Page 320 of Rage

"Those are all copies, but I have the originals, or at least what was in his files. And pictures of everything else, like the pill bottles and the phone. I'll turn it all over to whatever official or police investigator as soon as it's safe."

"You did good, Levi. I'm not gonna lie. I thought you were nuts when you talked about getting close to him to expose him. But you did the damn thing."

"I had some help."

He frowns at me. "I thought you'd be happier."

"Yeah, me too."

Through the diner window, I can see Adam dozing in the passenger seat of my car. My heart twinges. I can't believe he's here with me. The drive was tense and silent. We barely talked to each other outside of bringing up stops for bathroom breaks or caffeine, or to switch off driving duties. Not that either of us slept. I'm glad to see he's resting a little now. The last nine hours have been physically and emotionally exhausting.

Sal brings our orders out, and Freddie pays for everything, despite my protests.

"Go check into your hotel, get some rest. I'll check in with you later today, but it might be tomorrow before John gets through all of this, depending on his court schedule today. Just rest and take it easy, maybe do some touristy shit to get your mind off things."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Freddie."

He pulls me in for another hug and thumps me on the back. "I'm happy to help, man. It's really good to see you in person. Maybe if you stick around for a while, we can have dinner or go out? This town has some decent nightlife."

"Sounds good."

We walk out together. Freddie is parked just a few spaces away from my car, and he sees the handsome sleeping man in my passenger seat. He raises his eyebrows and nods like he's impressed.

I wish I could smile back at him and be like, "Yeah man, I know, right? He's just as gorgeous inside as he is out, too." I want to be proud to have him. But he's not mine, and he neverwill be because I fucked this up so monumentally. Not only did I lose him, but I made him second guess himself. Just when he was coming to terms with having feelings for another man. Just when he'd let go and let himself feel and enjoy.

"Alright, man. I'll check in with you later."

With one last thank you and a wave, I get in the car and place the bag of food in the back seat. Adam sleeps the whole way to the hotel Freddie recommended, and I leave him to check in. When I come back with the key, he's awake but a little disoriented.

"Let's get inside and eat, shower, and sleep—in whatever order works best for you," I say, grabbing my duffle and the bag of food. Adam follows me quietly. Maybe I should have booked him his own room, but I'm worried about him being alone. I might not be his favorite person or the best company right now, but I don't want him spiraling or anything like that.

But then I unlock the door and realize just how much I screwed up.

Chapter Eight

Adam

There's only one bed.

One. Freaking. Bed.

By the look of surprise, then embarrassment, on Levi’s angelic face, this wasn't intentional.

"Hold on, I'll fix this," Levi says hurriedly, dropping his bag on the floor and running to the phone. I stand awkwardly in the doorway, staring at the bed, while he argues with whoever is at the front desk.

"You have to be kidding me," he whispers to himself while he waits on hold. His hand rakes through his hair and pulls at the ponytail at the back of his head, shooting nervous glances my way. I shouldn't want to rake my fingers through the loose strands, to soothe him and tell him it's okay.

It's not okay. Or it shouldn't be. The truth is, I don't really want to be alone. But can I handle lying that close to him, when all I want is for him to kiss and hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright.

"You're sure?" He sighs heavily. "Okay, what about a cot or something? No, that's fine. Thanks for trying. I'll call back and let you know what we decide."

Levi hangs up the phone and deflates. "I'm so sorry. I booked the reservation online while we were driving here, and I must have not been paying close enough attention. I expected two queen beds, not one. The front desk says the only other rooms they have available right now are the same size, and they don't have cots."

He seems really incensed by the cots. A giggle bursts out of me before I can stop it, making me snort. Levi gives me a funny look, the side of his mouth quirking up in an involuntary smile.

"Sorry, I'm basically delirious at this point," I say, stepping fully into the room and letting the door shut behind me. I drop my bag next to Levi's and take a seat at the tiny round table in the corner of the room. Levi walks over and sets down the bag of food from the diner. Staring at it, I try to decide if I'm too tired to eat, but then my stomach growls audibly.

"Eat. I'll see about finding us somewhere else to stay," Levi says. His voice is gentle and caring, but I can tell how tired he is, too.

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