Page 96 of West Bound

She stops in front of door twenty-thirteen and I go to the one just across the hall. I keep my head down, focusing on every sound that comes from behind me.

The door makes a beeping sound when she scans her card, then I hear the lock click. She pushes the door open and a voice carries through it.

“”Baby? Is that you?,” the voice says, and I spin around to grab the door before it slams shut. “Get over here so I can fu-who are you?”

“Hey babe. Did you miss me?” she says, purring like a porn star.

I keep my steps soft and walk up behind her. Phoenix stands there, naked as the day he was born and holding a baseball hat to cover his junk.

“Yeah, babe. Did you miss her?” I step into view and Phoenix looks like he’s seen the ghost of Christmas past.

“Oh my God. Did you follow me here?” Blondie asks.

“Viv. This isn’t-who are you and why are you in my room?”

“What do you mean? You gave me your travel schedule and said you couldn’t wait to see me.” She walks closer to him and rakes her nails over his chest.

I watch with bile in my throat as her long, fake pink nails scratch over the skin, over my tattoo, of the man I love.

I stare blankly at him, waiting to see how he’s going to play this one.

“Nice. Couldn’t get rid of your collection, huh?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” she snarls at me. “Who are you anyway, stalker?”

“Shut the fuck up, lady!” He bellows. “You’ve never been my…Just get out of here before I call security.”

“Happily,” I say and begin to retreat.

“Vivian, no. Come back. I swear I don’t know her.”

“Phoenix,” she calls after him.

I don’t hear the rest of their conversation because I let the door slam behind me and start to walk back to the elevators.

When they open, I move quickly to get inside. Rapid thuds barrel down the hall, and I jam my finger into the lobby button, trying to get the doors to close before he reaches me.

“Vivan. Please. Wait.”

Phoenix comes into view, wearing only a pair of basketball shorts. The doors begin to close and he runs faster, but not fast enough. I watch as Phoenix grows smaller and smaller before he’s out of sight completely.

My heart is beating at such a rapid pace I worry for a moment that I might have a heart attack. That or a massive panic attack is about to hit me with the force of a tsunami.

I need to get out of this hotel and to the airport immediately.

I can tell Harvey that I’ve come down with horrible stomach flu. Or food poisoning. Anything that will get me out of this state and as far away from Phoenix as possible. I pull out my phone and begin searching for the next available flight, and find one leaving in two hours. That’s plenty of time to get to the airport, drown my sorrows in alcohol, and get on the plane to be home before the summer sun goes down.

My descent stops and the doors spring open. People are crowded in the lobby, including many of the Wranglers players. With my bag still hanging from my shoulder, I step between bodies and keep my head down. I doubt I’ll go unnoticed in tight jeans, a cowboy hat and my red hair hanging over my shoulders.

“‘Cuse me,” I murmur, moving past a family dressed like they’re off to spend a day at the waterpark.

I spot the team but they have yet to notice me, so I move faster towards the entrance.

“Vivian!”

The shout is loud and it brings everything in the lobby to a hard stop.

The guys from the team all turn to look at the man running in only shorts with bare chest and feet, then look in the direction he’s headed and notice me standing there.

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