Chapter 7-1
844 Words
7
Hae-in finds a hotel. There is only one problem. According to him, there’s only one room, and it’s the hotel’s suite.
“You must think I’m stupid.” I’m ready to make a scene. Sawyer and Finn would be cursing me to the wind and calling me all kinds of crazy.
“No. I’m telling you the truth,” Hae-in insists.
There are no strange vibes coming from him, and he looks sincere. But can I trust him? The lady at the desk eyes him with star-filled eyes. She’s not worried about me in the slightest.
“I don’t think so at all. It’s late and the regular rooms are booked.” Hae-in gently takes my hand and walks over to the elevator. My dumb a*s lets him. “Let’s get some rest. We’ll get on the road first thing in the morning and head back to your hotel.”
I’m tired.
He’s lucky I’m tired.
The elevator ride up is quiet. He says nothing and neither do I. But the kiss we shared is on instant replay, causing me to clear my throat. When the doors open, we walk into a pristine white hallway with bright yellow sunflowers. There are only two doors.
“You can shower first,” Hae-in says.
“Thank you.”
He opens the door, and I’m not concerned with the décor of the room. It’s pricey and smells nice. The bathroom is next to the enormous bedroom, behind a set of double doors. I shower quick. There’s a towel and a thick robe and slippers. I dry off and slide into the robe and slippers. When I exit the bathroom, I notice the sitting area and office space. The color scheme is monochromatic with splashes of red. I notice they turned the bed down. Hae-in walks in and nods toward the bed. “Get some rest. I can sleep on the couch.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course, I’m going to shower now that you’re done.”
I don’t give Hae-in a second glance. The bed looks comfortable. I go to the sitting area and grab my cell.
India: Here is my location.
Finn: We have it. Sleep well.
Sawyer: Better not be some creep, Indy.
India: Night!
I crawl into bed exhausted, with only one thing in mind. Sleep.
It’s what I want.
What I need.
The bathroom door gets my attention. I was just about to doze off, but then the light from the bathroom cast a bright glow in the dark room. I turn to tell Hae-into hit the lights, but the words get trapped in my throat. His towel hangs low on his hips. What I thought was elegant masculinity is harsh and well-defined. His chest is firm, and his abs stand out like a chiseled sculpture. The inverted triangle is something I wouldn’t mind tracing with my hands.
I clear my throat. “You couldn’t grab the other robe?” I ask. My voice is hoarse.
Hae-in nods his head before answering. “I honestly thought you were sleep. I was going to grab my cell and make a quick call.
Quick call my a*s.
“At this hour? To whom?”
“My manager. Wanted fresh clothes in the morning.”
“Seriously, and that warrants you coming out half-n***d?” I flop back on my pillows and pull the blanket over my head. I hear Hae-in say something in Korean, and the only word I can catch is cute. He walks to the sitting room and then back to the bathroom before I hear the click of the door. A few moments later, the door opens again.
“I have a robe on,” Hae-in says in a smug tone.
I don’t respond and pretend to sleep. This guy is going to give me a heart attack. There is no way in the world I should be attracted to anyone. Especially him. He’s not even my type. I turn slightly and try to settle down. Today wasn’t as difficult as it could have been. Thoughts of the twins are always present, but today wasn’t as bad.
* * * *
The sun is awake and so am I. The dream woke me. I was with my babies and the twins were there too. That it isn’t real breaks my heart all over again. I reach over and check my phone and see a message from Mi-Su. She made it home safe. I have a message from the twins telling me to call as soon as I wake up, and then there are three messages from home. All of them from Lola.
I send the twins a text and call Lola.
“Lo, what’s up? You were vague in your message.”
“Girl, get your a*s home. We got problems here.”
“What problems?”
Lola takes a deep breath and sounds like she’s been crying. “DIVORCE.”
“Who?” I ask, sitting up in the bed.
“Me, girl. I caught Bear with his hands in the cookie jar. The s**t has hit the fan.”
“Bear had the nerve to cheat on you? That son of a b***h!” I yell. How dare he cheat on my cousin? It better not be Viola. It better not be Viola. I chant inside my head.
“I called the twins and told them to put you on a plane.”
I want to be there for my cousin. I have to be. She’d do the same for me.
“I’m on the next flight.”
- Writer
