Page 55 of For One Night Only

16

Caleb

After Mary Kate leaves the bar, I can feel Valerie’s anxiety sharp in the air, like static before a storm. I’ve always been attuned to her emotions, but something about sharing a bed last night made our connection so much stronger, like I can once again read her mind.

I also want her so bad it hurts.

She stares down at her unfinished drink, and I know she needs reassurance right now, not more flirting. “That was brave,” I say softly.

She scoffs, glancing up at me with a stubborn tip of her chin, but there’s uncertainty in her eyes. “Was it? I barely said anything.”

“We could have played up our relationship more, you know,” I say with a wry grin, elbowing her in the side.

I hoped for a laugh, but this at least gets me a smile. “I think keeping it vague is better. Besides, you said you didn’t want to lie to anyone.”

Is it a lie?I want to ask, but I hold my tongue. She’s in no mood for teasing, or trying to get to the heart of whatever might be goingon between us. “Fair enough. But speaking up for Roxanne, refuting Theo’s lies—that took guts.”

She sighs, stirring her drink. “I don’t know if it’ll work. All of my media training says not to respond to rumors, but it’s gotten to the point that I couldn’t just stay silent anymore. Everyone loves Theo—I’m not sure if they have enough reason to believe me instead. At least Mary Kate is one of the good ones, and she gave me a chance to try.”

Even knowing how much Valerie needed this, it was hard to go into the interview—but Mary Kate made it almost painless. A warm feeling spreads in my chest, and I know it’s more than just the wine. I’m starting to believe this industry isn’tallthat bad.

At least, not when I get to be next to Valerie.

I nod. “I think it’ll be a great piece.”

Valerie bites her lip. “Are you still feeling anxious about all of this?”

And there she is, caring about me even when she’s the one having the worst day. I want to lie—I want to protect her from the guilt I know it will bring, but enough people in Valerie’s life have lied to her lately. She deserves truth from me, at least.

“How could I not be anxious? I thought I closed this chapter a long time ago,” I admit.

Valerie takes a long sip of her drink. “Do you regret coming back?”

“No,” I say quickly. She looks up, and there’s so much damn hope in her eyes I can’t look away. But this is also the truth, and I can’t do anything but be honest with her. “I thought I would, but I don’t regret it. Not for a second.”

“That’s good,” she says. “I’m…I’m really glad you came.”

“Me too.”

We sit in silence for a bit, me drinking the last sips of my fruity rosé, her finishing the dregs of her cocktail.

“Do you want to go out on a date with me?” I ask in a rush, and nearly want to laugh because I sound so damn earnest, like I’m sixteen again and asking her to the homecoming dance. All of that tenuous pretense before our first real kiss.

Valerie gapes. “What?”

I rub the back of my neck, shifting awkwardly on my barstool. “We’ve talked about feeding our relationship to the media, but we haven’t actually gone out very much. We should go somewhere we’ll get photographed.”

She purses her lips, clearly not convinced, using her straw to stir the ice in her empty mug. “You said you didn’t want to lie to anyone.”

I swallow, getting as close to the truth as I dare. “We haven’t hung out in years, and I want to spend as much time as I can with you before the summer is over.” I lean closer to her, lowering my voice. “Since we have nothing scheduled tonight, we should take advantage of our free time and catch up. That’s not a lie.”

My blood rushes to my head. Maybe this is too honest, but the words are out there, hanging between us. No going back.

Valerie’s cheeks turn the prettiest shade of pink. She opens her mouth as if to argue, then closes it again. “Okay, fine. Where are you going to take me on this date? And it better not be at this hotel because the food is great but I’m tired of this menu.”

Other than Valerie’s dwindling stash of Trader Joe’s snacks, we really have been eating hotel food almost nonstop for weeks. I shouldn’t have an idea already, but I do, because I’ve known Valerie for years and I can’t help but notice things that she’d like.

Or maybe it’s just because I’m still completely gone for her.

---