Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“I’m getting there. My initial reaction to anything unexpected is usually fear and worry, even if that thing is actually positive. But then I adapt.”
“Why do you think you react that way?”
“I think my anxiety and insecurity started after my abuela passed and we lost the house. I was so scared. He tried to hide it, but I knew my dad was scared too, and that made me even more anxious. The whole time we were homeless, and even after we moved into a tiny apartment in a terrible part of town, I never felt safe. Even now, years later, I crave things like stability, predictability, and a consistent routine, because they give me a sense of security.”
“It’s no wonder a spontaneous road trip threw you for a loop.” His voice was so gentle.
“I might have done okay with it, except that losing my job and the club so unexpectedly already had me reeling. I still can’t quite believe that happened. It felt like a family, made up of all our regulars, the performers, and my coworkers. Then it was gone in the blink of an eye.”
“I didn’t think of that, and I’m sorry, Kit. My timing sucked.”
“No, don’t apologize. This trip is going to be wonderful. I just need a little more time to get a handle on my anxiety.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Actually, there is one thing.”
I climbed out of my bed and into his, and Devon drew me into his arms. Right away, I felt safer and more secure.
7
Kit
The next morning, I tried not to wake Devon as I slipped out of bed to use the bathroom and brush my teeth. When I returned and curled up next to him, he grinned without opening his eyes and muttered, “That’s so unfair, sneaking off and coming back all fresh and minty, so I’m the only one with a raging case of morning breath.”
With that, he tumbled out of bed and spent a few minutes in the bathroom before coming back and launching himself onto the mattress. He pulled me into his arms, and as we snuggled together I murmured, “You smell good. Did you put on cologne?”
“No, just a quick dab of deodorant. I wanted to one-up your minty freshness.”
“Well, now I need to go take a shower, so I once again have the upper hand.”
I tried to get up, but he pulled me back with a, “Noooooo!” Both of us chuckled as we fell onto the bed, and he said, “Just stay here and be lazy with me.”
I caught a glimpse of the digital clock on the nightstand and pointed out, “It’s almost eleven. Do we need to check out in about three minutes?”
“Nope, we’re in no hurry this morning. I reserved the room for two nights, since we got in late and I knew we’d want to sleep in. Plus, there’s something cool nearby that I’d like to show you, but whether we spend tonight here is up to you.”
We both rolled onto our sides so we were facing each other, and I said, “Let’s stay one more night. My dad doesn’t know we’re coming, so it’s not like we’re keeping him waiting.”
“Great! This is going to be fun.”
Devon was always beautiful. When he smiled, he was breathtaking. I desperately wanted to kiss him, but we’d said we were just going to be friends. There’d been reasons for that… not that I could remember what any of them were at the moment.
Wasn’t this already more than a friendship, though? Since when did friends spend the night wrapped up in each other’s arms? And was he thinking about kissing me too, since he was watching me the same way I was watching him?
While I was busy overthinking absolutely everything, his phone beeped. It startled us so much that both of us leapt up. Our reaction reminded me of a cat getting spritzed with water for doing something wrong.
He read the message and told me, “It’s from Jan and Janice, the motel owners. They want to know if we’d like to join them for lunch.”
“Sure. I um… I’m going to take a shower.” I felt flustered as I randomly grabbed some clothes and retreated to the bathroom.
Had we just been saved by the bell, so to speak? What would have happened if I’d actually kissed him? Would it have been a mistake, or the start of something great? I mulled over these questions and more while I stood under the hot water, but I didn’t arrive at any conclusions.
I returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, overdressed in a button-down shirt and jeans. As Devon headed to the bathroom, I told him I’d meet him outside and opened the door to a gorgeous, sunny day.
A woman with graying curly hair was setting a patio table under a striped umbrella. She waved enthusiastically when she saw me, so I went over to say hello. “You must be Devon’s friend,” she said. “I’m Jan.”