Page 29 of From Now On

Alfred shakes his head. “I’ve only got one room left.”

“With two beds?”

Another headshake. “Just the one room with the one queen bed.”

Of course. With the way this trip is going, I wouldn’t have been shocked if he’d said he hadnorooms available. Having to turn around and inch my way back onto the highway holds no appeal whatsoever.

“Okay. I’ll take the room, please.” I pull out my wallet. “Fifty-nine, right?”

“Sixty-nine. Plus tax.”

If Aidan were here, he’d make a joke.

I glance at the laminated price sheet, which lists a queen room as fifty-nine dollars a night.

Alfred reaches out and grabs the sign, stashing it under his desk. “Prices are subject to change based on availability.”

No wonder he looks so cheerful. Business is booming tonight thanks to the gridlock on the highway.

I hand him my credit card and then sign the slip.

Alfred beams. “Have a pleasant stay.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I leave the office with two plastic keys for room eleven. As I approach, Eve unlocks the car and climbs out, glancing around nervously.

I hate that we live in a society where women see a dark parking lot as dangerous.

“You okay?” I ask her.

“Yeah.” She bites her bottom lip and shrugs a little. “I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, and a lot of them involve a seedy motel.”

I’m not sure what to say to that, so I just nod. I feel like Alfred would take offense toseedy, but Eve is right. This place looks like it could have bedbugs.

“They only had, uh, one room left,” I say, handing her one of the plastic cards. “Eleven.”

I watch Eve’s expression carefully as the fact that we’ll be sharing a room registers.

“Oh. Okay. Good they weren’t full, I guess.” She looks uncertain, mostly, tapping the key against one of the flowers on her pants and gnawing on her lower lip.

I nod. “Thought the same thing.” I don’t mention the one-bed situation yet. I’m hoping there’s a couch I can crash on. “And I promise I’m not a serial killer.”

Eve’s lips twitch a little. “I fear that’s exactly what a serial killer would say in this situation.”

Whatever expression is on my face makes her laugh. “Relax, Hunter. I trust you.”

She should trust me. Trustworthy is an adjective lots of people would use to describe me.

Eve’strust feels different. I’m not sure if she means it or if she’s just saying it, but I want her to mean it. I want to earn that trust, somehow.

She holds something out to me. It takes me a few seconds to realize it’s a wad of cash.

“I’m not taking your money, Eve.”

She moves it closer, her knuckles bumping against my ribs and then quickly retreating an inch so we’re no longer touching. “It’s the least I can do. You didn’t let me pay for gasordinner.”

“I told you, I was already taking this trip. I’d have bought gas and dinner regardless of whether or not you came along, and I would have stopped for the night regardless too.”

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