Star-Crossed(117)

The motel was two grades below shitty, but it had a bed and they were both exhausted. They were too tired to carry in anything but the guns, Jules’s purse, and the money case. So they simply stripped down to their bare skin and passed out with Romeo wrapped around Jules, his face buried in her silky hair. Taking that pill on an empty stomach made it kick in almost instantly, and the world hazed around him as he breathed Jules in and tried to forget leaving Nova and Tino behind.

When he woke the second time, he was a little less stiff, but queasy as hell and starving. Fighting the waves of nausea, he stroked Jules’s hair away from her face, seeing she had circles under her eyes from the long drive. Deciding to let her sleep, he rolled out of bed and stretched, realizing he was still plenty sore.

Knowing the pill he took was the reason he was so green to begin with, he decided eating was a better idea and tried to pull his clothes on as quietly as possible. Once dressed he fumbled on the nightstand for the key card, then searched for his phone long enough to give up when his stomach growled.

A peek outside the door told him there was nothing to eat within walking distance. He fished Jules’s keys out of her purse and took off in search of something to make him feel a little less dreadful.

The only thing he managed to turn up was burgers and fries from a greasy burger place, but it was better than nothing and he got everything to go because he didn’t want to leave Jules alone for too long. During the short drive, he gathered they were in West

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Virginia, which certainly wasn’t where Romeo would have headed, but it seemed as good as any place.

He stuck the plastic key in the door, but it didn’t even have time to light up before the door was jerked open and Jules reached out to hit his chest. “You just take off? You didn’t think I’d be worried sick ’bout ya?”

“You were sleeping.” Romeo held up his hands, showing off the fast-food bags.

“And I needed food.”

“Next time leave a note!” Jules snapped but grabbed one of the bags like it held buried treasure and turned to go back inside. Wearing the jeans and T-shirt from the night before, she sat on the bed and tore open the bag. “I am starving. I feel like I ain’t eaten in a million years. Didja get something to drink?”

“Yeah, I gotta go back. I only got so many hands.” Romeo grabbed one of the burgers out of the bag and worked on eating it as he made his way to the car and got the drinks. When he returned and produced sweet tea, Jules was happy enough to completely forgive him not leaving a note.

“I don’t even think about writing notes anymore,” Romeo admitted as he sat next to her on the bed eating his second cheeseburger. “I would’ve texted you, but I think I lost my friggin’ phone.”

“I turned it off and put it in the center console.” Jules took another sip of her sweet tea. “You’d have gotten five hundred calls by now, most of ’em from my brother. Who needs that kinda distraction?”

Romeo knew that was a very good point. He was sure there were some very colorful voice mails waiting for him when he did turn it back on. “Wish I would’ve known. I think I lost an hour of my life looking for it.” Jules giggled. “Guess that makes us even.”

“I guess.” Romeo grinned and studied Jules, who was also working on her second burger. She wasn’t one of those women who nipped at salads. She really ate when she 304



was hungry, and she was unapologetic about it, which was something he liked about her. He reached over and cupped her cheek. “You still look tired.”

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Jules asked defensively. “You ain’t in top form either, I’ll tell ya that.”

“You’re beautiful. You just look like you could use some extra sleep.”

“Sorry.” Jules rolled her eyes. “Wyatt’s been giving me hell ’bout my hormones. I get tired of him pointing out how tired and sick I look.”

“What’s wrong with your hormones?”

“It happens sometimes.” Jules shrugged. “Doctors say it’s from not having a normal cycle. I’m lucky if I get three periods a year. They put me on the pill, but it makes me sick as hell. I got an appointment in a few weeks up at Mercy General. I was gonna go ahead and try it again.”

“If it makes you sick”—Romeo pulled a face—“why do it?”

“It’d make things more convenient.”

“So what?” Romeo shrugged. “I’m the one inconvenienced, and I’d rather use condoms than have you sick.”

“I appreciate that,” Jules said with a smile. “But I got to go on ’em at some point.