God! She was making herself sick. She was acting like she was still in high school—only worse. Back then she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Now, she may as well be one of the groupies he had twisted around his little finger.
She settled into her seat, fastened her seat belt with clumsy fingers, and closed her eyes—she didn’t like this. Didn’t like this one bit. She opened her bottle of water and took a large mouthful, hoping to cleanse the bitter taste that had crept up her throat. What was she doing? Why was she acting like this? Why was she suddenly so insecure? But at the same time, how could she possibly believe this could work? He was Tristan, the brother of her best friend, the hottest guy at West Valley, and she felt like a sixteen-year-old girl again.
He topped off the gas a moment later and climbed into the seat beside her. His playful grin was back in place, but she sure didn’t feel as confident as she had a moment before.
“What should we open first?” he asked. “Salt and vinegar, or barbecue?”
Her stomach rolled with all the unknowns, and she turned toward him. She wanted to ask who he was talking to, wanted to ask what he wanted…but she didn’t do either. She looked down to the two bags between them and made a decision. There wasn’t going to be a future for her and Tristan. This was a temporary relationship, a rebound from one place to another. She wouldn’t allow it to be more than that. She wouldn’t allow him to hurt her.
“Salt and vinegar,” she said. The moment the decision was made, her mood instantly lightened. She looked up again and handed him the bag.
“Good choice,” he said with a wicked grin. He then ripped open the bag with his teeth, causing a few chips to fall to his chest and scatter across his lap.
She plucked one from his chest and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm… That’s good”
He grinned back at her and pulled back out to the road. “If you keep making noises like that, we’re never going to make it to the wedding.”
She licked her lips, then took another long drink of water to wash it down. She liked it this way. Playful, sexy, fun…and easy.
21
Chapter Twenty-one
They traveled a couple more hours, snacking on chips and all the other things Samantha had stowed away in her bag for the trip, but eventually Tristan turned off the highway, just outside of Pennsylvania. Her brows furrowed, and she rolled up the bag of barbecue, knowing they still had a good two hundred miles yet before their destination. “Don’t tell me we need gas again?” she asked.
He shook his head, his brow slightly furrowing. “Nah, I thought we’d stop for the night. I’m getting tired.” He said it quietly, but there was something under the surface that made her stomach constrict. Because it wasn’t true. By now she knew him well enough. Knew when he was tired and when he wasn’t. She also knew when something was bothering him. She could feel it in her bones. If they drove a few more hours, they would be there. At the wedding, which was the point of this whole crazy trip. But she kept her mouth shut…because she knew exactly what this was. This was their last night together. Their last hoorah, their last roll in the hay.
A few minutes later, Tristan turned into the parking lot of the Grand Belleview hotel, confirming it. It wasn’t the first motel they had passed, but this place was gorgeous. Ten stories high, all windows, with red carpets that led up to the entrance.
Tristan put the car in park, took his wallet from the center console, and pulled in a breath. Suddenly this felt like so much more than their last night. This felt like goodbye. Like she was stepping onto a plane with a one-way ticket. Tomorrow they’d be at the wedding, and all this would stop. If for no other reason, than for Renee. Because she didn’t deserve this drama before her wedding. Because up until this point, as far as Renee knew, they were two people who couldn’t stand each other. But at the same time, if this ride went on for much longer, Samantha wasn’t sure she’d be able to jump off. She turned toward the window, pulling in a deep breath to give herself strength. “It went by pretty quickly, considering.”
He leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms overhead. “Yeah, it did.”
She nodded at his reflection, squeezing the door handle, knowing she was about to cry. She hated goodbyes, even when she knew they weren’t forever.
She got out of the car, gathered her backpack to keep herself busy, then turned around to find him right behind her. He didn’t say anything, just took the bag from her shoulder and began walking toward the hotel.
There was a large fountain in the foyer, with large purple and blue lights that moved like currents. It reminded her of an aquatic version of the solar system. With a thousand playful lights dancing on the surface like stars.