Page 39 of A Little Secret

Her eyes crinkle in the corners as she grins back at me, and I turn up the volume a few more clicks.

CHAPTER TWELVE

GRIFFIN

It’s weird. Barely saying a few sentences to each other for weeks on end, then being crammed in a car with a person. I’d almost forgotten how much she makes me laugh, even when she isn’t trying. Part of me wants to hold it against her. The fact that she cut me off. That she threw away our friendship, all because a guy told her to. The other part? I get it. I don’t like that I get it, but I do. I care about Fin, even when I shouldn’t, and today was a reminder of all the thoughts I’ve shoved aside for years, all because she was dating someone else. Knowing they’ll have to stay locked up for the rest of my life is a bitch.

Then again, maybe it’s for the best. I’m leaving, and if the Tornadoes reaching out is any indication of a timeline, it’ll probably be sooner rather than later. That is, if I didn’t already fuck up my opportunity with them by bailing on our meeting we had scheduled.

Fuck, I can’t believe I bailed on them.

They’re going to be pissed. I’m still not sure if I made the right call. I mean nothing to Finley, yet my future might be on the line for this little…road trip.

What the hell am I doing here?

Finley’s always had me wrapped around her little finger, but this? This is a low point, even for me. We make it seventeen hours until my ass can’t take it anymore, and we find a hotel. I debated making reservations last night when I suggested this insane plan but decided against it because I didn’t know how far we’d make it on the first day. On the one hand, I’m glad we made it as far as we did. On the other, thanks to the ten bathroom breaks that convinced me Finley has a bladder the size of a pea, it’s late, and this is one of the only hotels in town with an empty room.

To say the place isn’t a five-star hotel would be a massive understatement, but considering the circumstances, I’m not too picky. Thankfully, Finley isn’t, either.

Musk fills my nostrils as I juggle our bags down the hall and toward our room, grateful Finley at least had the courage to hold the terrarium so I wouldn’t have to go back to the SUV. I’m exhausted. The last forty-eight hours have been a bitch to wrap my head around, and the idea of a bed and pillow sounds almost as good as a solid orgasm.

Almost.

Balancing the bags, I wave the electronic key in front of the lock and twist the handle. The door opens with a loud creak, and our bags hit the floor as I flick on the light. “Well, shit.”

Finley peeks around me, her arms still wrapped around Frankie’s terrarium after we played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would carry it to the room, and since my arms were already full of our bags, she only threatened to cut off my balls twice before giving in and taking it with us.

“There’s only one bed,” she notes.

“I’m aware there’s one bed. That's why I saidshit.”

“Rude.” She smacks my back, steps around me, and setsthe glass cage on the dresser next to the television, shivering in disgust. Once a healthy distance is between her and the terrarium, she turns back to me and crosses her arms. “First of all, I’m a delight to sleep with. And secondly, we’re both adults. I think we can share a bed.”

“And what would Drew say if he knew?” I counter.

“Fuck Drew. Oh, wait,” she winks, “I already have.”

“Yeah, and look where it got you.” My attention drops to her flat stomach.

Sticking her tongue out at me, she snaps, “I think it’s a little too soon for that kind of humor.”

“Yet, you make it so easy,” I return.

“Har, har. Now, enough chatting. I’m exhausted.” She covers her yawn with her hand, takes off her sandals, and slips beneath the covers.

As I stare at her, dumbfounded, she rolls toward me. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem?”

“You’re not gonna brush your teeth or pee or…?”

“Excuse me, sir, but I believe neither of those things is any of your business.”

Folding my arms, I challenge, “Oh, so your bladder is finally empty after the last ten pit stops?”

She grins back at me. “Maybe.”

“What about your meds?”

“What about them?”

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