Page 66 of Running Winter

"Finish me," I commanded, peeling off the condom. "Don't waste a drop."

She didn't waste a single drop.

God, I loved California.

FOURTEEN HOURS

C H A S E

I woke up the following day to the sound of a headboard slamming against the wall beside mine, and I groaned.

Was that Rafe’s room?

I was confused as to which side Rafe was at as I struggled to focus. My vision was blurry, and my head felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. I didn't know what had gotten into me—one minute; I was sipping beers like a civilized human being—the next, I was upside down, chugging beers like a fucking frat boy.

The sound in the room beside mine intensified, and I rolled my eyes as a girl screamed Rafe’s name.

"Fucking hell," I swore, lifting my fist to thump on the wall. Finally, the noise quietened down, and I vaguely remembered texting Rayna.

Oh shit, what did I say?

I lifted my phone, finding a text from Rayna.

I fucking love you too.

What?!

I scrolled up, wincing as I read the messages. Surprisingly, I hadn't sent anything I didn’t mean.

Chase:

Cali sucks. I miss you.

Rayna:

You left me :( don't you love me anymore?

Chase:

you know I love you.

Rayna:

I fucking love you too.

I groaned before dialing her number. I didn't know what time it was in Winterburg, but I didn’t care either.

"Hello?"

Her voice made my lips curl into a smile, but something was wrong. Rayna never answered the phone for me like this.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked, frowning when she swallowed.

"I'm good. How's the vacation? Did you check out UCLA?"

It was like I was talking to her four months ago. Yet, she wasn't the girl that had melted beneath me in my bed less than forty-eight hours earlier.

"Yes," I said carefully. "Rayna, you sound different."