Page 53 of Fake Dating an Orc Cowboy

“Me too,” he said.

It didn't take long to gather my things, and after setting aside the outfit I'd wear on the plane, I wheeled my bag to the wall where it would wait until morning.

“Would you like the bathroom first?” I asked, eager to get out of my formal dress.

“You can have it.” Turning, he walked out onto the balcony.

Okay. I could deal with this. He wasn’t rejecting me like Jacob had.

It didn’t take me long to shower off the makeup and oodles of hairspray, plus scrub my body. I dressed in my PJs and did my teeth. But instead of leaving the bathroom, I stared into the mirror.

My sad eyes gazed back at me. “He’s not going to dump you. He cares as much as you do.”

But my eyes stung as I opened the door.

“All yours,” I called out with fake cheer.

Ostor rose from his chair on the balcony and passed me in the hall, his big body brushing mine in the narrow space. Nibbling on my lower lip, I watched him retreat into the bathroom. My heart gave a rogue thump. Another. And, oh, how it stung.

With a sniff, I slipped under the cool, crisp sheets of the bed, pulling them up to my chest. After turning off the light, I laid on my back, staring at the ceiling. Anticipation curled in my belly. Tonight felt different. Bigger. We’d connect again tonight, and everything would feel normal in the morning.

I waited.

And waited some more, but he didn’t come out of the bathroom.

The want in my chest began to shift into an ache I couldn’t deny.

A rustle told me he was moving around inside the bathroom. An eternity passed. Was he pacing? Making sure his tusks were super clean?

Worry started digging its claws into my confidence, and I started making up excuses. He was taking his time. He was nervous. Would it be strange if I checked on him? I didn't want to come across clingy.

The canyon solidified itself inside my chest, shoving aside the happiness I’d found over the past few days. I tried to convince myself this was nothing, to shrug it off as him needing space. But it didn’t stop the stab of pain deep in my belly.

As my eyelids grew heavy, the light on the balcony faded.

The last feeling skating across my mind wasn’t one of excitement anymore.

It was a quiet whisper of sadness.

Chapter 22

Ostor

Ididn’t say much the next morning. WhatcouldI say?

An apology might help, perhaps. Or I could get down on my knees and beg her to give me another chance to prove I was worthy.

Since I didn’t know how to bring this all up, I said nothing as we quickly grabbed food at the buffet, as we rode in the transport vehicle to the airport, as we made our way through the check-in process.

“Oh, lucky you,” the man behind the counter said, his gaze landing on me. “They upgraded you to first class. We’ve been trying to do this as often as we can with orcs, at least until we’ve fitted larger chairs in the main cabin.”

“What about Rosey?” I asked.

“He speaks,” she hissed in a voice almost too low to hear.

I wanted to tell her that I ached to pour out my heart to her, but I didn’t know what I could say to fix this.

“I’m sorry.” The man’s smile fell. “But there’s only one seat available. You don’t have to take it. I’m sure someone else—”

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