Page 46 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
From the looks of things, that probably won’t be until tomorrow. Though it’s not ideal, at least the lodge is ready for guests and there are plenty of beds for us to sleep in. “I guess we’re spending the night,” I mutter, running my hand over my thigh. This could get interesting.
Micah looks like she can’t decide if she’s excited or worried. “Should we check on Grant and Lila? Tell them what’s going on?”
“Grant won’t be coherent enough to understand anything I tell him,” I say and roll my eyes. “Not until morning, anyway. Kenny, do you need anything? Pick any room you want, and it’s yours for the night.”
“You should pick room six!” Micah tells him with a bright smile. Apparently excitement is beating out her nerves. “It is all sorts of cozy, and I think you’ll love it.”
“I’ll check it out,” Kenny says and leaves us alone.
Though we’d been alone just a few minutes ago, the silence around us feels heavier than it did. Like something has changed.
“So, I guess we get to spend the night together,” Micah says.
My eyebrows shoot up of their own volition.
Turning bright red, Micah shakes her head at the same time she grabs my hand, which is sort of sending mixed signals. “I didn’t mean it like that! Not that you’re not great and all. I just meant we’ll be sleeping together. In the same place! Different rooms, obviously. Unless. No. Sorry.”
Most of that was flustered rambling, but my mind focuses on one word at the end there.Unless.Unless what? Unless I want to share a room with her? I’m still working on the holding her hand part, and she thinks I might want to do more? One: this is a business trip that was supposed to get us home by seven. Two: I am not the sort of guy who jumps straight into intimacy without building a foundation first. I don’t jump into intimacy, period. And three: I can never let my growing interest in Micah become anything more than what it already is when she deserves so much better than a broken and possibly cursed man.
For some reason, I keep having to remind myself of that last one.
“Which room do you think will suit me?” I ask without acknowledging her rambling.
Still a bit pink, she smiles at me gratefully. “Probably the one in the far corner.”
“Why?”
“Because it has two sets of windows, so it feels like you’re right on the edge of the forest. You seem like the sort of guy who appreciates a chance to sit in stillness.”
It’s a bad idea, but I still wrap my other hand around our clasped hands, enjoying the smoothness of her skin beneath my fingertips. Her touch still has an electric spark to it, but at this point it’s almost comforting. Like it’s reminding me that I’m alive.
“I like stillness,” I agree slowly, “but I’m learning there’s something important in animation as well.”
She sucks in a breath. I’m not sure why she’s looking at me so intently, but I’m looking right back, noting each freckle on her face and the way some of her curls seem to have a mind of their own. When I look at her like this, it’s hard to believe I met her less than two weeks ago. Sometimes it feels like I’ve known her longer than I’ve known myself.
My phone buzzes so loudly on the table that I let out a curse and press a hand to my heart. It doesn’t help that Micah starts laughing at me, so when I answer it, I don’t exactly sound cheerful.
“What?”
“Oh, yeah, see, this is why I usually stay away from phones.”
“Kale?”
My roommate laughs as if me saying his name told him everything he needs to know. “Oh, you’ve got it bad.”
“What are you talking about?” Movement catches my eye, and I look up right as Micah slips out of the room without a backward glance. That’s not going to improve my mood. Where is she going?
“I’m talking about you and your girl, Fischer. You’re with her, right?”
I don’t want to know how he knows. I didn’t even tell him I was driving out to the lodge today since I figured I would be home around the same time I usually am. “Why are you calling, Kale? Andhoware you calling?”
“I have a landline.” He says it so matter-of-factly that I almost feel dumb for asking. “And I’m calling to make sure you’re not stupid enough to drive home in this mess. It’s really coming down.”
I glance around the empty kitchen, almost expecting him to walk out of the pantry or something. He’s always been excessively knowledgeable about things, but I figured he was just perceptive. Now I’m starting to wonder if he might be psychic.
I grip my phone tighter. “How do you know—”
“Don’t hate me, but I hacked your phone when you first moved in.”
