Page 55 of The Luck of Finding You
“Okay, fine.” She points a finger at me. “But I get the bed by the window, and we don’t close the curtains because otherwise, it’s too dark.”
“Deal.” I hold out my hand to shake hers. To my surprise, she slips hers into mind. It’s warm and small and gone all too soon.
20
TALLY
I’m silent as we take the elevator up to our room.
Our room.
Oh, gosh, what am I even doing? I’m too tired to even think straight though, so when Noah offered to let me sleep in his extra bed, I said yes.
I want to call Holly, but I can’t do that because for the next twelve hours, at least, I’ll be in the same room as Noah. I can’t call Holly to have her help me when my problem is going to be only a few feet away. I’ll send her a text once we get up to the room.
I catch my reflection in the mirror across from me. I look exhausted and slightly frazzled. My hair has started to come loose from the messy braid I put it in hours ago. At this point though, I no longer care.
“This elevator is so slow,” I say as the number changes from one to two after almost a minute. “We should have taken the stairs.”
Noah smiles and I ignore what the smile does to me because I am here to meet Mo and Simone Sorrows. I will not be distracted by Noah right now, even if he is super distracting.
“We can remember that tomorrow.” Noah is still smirking, and it makes me want to punch him in the shoulder. Or rest my head on it.
“No. Not going there.” I mutter to myself.
“What was that?” Noah asks, raising his eyebrows.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” I am awake enough to know that the words did, in fact, come out of my mouth. “This happens when I’m tired. I say things out loud that I should have only thought.”
“And what exactly where you thinking about?” Noah teases as the elevator finally comes to a stop. “Just now. Where aren’t you going?”
I look at him for a split second while we wait for the elevator doors to open. “Nope.”
“Nope what?” Noah asks as we step into the hallway. It looks like the hallway from the movieThe Shiningthat I once watched with Dad. Dad, for reasons that I still cannot comprehend, is a horror movie fanatic. It’s the one and only horror movie I’ve ever seen. I’m still scarred from watching it and that was when I was in high school.
“Are you sure we’re not going to die here?” I ask, frozen in place. I do not do horror movies. Or creepy hotels that look like the set of a horror movie.
Noah laughs, at least until he realizes that my question is serious. “I don’t think we’re going to die here, Tally.”
“Promise?” I ask, even though it makes me feel pathetic to ask.
“I promise to protect you from any threats.” Noah is dead serious.
I am actually grateful, but I do punch him this time.
“What the heck was that for?” Noah rubs his arm, even though I know I didn’t hit him that hard.
“Have you never seenThe Shining?!” I gesture toward the carpet and the wallpaper. Recognition dawns in his eyes.
“Like I said, I think we’re safe. But if creepy twins appear, I promise I’ll protect you.” Noah suddenly stops. We’re at our room.
I’ve read enough books and seen enough movies to know that waiting behind that door is just one bed, because that’s always what happens. This is real life though, and when Noah pushes open the door, I see two twin beds in the cramped space. I’m grateful and disappointed at the same time.
“Ah, cozy,” Noah says, tugging off his jacket as he looks around the room. The two beds are pushed against one wall. There’s a door to my right that I assume is the bathroom. A tiny fridge is humming in the corner, but that’s the only other thing in the room.
“At least there are two beds,” I say, pulling open the door to reveal the tiniest bathroom I’ve ever seen. Most of the room is taken up by the huge vanity. Then the toilet and glass shower are squished across from it. Noah and I look ghostly in the lighting. We’re definitely going to die here.
“Ah, didn’t want to snuggle with me?” Noah grins and I blink. Why does he have to be flirty with me when I’m tired? I want to flirt back, but I won’t.
