But in my own defense, I'd been hung over and cranky as shit. Still, that didn't make it right.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything but her.Big mistake.The more I tried not to think of her, the more she haunted my thoughts with her expressive eyes and smart mouth.
Nice body, too.Not that I'd meant to notice – much.
I rolled onto my side and prayed like hell that the island had a decent laundromat. Forget the clothes. If I didn't wash these sheets, I might as well go outside and sleep on the grass.
Hell, I'd done it before.
Sure, it wasn't recent, but I hadn't gottenthatsoft – at least not yet.
With a grunt, I shifted to my other side, but it was no use. Therewasno sweet spot. And even if there was, I wouldn't be finding it any time soon.
Again, my thoughts drifted to the brunette. Probably she was already asleep, resting in clean sheets and dreaming of bunnies or kittens – or hell, even world peace.
She seemed the type.
Probably she smiled in her sleep.
For some reason, that made me smile, too – until another spring popped in the bed, giving me a good jab to the kidney as the fridge let out another groan.
Fuck.
Ryder's text echoed in my thoughts.Only thirty days to go.
Yeah, that was me – livin' the dream.
9
Single-Serve Therapy
Maisie
"You're kidding," Tessa said. "With no notice at all?"
I sighed. "Nope. Not even a text."
Somehow, we'd ended up on the couch, sipping from tiny single-serve bottles of booze – vodka for her and some peach-flavored mystery for me.
She'd dug out a dozen from her suitcase and offered me first pick. The whole thing was surprisingly nice, and it was giving me a slumber party vibe I'd sorely needed.
Already, I was two bottles in and eyeballing a third – a little blue one lying there all cute and tempting like it had been waiting for me all night.
Snagging it would be quick and easy, too, since Tessa had dumped the whole lot of them onto the coffee table in a jumbled free-for-all.No Moscato.But hey, I wasn't complaining.
In my oversized T-shirt and leggings, I was feeling warm and cozy in spite of the lukewarm shower. Maybe it was the booze. Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was both. But for the first time in hours, I didn't feel like chucking a bike through a window.
Tessa gave me a sympathetic look. "I can't believe he ghosted you like that."
"Hah! He didn't just ghost me," I said. "He knocked over a bunch of bikes and then – get this – tried to blame it on the wind."
Now she looked ready to laugh. "You're joking."
Was I?Tipsy or not, I had to be fair. "Okay, I'm not really sure who knocked over the bikes, but the wind excuse is totally true." I shook my head. "Do you know, he was my only employee?"
Tessa's amusement faded. "Seriously? I didn't realize you were doing it all alone."
Of course she wouldn't.My fault. Not hers.It's not like I'd been particularly chatty. Plus, I'd been trying really hard not to complain.
