Jericho searched the truck for a lighter but could only find a box of matches in the glove compartment. He struck the match and lit the end of his cigarette, tossing the charred stick out the window.
Two big guys were standing by the stairs, watching a woman rush to her car from one of the rooms. One guy nudged the other with his elbow, and they both laughed in gravelly voices.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jericho asked himself, getting out of the truck with the smoke between his teeth. He stalked toward the building and chastised himself as he went up the stairs, ascending two steps at a time. It was as if an invisible string were pulling him forward, compelling him to go to Isabelle.
Denver appeared with a startled look on his face. “No way, Jose. You need to turn around and get your ass in the truck.” Halfway down the steps, he snatched Jericho’s wrist and tried to coax him away.
“Chill out,” Jericho said, swiping his arm in a circle.
“It ain’t a good time for visits,” Denver ground out through his teeth. “Come on, man. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Jericho took a drag of his cigarette, the orange tip crackling, and then flicked it over the railing. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Denver held up both hands. “You’re a bag of nuts. If you’re not back down in five minutes, I’m leaving without you. Clock starts now.”
They headed their separate ways, and Jericho walked in the direction Denver had come from. There were only two motel rooms on the left, and the first one he passed had a couple of toy cars outside the door. He walked to the end unit and knocked on the door.
After a few beats, Isabelle’s voice rang out. “Go away.”
He put his finger over the peephole. “Isabelle, it’s me. I want to talk.”
“Please, just go.”
He rested his forehead on the door, knowing she must have been doing the same on the other side. She sounded so close.
“I can’t leave. Not without seeing you. I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”
“I know,” she said softly. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It wasn’t!”
“I know. I didn’t mean it sarcastically. I believe you.”
“Hard to tell from the expression on your door.”
He thought he heard her laugh, but maybe it was wishful thinking.
A light flipped on inside and the curtains opened. Jericho stepped to the left and admired Isabelle on the opposite side of the window. Thank God for cheap windows and an old air conditioner that allowed them to hear each other.
“You cut your hair,” he said. It was several inches shorter, messy, and had never looked sexier. Just like the rest of her. Her white tank top was wrinkled, too long, and revealed cleavage. Her sweatpants fit snugly and showed off the gentle curve of her hips.
“Ivy did it,” she said, touching the ends. “Long story.”
Yeah, he knew. “You okay? Wheeler told me what happened.”
She nodded, and her eyes slid down his body. “Do you have a show tonight?”
He nodded back.
Isabelle covered her smile. “Who did your eyeliner?”
“Maizy. Why?”
“It’s all…” She traced her finger beneath her eye and sloped down her cheek.
Jericho wiped the heel of his hand across his face. He hadn’t had the heart to say no when Maizy walked in his room with a smile, holding his smoky eye pencil.
“How long are you staying here?” he asked conversationally, noticing a stack of food on her dresser to the right. Pillows were scattered across the bed and the blanket was pulled back, as if she’d already settled in for the night. The television was off, which made him wonder if Denver had woken her up.
“I’m not sure. It won’t be too much longer.” She gripped the curtain and lowered her eyes ruefully. “You should go.”
Jericho put his palms on the glass and leaned in. “Isabelle, open the door and let’s talk. I’m not going to say anything to upset you; I just want to explain what happened so you don’t walk away from this hating the hell out of yourself for giving me a second chance. This wasn’t your fault. Please, baby, I can’t do this through the window.”
She theatrically pulled the drapes closed. His heart stammered when the chain slid off the lock and the door cracked open.
He peered into the dimly lit room. “Isabelle, I’ll just be a minute. I can’t leave without seeing you…”#p#分页标题#e#
Then it hit him. She had barely appeared in the doorway when all the blood in his body rushed south and he became hard as granite. All he noticed was how lovely her breasts looked behind that thin fabric, which was sheer enough that he could see the color of her nipples.