My new friend was making it happen, and I started to wonder if he’d ever see me as more than just the junkie he rescued.
Chapter 24
Logan
I drove through the night, stopping once to fill up the gas tank. Cassie stayed up for as long as she was able before succumbing to sleep. She was cute when her head fell to the side and she snored lightly to herself. Her dark hair kept falling in her face, making me want to push it to the side to watch how peaceful she seemed to be.
While driving in silence, I started to wonder if this trip was a terrible idea. Maybe she wasn’t ready to face her family; not the way I was forcing her to. I kept trying to play out her reaction when she found out what I’d been up to. Our friendship would sever, it was the only thing I was sure of.
For some reason it bothered me more than it should. I’d come to enjoy her being around, not just because she kept the house spotless and sometimes fed me real home cooked meals. The more I got to know her, I genuinely liked the person she was turning out to be. Cassie was young. She had potential. She was smart, spunky, and a homegrown southern girl. She’d be a good mother, even if it was all just a fantasy in her head.
A part of me envied her ability to dream so vividly. As much as I read and had experienced, I was unable to envision such a detailed future. What she explained, I could picture in my head. It was a beautiful dream, better than any cabin on a mountaintop without electricity.
I kept thinking about it up until my eyes were getting to feel too heavy to continue driving. I stopped in the next town we came to and located a hotel we could get some much needed rest at. I almost hated having to wake her up to offer her a more comfortable bed. She seemed so peaceful.
I reached over and ran my hand over her smooth cheek. In this form she was innocent of all her crimes. Though they haunted her, I knew it was something she could easily bury. She deserved a good life, free of criminals and bad relationships. “Cassie, I’m going to get us a room for the night. Will you come inside with me?”
She nodded and started to sit up, looking around to see where we were. “What state are we in?”
“We’re at the Utah, Colorado line. I need to get some sleep or else I’ll be shit tomorrow.”
She followed me inside and waited while I checked us in. I didn’t even consider she’d want her own room. We’d been living under the same roof for long enough where I assumed she’d be comfortable, as long as there were two beds.
We rode the elevator up to the fourth floor and walked to the room we were given. Once inside, Cassie took the first bed. She plopped down on it face first. “I’m exhausted.”
“I’m going to change before I get in bed. I can’t sleep in jeans.”
She sat up and turned in my direction, putting her finger in the air as she spoke. “That is a good idea. I think I’ll change too.”
“Go ahead in the bathroom. I’ll take my pants off out here.”
“Are you sure?” She asked.
I nodded and watched her rummage through her bag until she found a pair of pajamas to put on. She disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me to hurry up and get out of my pants. I dropped my jeans after removing my shoes, tossing them over a chair next to the bed. Cassie came out as I was lifting my shirt over my head. I heard her gasp, but didn’t feel like I was out of line. We were both adults. She’d seen me walking around the house in a pair of shorts before. Boxers were basically the same thing.
“Sorry. I thought you’d be faster.”
I smirked. “I like taking my time.”
She laughed to herself and then climbed under the covers, but not until I got a good view of her in a pair of cotton shorts that were pretty low cut. Her belly button was exposed from the matching tank, and I noticed a tattoo in the shape of a sun going around it. Quickly, I turned off the light and climbed into my own bed, hoping I wasn’t going to snore so loud she wouldn’t get any rest. I’d been told it could get pretty annoying.
“If I snore let me know.”
“Same goes for me,” she replied.
“You snored the whole way here,” I taunted.
“Really?” Even in the dark room I could see enough to know she’d sat straight up in the bed.
“Don’t worry. It was cute.”
“Cute? How can snoring be cute? I’m so embarrassed.”
I wiped my face with my hands and chuckled lightly. “Really, it was nothing to worry about. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Try to sleep, Cassie.”
“Goodnight, Logan.”
“Yep, same to you.”
I don’t know about Cassie, but I waited a while before I allowed myself to fall asleep. I wanted her to go to bed first so she wouldn’t hear me. When I couldn’t possibly control my body, I let myself fall asleep.
I woke to the sound of someone cussing. A loud thump shot me out of bed. I turned on the light and jumped out of bed, looking around the room for the reason. Cassie was on the floor between her bed and the wall. She was sitting up holding the side of her face. “What the hell happened?”
“I forgot where I was and had to go to the bathroom. I climbed out of bed and smacked right into the wall.”
I walked over and crouched down in front of her, noticing her skin was already beginning to bruise. “You’re going to need some ice.”
“You should go back to sleep. I’ll be fine.”
I clenched my jaw while considering her theory. “No. I’m going to get you some ice. Are you able to stand? Do you need me to help you in the bathroom?”
“No. I can manage just fine, thanks for asking.” I waited until she got to her feet before giving her room to get by. When she entered the bathroom and closed the door I hurried out into the hallway to find the ice machine. When I came back into the room she was still in the locked lavatory. “You okay in there?” I asked.
The door unlocked and cracked open. “Yeah, just embarrassed.”
I located a rag and wrapped some ice inside of it before lifting it up to her head. “I’ve done it before. In my line of work you’ve got to go where the cases take you. I’ve been so tired I’ve forgotten where I was. It sucks.”
“Thanks for the ice.”
“Yeah, sure. It’s not a big deal.”
“You can go back to sleep now. I promise I won’t get out of mine again tonight. I bet you didn’t know I was such a klutz.”
“You’re fine, Cassie.”
I didn’t close my eyes when I got back in bed, not until the light turned out and I heard her climb on her mattress. The next time I woke the sun had came up. Cassie was sitting in bed watching television with the volume turned down. “What time is it?” I inquired.
“Seven. I didn’t want to wake you, especially after last night’s episode. You’re probably sorry you brought me along.”
“Nope. It’s nice having the company.”
When I got up from my bed to head into the bathroom, I heard her say something under her breath.
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”
She seemed shocked. “You weren’t supposed to hear me.”
“Woman, I have the hearing of a bat. Nothing gets past me.”
“I was wondering if you sleep in just your underwear every night.”
“Does it bother you? I’m covered.”
“You’re pretty awake from the looks of it.” She pointed toward my crotch, causing me to look down and see my stiff erection poking the fabric of my shorts like a sideways teepee.
“Oh, shit. It’s got a mind of it’s own in the morning. Sorry.”
She laughed. “It’s a natural reaction I suppose. Now you know why I didn’t want you to hear me.”