“I think so,” I say, running a hand through my short hair.
Fallon takes the coffee and plate from me, sitting down at the desk before taking a long sip of the coffee. She shivers as the warmth hits her tongue.
“For hotel coffee, this is surprisingly good,” she admits. She takes another sip, and then dives into the cinnamon roll. The moan that slides from her lips sends a jolt of electricity through my body.
She made the same noises last night when I was making her come. My mind whirls as I consider the consequences of it. Sure, it was amazing, and in the moment it was perfect, but maybe we shouldn’t have crossed that line. I shouldn’t have given in last night and shared the bed with her, but I did. I made things twice as complicated than they were before.
What if she was only saying those things about not wanting anything more last night? Was she only saying them to appease me? Am I going to break her heart in the process of this? I meant what I said last night. It could only be one night, and it shouldn’t have even happened.
I sit down on the end of the bed, pulling my phone out to scroll. I could leave right now, my stuff is packed and ready, but something is holding me back.Sheis holding me back. I don’t want to leave without her. I want to take advantage of this one-on-one time with her.
I admit it. I spent pretty much the entire weekend at her side, and yet, I want more.Needmore time with her. Even though I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t.
I aimlessly scroll, but I’m not really paying attention to what I’m looking at. My focus is on her. She’s on her phonetoo, scrolling as she eats, and something about it makes me relax. Like there is no pressure to fill every silence with conversation.
After she’s finished eating her breakfast, she pushes her chair back to stand. She heads into the bathroom, collecting the last of her things and shoving them into her suitcase. “Well, I suppose it’s about time to go,” she says.
I stand from the edge of the bed. “Let me help you with your stuff,” I offer, reaching to grab her small duffle.
She shakes her head with a smile. “You have your own stuff to grab, Jason.”
I turn my head to look at my bag on the floor. “Right.” I bend down, grabbing my own bag and hauling it over my shoulder. “I can still take your bag though. I have another arm.”
Fallon raises her brows, but I hold out my free arm, making grabby hands for her bag. She scoffs under her breath, and says, “Alright.” She hands over the bag, and extends the handle on her rolling suitcase.
I glance over the room one last time, making sure we both have our phone chargers and anything else we might have forgotten. When I’m satisfied, I head toward the door. Opening it, I step to the side, allowing her to go out first. She smiles softly, looking down at her feet as her cheeks flush.
She walks through the open door, and I step through behind her, letting it fall shut after me. We make our way through the halls and into the elevator.
“Where did you park?” I ask.
“The parking ramp below the hotel. P2.”
I press the button marked P2, and the elevator starts to move down.
Fallon starts to speak, filling the silence. “I had a great time this weekend.”
I look over to her. She’s glancing up at me, her green eyes sparkling. I could lose myself in those eyes. I rip my gaze away from her before I do. I need to pull away. I can’t let myself get close to her again. The last time I did, I had my first encounter with heartbreak. It’s not just my heart I can be careless with anymore. I have Lennie to think about.
Last night was a lapse in judgement. I can’t do it again. I clear my throat, staring up at the ceiling. “Yeah, it was nice.”
The elevator dings our arrival, and when the doors open, I hold my arm out in front to prevent it from closing on her. She walks through, pulling her suitcase behind her. When we are clear of the doorway, she stops, stepping off to the side of the sidewalk. “I guess this is goodbye.” She holds her arm out for her bag but I shake my head.
“Where’s your car? I’ll walk you there.” I can’t be more for her, but I can give myself a few more minutes to pretend.
She points a few rows down, and I gesture for her to lead the way. We walk in silence, the only sound is the rolling of her suitcase on the pavement. When we reach her car, I wait for her to unlock it, and then open the trunk for her. I set her duffle in, and then reach forward, grabbing her rolling suitcase before she can.
She huffs, but doesn’t say anything. I can’t help it. I need to do this, need to be the one to help her. What if I wasn’t here and her suitcase rolled away before she could put it in the trunk?
That’s ridiculous. I know I’m being over the top. I know that I really can’t bear the thought of letting her go yet, but I don’t want to acknowledge it.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, shifting back awkwardly onher heels. I shove my free hand into my pocket, because if I don’t, I’m afraid of what I might do.
“Wh—”
“I—”
We both speak at the same time, and I stop, holding my hand out and snapping my mouth shut for her to continue.
