I scanned the dark parking lot. “I won’t run.”
He took my hand and placed Ricky in it. He’d cleaned his blade when we stopped a couple of hours ago. “You’re safe, I promise. But I don’t want to leave you defenseless.” He brushed his nose across mine.
There wasn’t a single car out at this time of night. I watched Zach enter the lobby and locked my eyes on the glass doors, waiting for him to exit.
Would he get adjoining rooms? Did a place like this even have them?
Double beds, at the very least. There were only four cars in the lot. I assumed the front desk clerk owned one.
I wasn’t sure what to make of all the affection Zach gave me. Our first kiss, then lots more after, the hand holding, calling me baby… I felt like the other woman. With all the shock we went through, I didn’t have space to process his intentions. If he could be this way with me, maybe messing around on his old lady was normal. That made me feel bad for her.
He trotted back, jumping into his seat. “We’re set. Everything okay?”
I nodded as he moved the Jeep to a different parking spot.
Surprisingly, the room was clean and didn’t smell as funky as I expected. It appeared to have been updated in the last century. No green shag carpet or burgundy bedding. It would be sufficient for our short stay. Except for one thing…
“They didn’t have two beds?”
Zach set the duffle bag full of money on a chair. “I’m sure they did.”
I twisted my lips, staring at the king-sized bed. “So then, why didn’t you request two?”
He came to me and pinched my chin, raising it. Our eyes connected, making my stomach feel funny. “Why do you think? I wanted to sleep with you.”
I gulped as sensations bloomed inside me that shouldn’t. What did I say to that?
“I’m going to shower. Unless you want to first? Or with me? Do you wanna shower with me?”
I slowly turned toward the glass shower along the back wall, a vanity next to it. The toilet appeared to be in a room off to the side. There was also a jacuzzi tub in the corner.
Wait.
Was this a honeymoon suite? Did cringy motels have such things?
This one seemed to.
“What’s wrong, Aspen?”
“This doesn’t feel right,” I told him honestly. My gosh, he had a woman. How could he behave like he didn’t? “We haven’t seen each other in over a decade.”
The corner of his lip curled. “You weren’t modest when we were together.”
“Seriously? We were a couple then. It’s different now. You’ve changed, and so have I.”
“All for the better.” He kissed my forehead. “You shower first. Maybe it’ll help you relax. I’ll call Storm.”
Zach totally blew off the fact that we weren’t a couple anymore. I felt like a fool standing there with a bag of toiletry items he’d bought at the convenience store. Stuff like toothbrushes, a comb, and deodorant… and pads. Why was he so thoughtful? To even think about how I must be bleeding.
I turned the shower on, gathering what I needed. Stripping out of my clothes nervously, I kept my eyes on Zach, sitting on the bed with his back to me. I appreciated his consideration. He could’ve been a dick about it and gawked at me, but he’d never treated me that way.
Darting into the shower, I closed the glass door and exhaled. The steam fogged up the glass, making it difficult to see through. I soaked up the hot water, losing myself in this moment of solitude and peace.
Releasing a deep breath, the flood gates broke open. I cried, burying my face in my hands, keeping quiet to not get Zach’s attention. No question, he was devastated. He hid it well, being Mr. Tough Guy, but I felt his loss as if it were my own.
Because it was mine too.
I’d lost my baby and best friend. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. I wanted this all to end. No more running or hiding. I just wanted to be free.