Page 118 of Between the Blue
“Why won’t you just leave me alone–”
“Why are you such a raging ass–”
“You haven’t seen rage, Cherry.”
“Enough.” I hold up my hands, putting an end to the conversation. “It’s been a tiring day. I’ll speak to you again when I’m contractually obligated to.”
Ben opens his mouth to retort, but before he can, I tap my room key to the electronic lock on the door, making it light up green and buzz as it unlocks. I grab the handle, turning it and pushing the door open. I only get an open a few inches, however, before Ben’s hand wraps around my wrist, yanking it back and making the door slam shut.
My jaw falls open as I look up at him. I’m furious, but, for some reason, Ben looks equally as furious when I see his face.
“What the hell are you–”
“Is this a joke?” he cuts me off. “Do you think you're funny?”
“I amveryfunny, thank you,” I grit, yanking my wrist from his grasp. “But you’re the only one joking here. You want me to leave you alone? I’m trying. It would help if you let me and went to your room.”
Ben’s jaw shifts to the side. “Cherry...”
“What?” I throw my hands in the air, exasperated.
Ben’s jaw shifts to the side. He doesn’t break my eye contact as he pulls his room key from his pocket, holding it up in the air. I start to question what I’m supposed to do with it when he slowly lowers the key to the lock on the door.
It lights up green.
thirty-three
HER
“Well?”
Ben closes the bedroom door behind him, much harder than necessary. He shakes his head, muttering something under his breath instead of responding to me.
“So you mean to tell me the hotel really doesn’t have any extra rooms?” I ask.
He moves around me wordlessly and slips into the bathroom. I follow after him, standing in the doorway as he turns the sink on, filling his hands with water and running them over his face.
“So I guess it wasn’t just that I didn’task the right way?”
He puts his hands on his hips, shaking his head.
“Sorry, what was that?” I push.
“No, Cherry,” Ben barks, spinning around. “There’s not one more empty room in this whole goddamn hotel.”
I purse my lips. “Interesting.”
Ben curses something to himself, lifting his baseball cap off his head and running his hand through his hair. I tilt my head at him.
“Why are you all wet?”
He blows out a breath, shoving his hat back onto his head and storming past me out of the bathroom door, as if he can’t stand to be in the confined space with me for a moment longer.
“Because,” Ben grunts, “I can’t get a hold of a single one of those pricks.”
“Are we referring to your teammates?” I ask, even though I’m not sure what they have to do with his clothes being soaked.
“I– Well– Yes,” Ben stutters. He laces his fingers together, placing them on top of his head as he paces. “I didn’t mean that. But,fuck.”
