Page 37 of Perfectly Complicated
What was I thinking, kissing him like that?Opening a door I've kept locked since Nick left? He made me feel things I swore I'd never let myself feel again.
As Rourke concentrates on the road, I can feel the weight of what we're not talking about.
“You okay?” he finally asks without taking his eyes off the road. “I mean…with the weather?”
I stare out the window. “I will be as soon as I’m out of this car.”
Truthfully, I’m not okay. And it’s not just the snowstorm—it’s the realization that everything between us just shifted, and that, mostly, it’smyfault. I’m the one who invited him today. The one trying to convince him to catch some Christmas feels.
Instead, I’m the one who caught feelings—for him.
And then I kissed him.
How am I going to get through weeks of practice without thinking of that moment?
It’s like someone is punishing me for trying to be nice at Christmas after I tried to reform the world’s biggest grinch.
When we finally reach town, Rourke pulls into the parking lot of a small diner with a cheerful neon sign.
“Let’s figure out our options over dinner.”
Inside, we slide into a vinyl booth by the window, both of us avoiding any mention of the festival.
Our waitress, a woman in her sixties with heavy lines on her face, appears with a carafe of coffee. “Y’all trying to get back home tonight?”
“That was the plan,” I say. “Know any routes other than the highway?”
She laughs, like she finds my question amusing. “Not happening, honey. Jimmy’s got the only plow in town, and even he’s not risking those roads tonight. Everything’s completely shut down until morning. You folks need to find somewhere to hunker down for the night.”
I glance at Rourke, who doesn’t look happy about this either. We’re stuck.Together.After that kiss that I can’t stop thinking about.
“But I have to get home,” I say. “I have a daughter who needs me. I’ve never been gone overnight from her before.”
“Then you better call your babysitter and ask for a favor. It’ll be harder on you than her,” the waitress says, like she knows from experience. “Look on the bright side: you picked a good night to get stranded. Whole town is decorated for Christmas and there’s a snowstorm…” Her lips curve into a wicked smile. “In nine months, there’s gonna be a lot of babies.”
Rourke nearly chokes on his coffee, before he coughs and pounds his chest, trying to find his breath.
“We just need a place to stay until the highway opens up,” I explain.
“Well, Santaville Cabin Rentals might have openings.” She nods in some vague direction up the road. “Real cozycabins, with fireplaces and kitchenettes. But I’d call now—they might already be full.”
“Thanks,” I say feeling that sudden zip of nervousness as she walks away.
I glance at Rourke, keeping my face all-business. “You want to make the reservation for two cabins?”
“Sure,” he says. “But what if they don’t…”
“Somebodyhasto have two rooms,” I say firmly. “I don’t care what we have to pay.”
Rourke makes the call while I text Scarlett to explain the situation with the roads.
She responds immediately that she’s happy to stay overnight and Aria is sleeping like an angel. Our waitress was right—being gone overnight is harder for me than my daughter. But one much bigger problem is still sitting across from me, muting his phone with a sigh.
“They’ve got one cabin left. A small one. The woman said if we don’t take it now, she can’t hold it.”
I stare at him, my heart doing flips in my chest. “When you say one cabin…” I frown, studying his face. “You mean with two rooms, right?”
He holds up a finger, pressing the phone closer to his ear. “What? Sorry, I couldn’t—” His eyes widen slightly at whatever the woman is saying.
