Now that wasn’t going to happen, and she wasn’t about to go wandering around Vancouver in the dark by herself—not while Kurt was still lurking out there. So she had no excuse not to call Brett, especially now that her weekend babysitters weren’t coming.
Texting would be easier; maybe she’d do that instead. That way there wouldn’t be any pressure on either of them—he could respond or not, whatever he wanted.
“Don’t be such a wuss.” Before she could chicken out, Ellie punched in Brett’s number and waited. Maybe it would go to voice mail. Maybe it would—
He picked up on the first ring.
“Are you okay?”
“Do you ever just start with ‘hello’?” She walked over to the window again and watched the lights twinkle against the dark water. “I’m fine. Are you still working?”
“No.”
“Oh, it sounds like you’re driving, so I just thought…”
“I am.” She heard him sigh. “Sorry I yelled before.”
For all the effort she’d put in to arm herself, that sigh about split her wide open.
“I’m sorry, too.” She pressed her hand flat against the cool glass as a wave of something—loneliness, maybe?—washed over her. “I won’t keep you, but I knew you’d be mad if I didn’t tell you. Gabbie and Zack aren’t coming. They’re both sick and—”
“Good.” Not the response she’d expected. “Give me a minute.”
“But—” For the second time that night, the phone line went dead. Great.
At least she’d tried. If he wanted to call her back, he knew her number. If he didn’t…well…shit. She didn’t actually know what she’d do if he didn’t. Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do if he did call back, so…
Times like this definitely called for pizza.
With room service on its way, the first thing she did was rid herself of her contacts before they glued themselves to her eyelids. What was it with hotel air and contacts, anyway? Washed up and with her pajamas on, she knotted her hair on the top of her head, slipped on her glasses, and plunked down in front of the TV. No Pay-Per-View for her, not now that she’d be paying for this suite by herself instead of splitting it with Gabs.
So many channels and not a thing that caught her attention. She was on her second scroll through when room service arrived.
After tipping the young girl, Ellie followed her to the door so she could latch it, but as the girl stepped out, someone else stepped forward. A shot of panic squealed up out of Ellie’s throat before she realized it wasn’t Kurt.
It was Brett.
Standing outside her door in his standard Levi’s and plain T-shirt, not smiling, not moving, not doing anything but looking at her.
Oh no no no, she wasn’t…he couldn’t see her like this again. The first time had been bad enough, but at least the stairwell at Maya’s wasn’t very bright. There in the door of her hotel room, the light was glaring, probably right off her glasses, and showing all her flaws. Her weaknesses.
To her credit, the room service girl hesitated as though she could do something if Brett actually turned out to be a serial killer, but Ellie just smiled and sent her on her way.
“Uh, so when you said you were driving…?”
“I was coming over the bridge; goddamn traffic.” He hadn’t taken a single step since Ellie had squealed. “Can I come in?”
“I don’t…I’m not really…” Of all the pajamas to have brought with her, why did it have to be her Mrs. Daryl Dixon ones? Walkers on the bottoms, Daryl and his crossbow on the shirt; yup, very attractive.
His eyes widened. “Do you have company?”
“What? No!”
That seemed to be all the information he needed, because he walked right in and gave the whole suite his once-over before coming back to her. How did he do it? How did he look that good without even trying? How did he make everything so much better just by standing there?
And how the freakin’ hell was he able to incite a riot in her girly parts without so much as touching her?
“I wasn’t actually expecting company,” she said, blinking away. “So give me a minute and I’ll—”
“No.” He practically lunged for her when she stepped toward the bathroom. “Don’t. You look…Okay, apart from the bit about Daryl, you look great.”
“I look like…” She stopped, shook her head. “I don’t like being seen like this.”
“I know.” He nodded slowly. “I know, but it’s just me, Ell. You don’t have to put it all back on for me.”
Oooh, yes