Page 65 of Hear Me Roar

“That I do,” I said, just as Manny emerged into the living area, his brown eyes shining when they raked over Maya from across theroom…

Doingnothing quickly turned into a glorious two-hour nap I hadn't known I needed. When I woke up, the sun was just starting to set, flooding the all-white room in pink and gold hues. Rolling over, I stretched out and reached for my phone charging at the end of the bed; a bed that was far too big for just me. Three missed calls and two texts from Knox greeted me as I clicked on thescreen.

My King:Did you make it to theDelano?

My King:Baby?

My King:I’m starting to get worried, please callme.

And the last one was five minutesago.

My King:Okay, I’m seriously worried. Manny isn’t answeringeither…

What?

I tossed the phone onto the mattress and scrambled out from underneath the sheets, racing out the door to the living room in alarm. Where could he be? He and Maya should definitely have been backalready.

Oh, they were back alright, and the sight I walked in on was not at all what I was expecting tosee.

Holy shit,I thought to myself, screeching to a halt as quietly as possible. Maya and Manny were passed out on the couch with the TV playing some rerun ofCops. She was snuggled into the corner and he was splayed out on top of her, his head on her stomach. My hand shot up to my mouth as I retreated back the way I came and shut my door in complete shock. I stood there, pressed up against the wood for I don't know how long with my mind running in circles, until my phone began buzzingaway.

Knox.

I knew it was him. Pouncing onto the bed, I hit the green button on my screen and lifted the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Jesus Christ, there you are. I was having a panic attack,” he exclaimed, and I could all but see him raking a hand through hishair.

Laying back into the pillow, I set the phone on speaker and dropped the volume a few notches. “I’m sorry, I wasnapping.”

“And Manny? He hasn’t been answeringeither.”

“He’s nappingtoo.”

Napping withMaya...

“Manny? Napping?” he asked dubiously. “Okayyy,well, I’m assuming you all made it to the hotelthen?”

“Yeah we got here around three. There was major traffic on95.”

“Notsurprising.”

“Mhmm.”

“I miss you already,” hemurmured.

My response came delayed because all I could wonder was how he had the time to talk on the phone if he as busy as heclaimed.

Sifting my fingers through my hair, I sighed. “...I miss youtoo.”

“That soundspromising…”

‘What are you talkingabout?”

“You,” he said simply. “You seem so faraway.”

“I am far away. Miami, remember,” I quipped, hoping to lighten histhoughts.

I failed though,obviously.

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