Page 25 of Breakaway

I click through the tabs I have open, and most of the articles make me want to drop my fucking phone as if it’s poisonous.

How to get a marriage license

Marriage license bureau Vegas address

Nearest wedding chapel Vegas

Tossing my phone on the table, I hide my fingers in my hair and dig my nails into my scalp. This is a fucking joke. I remember playing Truth or Dare at the bar, and it was probably just part of that stupid game, right? It has to be, because…no, it’s impossible. Why would we get married? It makes no sense.

I lick my lips, my eyes glossing over the lobby without seeing anything. My gaze zeroes in on my coffee cup, and I feel nauseous. Bile climbs up my throat, making it constrict painfully. I inhale and exhale, again and again—anything to calm down my breathing and not let the bile come out. Why am I panicking? I don’t even know if my googling means anything.

A clipped memory pops into my head. Just an image, no sound. Nevaeh sits across from me at the bar, her hands on the table as she tells me something, her hair falling into her eyes. She tucks her wild locks behind her ears and meets my gaze. A shy smile graces her features when my palm covers hers.

What the hell were we talking about?Blyat’?4. I don’t remember shit about what we did at the bar or afterward.

There’s only one way to know what happened. I need to go back to my room and talk to the only person who can help me shed light on last night’s events. Or at least try to remember some of the night if, like me, she has zero recollection.

Please don’t let me be married.

I cautiouslyopen the door of our room and step inside. The cup of coffee I brought for Nevaeh is in my hand. I walk further into the room and see her stir in bed. Freezing on the spot, I watch her in silence in case she’s not ready to wake up.

Groaning softly, Nevaeh sits up in bed. She’s pouting, and her eyebrows are pinched together. Her hair flows down her shoulders, looking adorably messy. Stretching, she raises her arms in the air and yawns loudly. Even in my distressed state, I can’t hold back a smile. Something about this girl just resonates with me, drawing me to her and causing emotions I’ve never felt in my life.

“Hey,” I say quietly, and she turns her head to me. Her eyes travel from my face down my body, assessing the clothes I’m wearing. “How do you feel?”

“Don’t know yet,” she grumbles and stands up from the bed, hesitant. Rotating her neck, she stretches again, and a small smile crosses her features. “Well, at least my head doesn’t hurt.”

“Lucky you. I woke up with a raging headache.” I step closer and extend the cup to her. “Here, I brought you some coffee.”

Nevaeh lowers her gaze to the cup and then looks back at me, her eyes roaming over my face. “How long have you been awake?”

“An hour.”

Becoming pensive for a moment, she continues to stare at me, but I doubt she really sees me. One hand slides down her dress while the other flies to her hair, threading her fingers through and stumbling over some knots. The change in her face is sudden, her cheeks growing a deep shade of pink as her lips part.

Without a word, she hurries to her suitcase, rummages through it, and grabs something. The next thing I know, she’s closing the bathroom door behind her.

I take a deep breath, put her coffee on the nightstand, and decide to clean up our room, starting with finally letting in the sunlight.

“You sure youdon’t want to eat?” Nevaeh asks, arching an eyebrow at me from across the table. We’ve been sitting at the restaurant for twenty minutes, and the only thing I’ve managed to have was another cup of coffee.

“I’m fine,” I drawl, drumming my fingers on the table. Trying to figure out the best way to ask her about last night is giving me a headache all over again.

“God, you’re frustrating!” she says angrily, and my eyes snap to her in an instant. Putting her fork on her plate and pushing it away from her, she leans back in the chair, her gaze glued to me. “We haven’t known each other long, but I can tell you have something on your mind. What’s going on?”

I run my palm down my face. It’s like my brain went into short circuit, because for a moment I forget how to speak English. Setting my elbows on the table, I lock my hands in front of me, and, after a long exhale, I finally go for it.

“What do you remember about last night?”

Nevaeh frowns, trailing her fingers over her braid. Her silence is deafening, and I’m slowly losing my shit.Please, say something.

“I remember that after the casino we went to the bar, and we were playing Truth or Dare.” She trails off, twisting her lips into a little grimace. I wait, praying she remembers more than I do. “I think we went somewhere…but I don’t remember where, exactly, or what we were doing. Why? I mean, we made it back to our room, right? Sure, I fell asleep in your bed, which I’m really sorry for. But I was fully dressed when I woke up, so I don’t think anything happened between us. Is that what’s bothering you?”

“No, of course not. I know nothing happened,” I blurt, mentally slapping myself when I notice how her gaze darkens.Fuck, this shit is messing with my head.“I’m just worried we did something…extremely stupid.”

“Such as?” She arches her eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

Instead of answering, I pull my phone out of my pocket and show her the articles I discovered in my browser. Nevaeh keeps silent at first, but then she bursts out laughing.

---