Page 26 of No Rhyme or Roughing
“Oh,” came her muffled response.
“I just need some clothes.” I stepped toward thecloset, grabbing green hiking pants, an Under Armour shirt, and boots. When I turned back, I found her watching me with squinty eyes and deep circles beneath them.
Biting back a laugh, I shook my head. “I don’t envy you today.”
“Don’t talk so loud.”
“Hold on.” I left and returned a moment later with a cup of water and a bottle of painkillers.
Her face softened into a grateful half-smile. “You’re the best.”
I noticed the full bowl of cereal and glass of juice on her nightstand.
“Teddy?” I asked.
She shrugged. “So, about last night...”
“We don’t have to talk about it,” I cut in quickly, stepping toward the door. I needed to escape before I said something dangerous. Even with her bedhead and bleary eyes, she was beautiful.
“Oh.” Her voice dipped, quieter now. “Good. That’s good.”
“We’re heading out, but call if you need anything.”
She nodded quickly. “Yep. Sure. I mean, I don’t think I’ll need anything from you. Nope, nothing at all.” Her lips snapped shut, and she winced.
I couldn’t help but smile at her, the way she got flustered by the simplest conversations, blurting out whatever popped into her head. “We’ll see about that.”
I could have killedTeddy for dragging us out here. It was raining. Not a cute little drizzle, but the kind of rain that soaked you to the bone, left you cold, miserable, and questioning every life choice.
And the bastard had a smile on his face.
“Rowan and I took a vote. We hate you.” I swiped water out of my eyes.
Teddy shot me a wink and draped an arm over my shoulders. “Friend, sometimes you just have to let the world drown you.”
I pushed his laughing self away. His relentless optimism was usually infectious, but today I had too much on my mind.
Teddy danced ahead of us—literally danced. Most of the tourists had fled the downpour, leaving the trees to us.
Rowan looked sideways at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re being more of a dick than usual. Sure, the rain sucks, but Teddy wanted us to spend the day outside, clear our heads.”
I sighed, running a hand through my wet hair. The truth was, I was nervous. Every step forward felt like a step closer to tomorrow—when I’d have to perform for our sparse crowd and all of social media. This team needed saving, and I couldn’t back out now. Not with Sydney so invested.
So, why hadn’t I told the guys about the plan?
Probably because they’d try to talk me out of it—or because Sydney had asked me not to. “Just a lot on my mind.”
“When don’t you have a lot on your mind, Ry?”Teddy called, glancing at us. “You always act like the world’s falling apart. But guess what? It’s not. You’re allowed to live a little.”
His words echoed Sydney’s on the beach. Why did they have to be so alike? But he was right. So was she.
Live a little.
It was the only way I’d get through tomorrow.
