Page 53 of The Road to Finding Us

For some reason, Aspen’s face pops into my head. I wipe it from my thoughts just as quickly as it came, not trying to read too far in to why it was his face I saw. “You bet your ass I won’t settle. I mean, I’m Lily Morrison. I deserve the freaking best.”

The two of us spend the day in bed, watching cheesy movies and having girl talk. I try to be a good support for my best friend, knowing she’s about to do something that’ll change her world. But, there’s still a sinking feeling in my stomach on what it’ll do to Maverick. I can only hope they both come out of this breakup as people who understand what it really means to fall madly in love.

And then I remind myself that one day, I’ll have the same kind of love I’ve been preaching about to Selma. One day I’ll fall in love with a man who’s as desperate for me as I am him.

Someday.

It’s much later in the day, after Selma goes home, when one simple text message has me reading into something else I shouldn’t be.

Aspen: How are you feeling, Zombie Bear? I shut the curtains in your room this morning. Didn’t want your poor roommates to feel the wrath of a tired and hungover Lily. Hope you were able to sleep.

Throwing me off once again, Aspen proves that he’s capable of paying attention to someone other than himself. Somehow, he remembered that I can’t sleep in if there’s any daylight in my room.

And I hate that this small gesture makes a big impact on me.

I hate that I love it.

26

Aspen

Present

“Would you like another?” The bartender eyes me as he dries off a mug, his eyes wandering down to my own drink, which is now empty.

I sigh, wondering if another beer is a good idea. I trace the lines in the condensation around my glass. “Nah,” I finally reply, leaning back on the barstool. “I should probably get back up to my room.” I rub my hands over my face slowly, scratching at the stubble that’s already grown out today.

Blaine fucking Wilcox.

That asshole is the reason I’m sitting alone at the hotel bar as Lily sits in the room upstairs. When I talked to Veronica about Lily, never once did she mention that Lily still talked to Blaine. And not only is she talking to him, she’s telling him that she misses him.

She misses him. The words sting as I replay them in my head. And as if my plan wasn’t already falling to shit around me, she dismissed me to Blaine as if I were a fucking nobody.

“Oh, it’s no one.”

No one? What the flying fuck is going on right now?

“Should I just charge it to your room?” the bartender asks, as he takes my empty mug.

All I do is nod, stepping off the stool and finding the courage to go back up to the room.

I swear to all that is holy, if she’s still on the phone with Blaine when I get back up there, I might blow a damn gasket.

My phone vibrates from inside my pocket. I want to ignore it, but it could be V responding to my text from earlier.

Aspen: Wtf, V. Lily talks to Blaine?

Veronica: Uhhh…what?

My fingers hammer at my touchscreen as I make my way to the elevator.

Aspen: Lily…Blaine…they talk. What happened to the fucking plan?

Veronica: That’s news to me. It’ll all be fine. Stop being dramatic. It’s not a cute look for you.

I shove my phone back into my pocket, not wanting to deal with her either. She might be one of my best friends, but right now, I need someone who’ll let me be dramatic. The chime on the elevator dings, the doors opening right after. I step in and push the button for the floor we’re staying on. I hesitantly pull the room key out of my pocket once I step out of the elevator and head toward our room, giving myself a mental pep talk to prepare myself in case Lily’s still on the phone with Blaine.

As I stand outside our door, I can hear music blasting from inside. If we weren’t in bachelorette party central—AKA Nashville—I might’ve worried her loud music would disrupt the neighbors, but it’s just as loud out on the streets.

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