Page 68 of Keeping Promises

With my palms splayed out on the cold tile wall, I dip my head under the hot spray in hopes that it will help alleviate the kink in my neck from sleeping in that chair.

When I woke up this morning, I went down to the café and picked up two strong coffees. Zoe was still out cold when I returned, so I decided to hop in the shower. Once finished, I’ll check in with the guys and see when we’re ready to head out.

I whip my head up when there is a heavy banging on the door to the room. It’s loud enough that I can hear it through the closed bathroom door and over the exhaust fan and shower running.What the hell?

I turn the shower off and step out, grabbing a towel. The knocking continues as I wrap a towel around my waist.

“I’m coming, chill the fuck out.” As I open the door, water is still dripping down my chest, and the chill of the AC in the hallway causes me to shiver. “What!”

“Oh, fuck no. I swear to God I’m going to kill you or at least kick your ass.” Cal shoves my chest as he barrels into my hotel room. It catches me off guard, and I stumble back, nearly losing my towel.

“What the hell, man,” I shout, tightening the knot on my waist.

“Where am I? What’s going on?” a soft voice asks from behind us. I guess the commotion caused Zoe to wake up finally.

I spin, finding Zoe sitting up in bed, her hair a mess, and her right cheek has a red imprint indented in her skin, I assume maybe from sleeping on her hand. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

Zoe blinks as if her eyes are adjusting to the light coming in through the half-open curtains, or maybe she is confused as to how she ended up in my room with me naked, only in a towel, and my brother and Cal looking like they’re ready to murder someone. “Umm, I feel like death.”

I laugh. “There’s water, Advil, and a coffee right there on the nightstand, although the coffee might be cold by now, sorry.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything. Her face looks a little green, and I realize the moment she’s about to get sick. I quickly dodge out of the way as she rushes to the bathroom and closes the door behind her.

I wince. Well, maybe she will feel better after that.

“Now, do you want to explain to me what’s going on and why the hell you barged in here like a bat out of hell?”

“It’s been an eventful morning.” Ben finally speaks up as he runs his hand along his jaw.

“Okay,” I drag out. “And are you going to share with the class, or should I just start guessing what caused the stick up your asses.”

“Why don’t you start with why you didn’t come to either of our rooms to sleep last night and why the hell you’re answering the door naked.”

“Cal,” Ben scolds, “you’re not helping.”

I look back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what’s going on, but I’m obviously missing something here.

“Well, I didn’t come to either of your rooms last night because I decided it was probably for the best for Zoe not to be alone when she woke up or in case she got sick in the middle of the night. I knew Hadley would be pissed if something happened to her, so I stayed.”

“Oh, she’s pissed all right,” Cal mutters under his breath in a clipped tone.

I narrow my eyes at him. “And I slept in the chair.” I turn to point at the chair with the pillow and crumbled blanket on it. “I answered the doornot nakedbut in a towel because I was in the middle of the shower trying to ease the pain in my neck from sleeping insaid chair.”Again, I point toward the chair to make my point.

“So, nothing happened last night with Zoe?”

I’m caught off guard at Cal’s accusation. “What the fuck? Why would you think that anything happened?”

I look to Ben for some help here.Is this what’s going on? Do they think I cheated on Hadley?

Ben pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Well, we seem to have ourselves a situation.” Ben exhales loudly. He and Cal share a look. I swear to God I’m going to lose it if someone doesn’t start talking soon.

“Look,” Cal begins, holding up his hand, “I sent Brynn a video of Ben and me singing last night, and apparently in the background was Zoe on your lap in a compromising position, and Hadley saw it.”

My eyes widen, and my mouth falls open. I run my hands over my face.

“It gets worse.”

“How can it possibly get worse than that.”

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