Page 96 of Spin Serve

As Kendra took them in this time, she realized she was no longer jealous of what they had. Wyatt and Everly had been married for years now and had made their little family, and while Kendra wanted all of that one day, too, she wasn’t jealous anymore. Previously, whenever they’d gone out for drinks and she’d seen them looking completely in love and happy, she’d been envious, being so far away from having the life she wanted for herself. Now, though, the life she wanted suddenly felt a lot closer, and it made her a little nervous.

She still had to talk to Aspen, and since she’d been the one to tell her that she wanted to talk in person, in their calls and video chats, instead of just getting it out there, they’d been dancing around the conversation that Kendra wanted to have. It put a lot of pressure on the day after tomorrow when she’d get home. Her flight was at ten in the morning, and she’d be home not long after that, so it wasn’t as if she could put it off for another day and live in this blissful place where everything was still possible. She didn’t know what outcome she was expecting, but she’d tried to be optimistic whenever it entered her mind.

Once on the highway on the short ride back to her room, she texted Aspen that she’d be there in about ten minutes and would call her after she ordered something for dinner because she was starving. When she got back to the hotel, she pulled up the website Everly had sent her on her phone and reviewed it a little as the elevator took her up to the fourth floor. It pinged, telling her that she’d arrived, and the doors opened. Kendra looked up to get off, and there was Aspen Ashley standing in the middle of the hallway, holding a bouquet of red roses, looking dressed up for a date, and smiling at her.

“A guy came up the elevator a second ago and got off on this floor. He was pretty surprised to see me standing here, holding out flowers, but he said he’d be open to the idea if his wife wasn’t waiting for him in the room. Not sure how I should take that,” Aspen said.

Kendra put her phone in her purse and asked, almost in disbelief, “You’re here?”

“I’m here,” Aspen replied. “And these are for you, not him, to be clear.” She held out the flowers.

The elevator doors started to close.

“Oh, shit,” Kendra said, and Aspen put her arm in the way to get them to open back up.

Kendra walked out and let the door close behind her before she took the flowers that Aspen held out for her.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I’m home the day after tomorrow, Aspen.”

“I couldn’t wait,” Aspen told her.

“What about the coach thing you had to do today?”

“Did it. She wasn’t great. Well, I thought she was okay, actually, but DJ wasn’t a fan. I hopped on a plane after that and got here about twenty minutes ago. Hence the text asking when you’d be back. I knew your floor because you said you were on the fourth, but not your room number, and they wouldn’t give it to me when I got here, for obvious reasons. It turns out that, even if you tell them you’re dating the woman who’s in the room, they won’t just give you the room number, so I guess that’s a win for your safety.” Aspen chuckled.

“Are you nervous right now?” Kendra asked.

“That obvious? I was hoping you’d be okay with the surprise, but I did get a room here just in case. I’m on the seventh floor, so if you want me to leave, I’ll go. Or, if you want me to stay there after we talk, I will.”

“You got a room?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me staying with you tonight.”

“I do,” she stated quickly. “I do, Aspen. God, I’m so glad you’re here.” Kendra wrapped her free arm around Aspen’s neck and pulled her in for the best hug she could get with a bouquet in her other hand. “Where’s your stuff?”

“Here.” Aspen pulled out of the hug and pointed to a roller bag by the wall behind her, with a backpack sitting atop it, attached to the handle.

“I’m in four-seventeen. Come on.”

Kendra then watched Aspen take her stuff with one hand, and it left their hands in the middle free to join, so Aspen took that as an opportunity and entwined their fingers for the very short walk down the hall to Kendra’s room before she had to let go in order to allow Kendra to unlock the door.

“Just… Uh… You can put your stuff anywhere. I’ll fill the ice bucket with water for the flowers.”

“Okay,” Aspen said.

Kendra’s heart raced as she filled the bucket, placed the plastic-wrapped roses into it, and leaned them against the bathroom mirror, which was the best she could do for the night. When she turned around, she saw Aspen standing there, staring at her.

“We’re going to talk now, right?” Aspen asked, looking worried.

CHAPTER 31

“How long are you staying? Just tonight?” Kendra asked. “Or tomorrow night, too?”

“I found a seat on your flight, actually. I was thinking that when we get to the airport, we could see if we could get seats together.”

“That sounds good,” Kendra said, looking and sounding unemotional as she sat down on the desk chair instead of on the king bed next to Aspen.

“You’re making me nervous, Kendra.”

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