fair? She shook her head. Why am I even thinking about this?

She could blame it on the alcohol, but she wasn’t drunk, just a bit lightheaded. She could even blame it on loneliness, though she hadn’t felt lonely since she’d come here. Her thoughts circled back to Patrick, and Cole’s assumption he was feeling lonely without her.

Propping herself up on two pillows, she picked up her phone. She meant it when she’d said she wasn’t going back to him, but she was curious. It had been several weeks since their breakup, and he hadn’t contacted her. So why now? She tapped on the message and read it.

Can we talk?

She stared at the words, incredulous. He missed her and wanted to talk to her. What the hell? Stymied, she turned off the phone and set it back on the nightstand. Even if she called him, which she absolutely shouldn’t, she wouldn’t do it tonight. Not when her emotions were all over the place, and from the sound of it, his were too. Besides, she’d told Cole she wasn’t calling Patrick, and she felt like she’d be disappointing him if she did. Of course, she didn’t owe Cole an explanation, nor anyone else. She wasn’t beholden to anyone, and that was exactly what she wanted, right?

Frustrated, she pushed herself off the bed, relieved she didn’t feel dizzy this time. She stripped off her clothes and put on pajamas. Then she went into the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. Soon, she climbed back into bed, and picked up her book, intent on distracting herself with a good story.

She’d read the first paragraph when the floor creaked above her. Then, his voice drifted through the vent, clear as a bell.

“Everything okay down there?”

She gathered the covers around her chest as if he could see her nipples through the floor. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” she called back.

A minute later, she heard voices, and realized he’d turned on the TV. Good. Now he won’t be able to hear me snoring.

Snuggling deeper under the covers, she pushed her worries aside and lost herself in the wonderful world of fiction.

Twelve

Some strange sounds awakened Cole. His eyelids fluttered open, but it was pitch black. Thinking he must have been dreaming, he closed his eyes again. A moment later, he heard more sounds, and he sat up and listened. It sounded like someone was moaning and it was getting louder. Eden.