Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
“At Holroyd’s? They serve breakfast all day, don’t they?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Right, right. Getting arrested.”
I nod sleepily, my eyes drifting closed. “Gonna be a busy day. Don’t want to miss my last chance at pancakes and bacon.”
“I’ll set an alarm,” he promises.
“Thank you.”
I never imagined I’d spend any night falling asleep in the arms of Torrance Walters, let alone my last one, but now that I’m here… it feels like the safest place I could be.
CHAPTER 11
CASSIE
For several blissful seconds when I first wake up, I’m not even sure where I am, let alone what day it is. I see the motel sink from my bed and think, Am I on a road trip?
But no.
I would have liked to go on a road trip.
Instead, I roll over and look at the empty side of the bed where Torrance Walters slept last night, and that memory triggers all the other ones. A balloon drop of memories falls over me, but it’s much less fun to remember that today is the day I go to jail.
I stretch, drawing in a deep breath as I do, and look around for Tor.
As if on cue, the entry door to our motel room opens, and he walks in, carrying the ice bucket, now packed full of ice.
“Good morning,” he says, seeing I’m awake.
“Good morning,” I murmur sleepily.
He holds up the bucket. “Thought I’d refill this in case you were thirsty.”
I am thirsty. It’s probably because I was drinking, but my mouth feels like it’s lined with cotton.
I go to push the sheet off so I can stand, but when I do, I realize I’m naked.
In the dark, I was fine, but with the morning light shining through the window, I don’t think I want to bare myself.
“Can you… um…” I gesture toward my sleep shirt, tossed on the floor too far for me to reach. “Can I have my clothes?”
Tor smirks at my modesty, then bends to snatch my discarded clothing off the floor. “I took a shower already, but if you want one before we go, I think there’s time.”
I shouldn’t pass up a shower. Not only because I had sex last night and Tor came inside me, but because I’m not sure I’ll ever have a peaceful, solo shower again. I’ve never been to jail or prison, but movies don’t make the shower situation seem great.
“I didn’t even like showering after gym class in high school. I’m really not going to like showering in prison,” I tell him as I pull my shirt over my head.
He shakes his head at me but doesn’t say anything.
Once I have the shirt and panties on, I push back the sheets, looking for the sleep shorts I know I packed, but it appears I never put them on because I don’t see them on the floor anywhere. Last night is a bit of a blur, and I don’t really remember getting dressed for bed.
I go to my overnight bag to grab a bottle of water, and sure enough, my sleep shorts are still inside. I use one of the wrapped plastic cups by the sink to scoop up some ice, then I pour some water in. I let it chill for a few seconds, then I take a long drink. I fill it up again so it can chill on the sink while I shower.
“I’ll be fast,” I tell him.
“Take your time. We’ve got a good hour before we need to check out.”
Check-out isn’t what I’m worried about, though I guess spending the night at this motel was a good idea. When the police go to arrest me, they’ll go to my house. Nobody knows I’m here, so even if Russ has an early interview with them, that should buy me enough time to have breakfast first.
Although it occurs to me they may have already gone to my house, for all I know. I haven’t checked my notifications yet.
I grab my phone and touch the screen to wake it up. Tor must have paused my music at some point because it’s paused now, but I remember it was still playing when I fell asleep. I swipe the screen, and my heart stalls when the first notification I see is a text from my mom in all caps.
WHERE ARE YOU????
Shit.
I did tell her I’d explain everything this morning when I woke up, and then… well, I didn’t sleep there.
I don’t know if that’s why she’s asking or because the police were there to arrest me and I wasn’t home. I quickly open my message with her to scroll up and see if she said anything else, but there’s nothing before or after that message.
Belatedly, it occurs to me that I’m on her family plan and they could use my phone to track my location… but then I remember this isn’t my phone. My old one, anyway. It’s a new phone Tor just got for me yesterday.