Page 80 of I Did Something Bad
“How did your alarm go off before mine?” Tyler groans.
Because I turned off your phone and left it in between the couch cushions last night.
“Maybe your phone ran out of charge,” I say, reaching to turn it off.
“Why is your alarm a duck quacking?”
“Because the sound of nature is the only thing that’s annoying enough that I can’t sleep through it.”
“Ah, right, no nature,” he says with a chuckle into the back of my head. When he increases the pressure of his palm on my bare stomach, every muscle in my gut tightens and my eyes fling open.
I take a deep breath. No distractions. I need to do this fast. “Breakfast?” I ask.
“You cook? Did I fall asleep next to the right Khin? Are you her secret domestic twin?” Tyler mumbles. “Kidding!” he says through athick, sleepy laugh when I elbow him in the ribs. “Breakfast sounds great. What’s on the menu, chef?”
It takes everything in me to maintain a smile as I look at him over my shoulder. I was already bracing myself for Disheveled Morning Tyler Tun, but my pulse jerks when I catch the actual sight of him, which is not so much disheveled as it is… rough, untouched, undone, naked (metaphorically, of course). His edges are round now and his curves, sharp. He looks, I suddenly realize,exactlylike the kind of person who would talk to strangers on the plane.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Tyler asks with a tentative smile.
“No reason,” I say, allowing myself precisely three more seconds of staring before removing myself from his grasp and getting to my feet. I point across at my en suite. “And I’ll see what I have in my fridge. You can use my bathroom if you need.”
“I’m good,” he says. He sits up and stretches through a yawn, forearms flexing on either side of his jaw. When he catches me looking, a smirk cracks. “Enjoying the show?”
I roll my eyes. “You aresofull of it. I’ll put on the kettle?”
“Yeah, thanks, I can’t function without coffee in the morning.”
“I know,” I can’t help but reply, although I ignore his questioning expression.
There’s no point in trying to be subtle about it. As soon as I’ve stepped out and shut the door behind me, theclickof the lock is loud and distinct.
“Khin?” Tyler calls out. I hear him scramble out of bed and walk over to the door, where he tries the handle before repeating, “Khin? What’s going on?”
“Come on, Yale boy, what does it look like?” My sarcasm is swirled with tears. “I’m locking you in.”
“What?” I can see him frowning despite the three inches of wood between us. “What?” he says again. “What do you mean you’re locking me in?”
“I have to make things right,” I say. I take a step forward, wishing that the door was at least made of glass so I could see his face.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You would’ve known something was up if I didn’t come to work. And I know you would’ve lockedmein a room if I told you what I was doing.”
The handle jiggles again. “Khin, open the door.”
“Sorry.”
“You cannot be serious. You’re going to leave me locked inside your bedroom?”
“Not forever!” I explain. “I’ll text May in a couple of hours. Right before I—” The word won’t come out, but even without saying it, the mere thought of it flips my gut upside down.
Tyler speaks slowly, softly, like he’s approaching a person standing on a bridge’s railing. “Right before you what?” I open my mouth, but my vocal cords are out of order. “Khin,” he says in that goddamn way he says my name. “What are you doing?”
“Before I confess—” I get out in one breath.
“No, no way—”
“I heard you guys talking in your trailer. This isn’t going away.”
