I leaned my head against the headboard and closed my eyes. “Maybe.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. It was that I didn’t know how to. Every time I tried, the past reared its ugly head and dragged me back.
How could I let go of something that refused to let go of me?
“It would be—”
A knock on the door cut her off. “Josh?” Ava’s voice drifted into my room.
Jules shot up straight and twisted her head to look at me. We stared at each other with wide eyes.
“Can I come in? I think you have my backpack,” Ava said. “It has my laptop.”
Fuck. My gaze strayed to my black backpack. We’d bought the same one during a holiday sale a few years ago.
I gently extricated myself from Jules, climbed off the bed and unzipped it. Yep, there was Ava’s laptop sitting snug in between her notebook and a blue folder. Double fuck.
I must’ve grabbed hers by mistake at the airport.
I gestured at Jules to get into the bathroom, but she sat frozen on my bed, looking like a wax mannequin of herself.
“Can you get it later?” I called out. My heart slammed against my chest. “I’m, uh, busy.”
I would open the door and hand Ava’s backpack to her, but there was no way to do so without her seeing the bed.
“I need my laptop. I have to get some work done before the bachelorette tonight.”
Double fuck.
I stepped toward the bed, but Jules finally moved. She wrapped the sheet around herself and darted into the bathroom so fast she was almost a blur. I waited until the door closed behind her before I picked up the backpack and cracked open my door.
“Hey.” I shoved the bag at my sister. “Here ya go. See you later.” I tried to close the door, but Ava pushed it back open with narrowed eyes.
“Why are you being so shifty?”
“I’m not being shifty.” Sweat beaded on my brow. “I’m irritated because you interrupted me.”
“Doing what?”
“Uh, exercising.” Technically true. Sex was the best form of cardio. “I thought you were napping.”
She gave me a strange look. “I woke up.” Her eyes drifted from my sex-tousled hair to my tense shoulders. A faint green tint colored her skin. “Wait…do you have a girl in there? Was that banging sound you? That was what woke me up.”
Heat climbed on my face.
“How is that possible? We literally just arrived an hour ago.” Ava clapped a hand over her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick. You are not allowed to have sex when I can hear you. I’m scarred for life.”
“You’re being dramatic, and what can I say? I’m a legend.” I pasted on my cockiest smile. “Now please leave before she comes out of the bathroom. Nothing kills the vibe like a little sister sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Trust me, I don’t want to…” Ava’s eyes fell on something behind me. “Oh, weird. Jules has those exact shoes.”
Shit! I’d accidentally let the door drift open while we were talking.
Jules’s clothes were out of sight, but her shoes were right there, front and center, at the foot of the bed.
It was a testament to how much we used to dislike each other that Ava didn’t think the shoes could belong to her.
“They must be popular.” I forced a laugh and resisted the urge to wipe the sweat from my forehead. “Wish you hadn’t told me that. The second thing that kills the vibe fast is any mention of the she-devil. Anyway.” I pushed Ava further into the hallway. “Great to see you, don’t come back. Unless you want a firsthand look at the symphony.”
We both gagged at the same time.
If the vibe wasn’t already dead, it was six feet under and rotting now at the prospect of my sister being in the room while I had sex.
“I’m going to wash my eyes and ears out with bleach.” Ava shuddered.
I waited until she returned to her room before I closed the door and leaned my forehead against it. Relief cooled the sweat on my skin, but my heart still raced like it was competing in the fucking Indy 500.
“That was a close call.”
I lifted my head and saw Jules peek out of the bathroom, her eyes wide.
“These fuckers almost got us in trouble.” I nudged her shoes with my foot.
“Those are my favorite shoes, Josh. It’s not their fault.” She stepped fully into the bedroom and fished her clothes off the floor. “We shouldn’t have done this in the hotel. It was stupid. If she caught us…”
I grimaced. Jules was right. It was stupid to hook up in the hotel when our friends were literally down the hall. We could get caught any minute.
Normally, I’d never be that reckless, but…
I watched Jules get dressed, my heart rate not slowing down one bit despite the fact the danger had passed.
For some reason, logic always flew out the window where Jules was concerned.
29
JOSH
Jules snuck out after making sure the hallway was clear and left me to my own devices.
Restless, I showered, hit the gym, showered again, and watched Fast Five in my room while the girls got ready and left for the palace. Only royal relatives were allowed to stay at the palace for the wedding, so even though the girls were Bridget’s bridesmaids, we were camped out in a five-star hotel, courtesy of the crown.
I usually had no issues entertaining myself while traveling, but the crowd of paparazzi outside the hotel deterred me from venturing out.
Unfortunately, our hotel, as luxurious as it was, lacked stimulating activities. Michelin-starred restaurants and a world-renowned spa were fine, but I needed more excitement.
Alex will be staying behind too.
Jules’s words echoed in my head. What was he doing? Eating babies and ruining lives, probably.
By the time night descended, I was bored enough to join him.
Temptation snaked around my spine, but instead of knocking on his door, I headed downstairs to the bar. It’d been closed earlier, but when I arrived, the telltale glow of lights sent relief coasting through my lungs.
I stepped inside, taking in the two-story ceiling, plush blue velvet couches, and the massive wall of glittering bottles behind the polished mahogany bar. It blew the fanciest bar in D.C. out of the water, times ten.
I slid onto a blue leather stool and waited for the bartender to finish setting up. It must’ve just opened, because we were the only people present, and the space was eerily quiet save for the soft jazz piping through invisible speakers.
Part of me craved the buzz of a crowd; another part relished the silence.
Like in most areas of my life right now, I didn’t know what the hell I wanted.
I drummed my fingers against the counter and scanned the bottle display, searching for a good drink to start the night, when a familiar voice sliced through the silence.
“This seat taken?”
The drumming stopped. Tension locked my muscles in place.
I turned to face the newcomer, already wishing I’d ordered room service instead of braving a common space when Alex was also roaming the grounds.
My former best friend stood a few feet away, dressed in the same black turtleneck and pants he wore on the plane. Fatigue lined his face, and a pinch of concern squeezed my chest.