“I’m next door if you need anything.”
I fought against a grin. “Thanks. Sweet dreams.”
“You, too.” He sauntered back down the hall toward his room while I fought the urge to watch him all the way until he disappeared. Damn, his ass looked fine in that pair of jeans.
Shutting my door, I leaned against it, sighing like I would have in high school. I spent a little while unpacking my luggage, hanging up clothes and putting a lot of my toiletries on the desk and dresser. Then I turned on the fireplace and warmed my toes. I was tempted to sit in front of it all night, reading one of the stories I’d told Maddox about.
Instead, I decided to take a warm, relaxing bath in that gigantic tub. It wasn’t long before I was surrounded by steaming water, wondering to myself how people could ever get used to living in luxury like this without feeling guilty. I didn’t right now, because this felt a vacation, but how would I feel if I was here for months…years?
That would never happen.
When my muscles felt like jelly and my limbs had grown heavy, it was time to get out. The tub made a gurgling sound as the water flowed down the drain, and I patted myself down with one of the fluffiest towels I’d ever used. I slathered my body in lime verbena lotion before donning a pair of fleece pink and gray pajamas. After sliding on a pair of slippers, I brushed my teeth and washed my face, and then I turned off all the lights except a lamp on the nightstand.
But I curled up in front of the fire and watched the flames flicker as my mind wandered. I couldn’t help but think about my neighbor next door. He seemed farther away than my neighbors in my apartment building when I was home—and I was probably right. This bedroom was easily larger than my place.
Maddox, though. What was he doing right now? Was he reading one of his mysteries—or maybe his nonfiction du jour?
Was he thinking about me?
I had to stop tormenting myself. Crawling into bed and shutting off the light, letting that go was easy. Because now, even with the fireplace, the dark was encroaching and I was in a very strange place. Falling asleep wasn’t easy but it was eventual.
Hours later, I felt like I was being held down by the strongest spiderwebs ever created. Suddenly, I saw my mother across the room, looking young again, and she was walking into another room with a man. He had a cigarette in between yellow-stained fingers and he pointed it at me. You’re next, he mouthed. I tried screaming, begging my mother not to go with him, but she couldn’t hear me. She wouldn’t turn around.
There was no sound coming out of my mouth.
I didn’t know where my mother was going. I only knew I was doomed.