Page 70 of Something to Someone

Ryder

It was almosttwo in the morning, but the thought of going to sleep alone, in my own bed when Caroline was only two doors down, seemed impossible.

I tossed my wet towel over the shower door and ran a hand through my damp hair as I stepped back into my room for the weekend.

I didn’t know places like this actually existed. Especially in our part of the country.

Each room, although not as elegant or elaborate as the rest of the property, was decorated with antique finishes and every detail in mind. I wasn’t an expert on interior design, but it was feminine and pretty. And I was nervous about touching anything.

I glanced around the room at the lighter green accents they’d chosen and headed for the door. My hand landed on the silver knob, but before I turned it, I pressed my ear to the dark wood and listened.

Even early in the morning when we all had to be wedding-ready a few hours later, there were still voices up and down the hallway. They weren’t loud, but they were there. Which meant I had to either wait for them to eventually go to sleep or find another way to sneak into Caroline’s room.

And I refused to wait. Spinning, I took one look at the patio doors and strode across the room. I didn’t hesitate to push open one of the French doors, but when I did, I pretended to be interested in the courtyard below and the gardens in the distance rather than look immediately to my right. I had to fake nonchalance in case Theo or my mom was on or near their own patio.

When I didn’t hear anything or see anything out of the corner of my eye, I chanced a look toward their room.

Nothing.

I stepped as close as I could on the little stone balcony. The curtains were drawn and there wasn’t any light from behind or around them. I waited a full minute before I felt confident that they were asleep and the coast was clear.

One balcony further—which should have been Caroline’s room—was illuminated by the soft light inside.

There was a fleeting moment where I wondered if what I was about to do was ridiculous, but the thought was gone as quickly as it appeared. Yes, I was crazy enough to hop balcony-to-balcony and climb across the exterior of the house to get to Caroline’s room.

It was worth it even if nothing happened. Even if I only got to glimpse her beautiful scowl at my somewhat absurd antics, it would be worth the possibility of falling twelve feet onto the unforgiving stone patio.

The distance between each patio wasn’t more than several feet, and as long as I shimmied across the little ledge between them, I would make it. Hopefully.

I didn’t think about it too long. I braced my hands on the edge of the patio railing and hoisted myself on top of it. The stone was sturdy enough to hold my weight as I crouched and reached for the brick, ivy-covered wall.

Holding on for my life to an imperfection in the wall, I placed one foot then the other on the very small, much less sturdy ledge. My heart was attempting to escape my chest as I shimmied across. And I almost fell once but managed to make it to Theo and my mom’s patio.

My landing was louder than I hoped, and I cringed as I waited to see if either of them heard me. When no sound emanated from their room, I crept across their patio and didn’t hesitate to find the ledge on the opposite side. Having done it once, the second time was much easier.

My landing on Caroline’s patio was even less graceful, though. I tumbled down from the railing and landed on the floor with a resounding thud. Gripping my hip and knowing there would be a bruise the next day, I was writhing when I noticed the curtains move and Caroline peeking out between them.

I sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and ignored the pain radiating from my hip. I stood and waved at Caroline. She was wearing a pair of tiny sleep shorts and an oversized T-shirt.MyT-shirt I’d lent her more than a month ago. Suddenly, the pain in my hip was forgotten.

Her hair was damp from the shower, and she was wearing light purple frame glasses.

“Want to let me in?” I whispered and mimed for good measure, pointing to the door handle and pretending to open it.

She rolled her eyes and threw her arms out to her sides in an obvious exasperated gesture. She shook her head and said, “I can’t.” Not that I could hear her, I just read her lips.

“Why not?”

“It’s stuck,” she said and made a show of unlocking the door and tugging on it. Sure enough, it didn’t move, and my heart sank.

Glancing back and forth across the patio, I spotted a window on the other side just beyond the railing. I motioned to it, and Caroline’s eyes followed. Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

But still, she turned and walked into her bathroom. A few seconds later, the light turned on, and she was pushing open the window.

“You are insane,” she said.

I was already climbing back on top of the railing for the fourth time when I smiled. “Insane for you. Now, watch out.”

She groaned and stepped back. I hopped onto the ledge and swung one leg into the window. Thankfully, I had long legs and could reach the floor as I slipped through the opening.

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