She put the shirt in her suitcase and stood up, running her hand through her hair as she shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean we? Are you driving back up with me?”
“Yep,” he said as he sat up, taking a pair of Andie’s shorts out of the suitcase and refolding them more neatly. He flashed her his toothpaste commercial smile before putting the shorts back in her bag.
Andie pulled her brow together. “But what about your plane ticket?” she asked, realizing she probably should have been acting somewhat excited by this point.
“Chase is gonna use it,” he said, sliding off the bed and going into the bathroom to collect his things.
Andie was thankful that he had left the room, because she was terrified that the swelling disappointment building in her chest would be evident on her face. “Well, that was nice of you to offer to switch with him,” she finally said, the words feeling like cement in her mouth.
This was for the best, she told herself. This was a sign. She shouldn’t be alone with him again. And truth be told, she had no business feeling let down by this turn of events.
Colin stuck his head out of the bathroom. “As much as I’d like to take the compliment, I didn’t offer.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was his idea to switch.”
Andie’s heart plummeted into her stomach as Colin turned and went back into the bathroom. It was his idea? Why didn’t he want to drive back with her? Was it because he didn’t trust himself either? Or was it because he didn’t want to be around her? Did she overstep a boundary last night? He was the one who had given her the shot. He was the one who had asked her to dance.
Andie suddenly felt extremely betrayed, and she closed her eyes and shook her head at the irony of that, because she was guilty of betrayal for even being upset by this in the first place, for being excited, even if it was just for a second, about spending time alone with Chase.
She had never felt so out of control of her emotions; it was maddening and extremely unsettling.
Colin came out of the bathroom, swatting her bottom as he passed her and began packing his things, and as Andie zipped up her own suitcase, she found herself stuck somewhere between feeling deflated, and being furious at herself for even feeling that way in the first place.
They stopped in a hotel after being on the road for only seven hours. Andie was exhausted from not having slept the night before, and Colin was exhausted from the week’s activities. Now, Andie lay in another strange bed, her body completely worn out and her mind running on overdrive. Colin lay next to her, snoring lightly. He had fallen asleep the minute they crawled into bed, while Andie tossed and turned. She had even opened her laptop at one point under the absurd pretense that she was going to get some writing done. It was, of course, a completely fruitless endeavor.
Right before they left Tampa earlier that afternoon, Chase had come up to the room to say good-bye. He was amiable, casual, and completely at ease, as if the night before had never happened. He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, thanking her for the ride before he turned to shake Colin’s hand. He wished them both a safe trip, and he and Colin made tentative plans to meet up once they were all back in New York.
And that was it.
At least, that should have been it. She should have been following his lead, pretending that the night before had never happened. Yet there she was, lying in bed next to her boyfriend with that moment running a loop in her mind.
She was absolutely disgusted with herself.
At around midnight, Andie resorted to counting sheep. She had gotten up to one hundred and thirty four when she finally fell into unconsciousness.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she woke with a start, gasping loudly as she bolted upright in bed. She reached a trembling hand up to her face, swiping unsteadily at the tears that were pouring down her cheeks, the ones that started before she was even fully awake.
Andie glanced down at Colin as a fresh round of tears spilled from her eyes. He hadn’t moved, and she closed her eyes in relief, immediately