Page 68 of Rival Summer

boston

"Thanks for the coffee,"she tried to speak with the toothbrush still in her mouth, emerging from the hotel bathroom with a frothy grin.

"Only the best for you, gorgeous," I called out, leaning against the door frame.

"Ugh, do we have to leave? Can’t we just—I don't know—live here forever?" She gestured at the cramped but cozy room, half-joking, but there was a wishful tone behind her words.

I smiled, walking over to hand her the cup. "You’re going to be a big star one day. You've got many hotel rooms ahead of you to enjoy."

She spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth before accepting the coffee with a grateful smile. "You really believe I'll make it, huh?"

"Always your biggest fan," I said.

As we started shoving clothes into our bags, I glanced at Chandler. "So, how many points did I score this weekend?"

Chandler zipped up her suitcase and sat on the bed, a smirk playing on her lips. "Keeping my cards close to my chest for now, thank you very much."

"Alright then, I'll just have to keep working at it," I replied with a wink.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Hey," Chandler added, as she slung her purse over her shoulder, "I'm gonna swing by Willow’s room. I’ll meet you at the buses?"

"Sounds good," I nodded toward her half-closed suitcase. "Leave your bags. I'll take them all down."

"Thanks," she said, stepping closer. "You’re the best, you know that?"

She leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. As she pulled back, my hand instinctively reached out to graze her arm, wanting to hold on to her for just a second longer.

"See you soon," she whispered, her breath warm against my skin.

"See you," I echoed.

With one last look, Chandler grabbed her coffee and slipped out of the room, leaving behind the scent of her shampoo mingling with my coffee.

Back at the bus, luggage was being stowed away, signaling the end of our brief escape. As we lined up to find our seats, Bailey's snicker was unmistakable. "Crew hooked up with twins last night," he said, nudging Parker with his elbow.

Parker shook his head, covering his face. "That’s not a flex, that’s deeply disturbing."

From his seat, Crew tipped his hat back, his grin all shades of sly. "I will neither affirm nor deny that accusation," he drawled.

"Reese hooked up with someone too," Parker continued, scanning the group. My gaze fell on Chandler, who quickly looked away, her expression unreadable.

"Whoa, jumping to conclusions, aren't we?" Reese countered, leaving everyone curious about the accusation.

"Actually, he's jumping to the right conclusion," Bailey interjected, with a grin. "The bartender said you already closed our tab then left with a blonde."

"Remind me to leave you with the tab next time," Reese shot back. “And when have I ever been with a blonde?”

“He’s got a point there. He only hooks up with brunettes.” Crew nodded.

"And where did you sleep, Bailey? There’s no chance you made it to your own room," Reese asked, giving him a knowing look.

Bailey laughed. "I stayed in Willow's room. But behaving isn’t really my style."

Parker paused for a moment, interrupting Bailey before he could speak. “Wait-–if you were in Willow’s room..." Parker's eyes narrowed, then turned to Chandler, "...where did you sleep?"

Frozen, Willow and Chandler exchanged a silent conversation. I felt the weight of the moment settle over us.

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