Page 43 of The Road Trip Romance

“You’re awake!” I yelp.

“Yes. I’m so comfortable. You’re the best pillow in the history of pillows, so stop moving,” he grumbles.

“You are like a personal sauna. What’s your resting temperature, one oh one?” I ask.

“One oh two,” he teases. His nose nuzzles my hair and I hear him breathe in deeply. “Whatever shampoo you use, never stop using it. Your hair smells like oranges and vanilla.”

“Noted,” I say with an eye roll.

“Stop rolling your eyes,” he whispers.

“I wasn’t,” I lie. His hand reaches forward, and he tickles me. “Stop!” I screech as I giggle.

“Then stop lying, M,” he says as he grips me again tightly.

“We should get up,” I protest as I reach for my phone and look at the time. We have one missed text from Rex asking if anyone is up yet and what time should we head out to Devil’s Tower.

Our phones both buzz with another text.

Penn: Lazy fuckers, hurry up. It’s time to get our hiking on.

I groan. “Why does hiking sound like a scary word when Penn says it?”

“Because it is. But don’t worry, I can carry you back to the car if we get lost,” Tate says and the memory of me slung over his shoulder last night comes hurdling back at me like a race car out of control.

“OK, let’s get up,” I declare as I pry myself from his death grip, not wanting to spend any more time replaying that memory because nothing good can come of it.

Tate lets me go and I get up, grabbing my clothes and hurrying into the bathroom. Leaning against the door for a moment, I take a deep breath. I only have today and then he’ll be back with Lacey. I need to get my feelings under control or I’m going to get hurt. And I’m not sure I can handle getting hurt again. I feel like it’s only been this past year that I truly feel over Mark. I don’t want to ever feel that way again.

I’m ready in ten minutes and I try not to look at Tate as I get my things back in my bag. He goes to the bathroom and I decide to head out to the car. The less time I’m alone with him, the better.

“I’ll meet you at the car,” I yell through the door before leaving quickly so he can’t answer me.

I find Penn, Rex, and Jordan standing next to my SUV. “Wow, did you guys already grab?—”

“Breakfast?” Penn asks as he holds up a box of donuts and hands me a coffee from the drink holder that Jordan is holding.

“Oh, thanks,” I reply.

“Where’s lover boy? We need to get a move on,” Jordan says.

“How’d you sleep?” Rex asks, and I can’t be sure, but I swear he’s fighting a smirk.

“Good, and you guys?” I ask, trying to keep my face neutral.

I get a grumble ofgoodsfrom them as I unlock the car, and everyone starts loading it. A minute later, Tate arrives and Jordan takes a turn at the wheel as we head to our last and final stop before Lacey.

Today’s drive is much shorter than yesterday’s long day. The car ride is filled with funny stories, mostly about Penn and Tate’s camping trip where Tate got so bitten by mosquitoes he had to lather his entire body in cortisone cream. The stories give way to a singalong after lunch. The four of them applaud my ability to hit the high notes in Sia’s “Alive.” I warn them that they are too good for my self-confidence, and if they keep it up, I might go for intergalactic domination.

We pull into the park around Devil’s Tower in the afternoon with Penn making us promise him that we’ll go for a hike.

“I don’t know. That story of you and Tate has me scared,” I admit as we get out of the car to stretch our legs.

“We’ll do Tower Trail. See, it’s easy and not long,” Penn promises as he points at a trail map. I look nervously at it but reluctantly agree.

“OK, but if it’s too long, then someone has to carry me back,” I tease.

Tate leans over me from behind. “I already promised to do that, M,” he whispers, and I feel my skin prick with the awareness of his proximity.

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