Page 55 of Destined To Fall

“You just suck the fun out of life, don’t you?”

He smiles, ignoring me, and walks over to one side of the bed, rummaging through a duffel bag.

“What are you—”

“Ah! Here.” He throws something gray and bulky at me.“Put that on.”

I pull it away to see it’s a BU sweatshirt.

“And sit.” He flops on the bed, then shuffles up to lean against the headboard and pats the space beside him.

I narrow my eyes at him.

“I said I wanted to talk. So let’s hang out.”

“Hang out?”

“I just want to be with you—spend some time with you.”

“I don’t understand you.”

“I don’t need to have sex to have a connection with someone.”

“I don’t have sex to connect with someone.”

“I guess we agree on that,” he says with a wry smile.

“Maybe, but it’s beside the point. I’m not staying.”

“Why not?”

“Because this is ridiculous.”

“What is?”

“This.” I wave my hand around the room, indicating the whole damn scenario.

“What? We can’t be friends? Hang out, albeit in a hotel room?”

“No, we can’t be friends and hang out.” That’s crazy. He’s crazy.

“Do you find me that irresistible?”

I laugh, the challenge in his eyes plain.“Coming from the one who’s trying to cover me up, that’s rich.”

“I know my limits.” He grins.“Do you?”

I scoff.“I have no limits.”

“So, it’s settled. We hang out. I’ll order in, we can binge watch crap cable—”

“Jeremy.”

“Vivienne.”

“You realize you are paying for my time, right?”

His grin falters as my words hit their unintended target.“I do. I read the fine print. No refunds. Did you draft the paperwork?”

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