“Songs don’t tell the whole story. Our story can have a different ending.”
“Okay,” she says softly as we reach the entrance to the hotel. I can see the press camped out from here.
Sutton spots them too. “We can walk in separately. They’ll speculate, but it won’t be as bad.”
“You’re insane if you think I’m letting you walk throughthatalone.”
“I’ve handled worse.”
“I don’t care.”
She sighs. “Fine. You go in first and ask them to send a couple porters out. I’ll wait here.”
I still don’t like the idea of leaving her out here, but I can’t come up with a better idea. “You have your phone, just in case?”
She flashes the screen at me. “I’ll call Greg if I need to. I told him to take the rest of the night off, but knowing him, he’s sitting and staring at the phone, just in case.”
“Okay.” It’s somewhat reassuring, knowing she has dedicated staff. I hesitate for a few seconds longer before heading toward the crowd clustered in front of the hotel.
I push through with only a little bit of jostling. Only a few photographers bother to snap photos of me. I’m through the throng in a minute and inside the hotel lobby.
I head straight for the front desk and let them know about the situation outside. The clerk assures me they’ll handle it, and Sutton walks into view a few minutes later. There’s a wave of flashes set off behind her, but they give her the space to get through.
She heads straight toward me, passing me and continuing in the direction of the elevators. We’re both silent as she presses the button and waits for it to arrive.
Once the doors ding and we step inside, I ask, “No issues outside?”
“No. I told you, it’s always like that.”
“Must get exhausting.”
“It does.”
We arrive on our shared floor. Each step down the hall increases my nerves tenfold. I’m nervous. Not to sound like a dick, but I don’t get nervous around girls. Only her.
I slow my steps as we grow closer to my hotel room. Sutton speeds up.
“My room is nicer.”
“Are you sure you have your room key?”
She flips me off over one shoulder. I laugh as I keep walking after her, down to the hall to the largest suite tucked in the corner of the posh hotel.
The door opens with a beep and flash of green. Sutton tosses her bag on a chair and turns on a lamp that casts a yellow glow along the fancy carpet.
I shut the door and linger next to it. “We can just sleep. We don’t have to do anything.”
At that, Sutton laughs. Long and hard as she tugs the elastic out of her hair and blonde curls fall onto her shoulders. She kicks her shoes off and approaches.
My heart races. Blood rushes south.
“Have you imagined this?” she asks. “Me and you?”
I give her my bestare you kidding melook. If she only knew. Actually, it’s probably best she doesn’t.
“Yeah. I’ve imagined this. Have you?”
She doesn’t answer right away. Sutton hesitates long enough for me to regret ever asking the question.