Page 42 of Not Another Yesterday
“Probably not.” I take another bite of my food.
“So, what should we do tonight?”
I chew and swallow quickly. “Uh, sleep?”
She grins mischievously. “Your bed or mine?”
I shake my head at her. “How about you sleep in yours and I sleep in mine?”
“Aww, but who’s going to keep me warm?” she asks with a giggle.
“Your blanket,” I say, and take another bite while Miranda laughs.
Thursday, December 22nd
Ronan
“Randi. Dude, you really have to wake up now.” I sit on the edge of Miranda’s bed, nudging her shoulder.
She grunts, face buried in her pillow, body wrapped like a burrito in the thick blanket. I’ve been trying to wake her for the last thirty minutes. Once before my shower, again after brushing my teeth, and one more time while getting dressed. It’s three-thirty in the morning and she seriously needs to get her ass up so we can grab our things, check out of the hotel, and get her to the airport in time for her flight to Missoula.
“Fine. You leave me no other choice.”
I flip on every light in the room, then yank the blanket off her.
“Nooo, Rony!” she whines, curling herself into a ball, trying to shield her tiny body from the cool air suddenly assaulting her skin.
“Get up, Randi!”
“Ten more minutes,” she rasps, reaching for her blanket. I keep it out of reach, standing at the foot of the bed like a sentry.
“We don’t have another ten minutes. Come on. Up!”
She rolls over and climbs out of bed, her light brown hair a freaking mess.
I chuckle. “There you go.”
She flips me off. “You’re way too damn energetic for this time of… what is it? Night? Morning?” she grumbles as she shuffles into the bathroom where she grabs her toothbrush. “How are you so fucking chipper?”
“Well you know, just happy to be alive, see another sunrise or some shit like that.”
“Ah, yes, all the positive affirmations.” She starts brushing her teeth while I throw my stuff into my backpack. “Do you think I have time for a quick shower?” Miranda calls to me from the bathroom.
I check the watch on my wrist. “Yeah, if you make it a really fast one.”
“Great,” she says and turns on the shower faucet.
“Woah, woah, before you get all naked and shit, please grab your clothes so you don’t flash me again.”
She pokes her head out and rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. Stop acting like you didn’t like it.” But she still grabs fresh clothes and disappears again, hips swaying provocatively.
I shake my head. She hasn’t said a word about what happened between us in Montana. Not once. Still, it’s the elephant in the room. She’s been flirty, suggestive even. But Miranda’s always been like that. I can’t tell if she’s testing me or if this is just Miranda being Miranda. All I know is I need to stay out of my own head and pray she doesn’t pull anything again. Last time was too damn close, and she knew how much Cat meant to me. Means to me.
By 3:55, Miranda’s dressed, hair damp, eyes still half-lidded. We check out of the hotel and hit the road. Traffic is practically nonexistent this early. We’re at the airport fifteen minutes later.
She gets herself checked in and I walk with her all the way to the security checkpoint where we have to part ways. Miranda turns to me, then slings her arms around my neck and pulls me in for a tight hug. I wrap my arms around her tiny waist, hugging her back. She smells like wildflowers and hotel shampoo.
“Thank you, Rony. For everything,” she sighs against me. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
