Page 36 of Pick Me Up On Tuesdays

Fun?! FUN?!

The broken kind of fun? No thanks.

I was going to die.

I dragged my feet and suitcase up the twisting staircase, dreading whatever awaited me. The walls were covered in faded tapestries, depicting battles that had happened centuries ago. Some of them… moved. Probably an old enchantment. Probably harmless.

The door creaked ominously as we opened it.

The room was—how do I put this—a violation of basic human decency.

The stone walls were lined with sconces, their glow eerily dim. The single window had a thick curtain that looked like it had last been washed when the empire was still standing. The bed? One. Small. Lumpy. Probably cursed.

Please tell me we weren't sharing this bed with Ethan. But I couldn't see any other bed, so I guess my guess is as good as yours.

A moth the size of my fist fluttered lazily near the ceiling, giving me creeps.

Ethan clapped his hands. "Nice."

"This is not nice," I corrected.

Ethan ignored me and grabbed a towel. "Dibs on the shower."

I sat down at the rickety desk, my laptop flickering to life. The enchanted wireless connection was weak, but if I positioned it just right—

A burst of steam escaped from the bathroom, carrying the scent of mint and something warm. I barely noticed at first. Then Ethan walked out.

And my brain short-circuited.

He was shirtless. Barefoot. His golden hair, still damp, curled slightly at the ends. The firelight from the sconces flickered across his toned arms and—

I tore my gaze away so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.

No. Absolutely not. I refused to acknowledge that Ethan looked like a fallen star out of a heroic epic.

"You good?" Ethan asked, smirking.

"I will report you to the authorities," I muttered, furiously typing at my laptop.

He just laughed and threw on a shirt. Then, because he is a menace, he leaned against the desk.

"Wanna sneak out?"

"No."

"C’mon."

"Absolutely not."

"You’re no fun."

"Correct."

Ethan rolled his eyes—then, without warning, jumped out the window.

I stared in horror.

For a moment, I considered pretending I hadn’t seen anything. Maybe he would get lost. Maybe I could get some peace.

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