Dopplebanger (Meet-Cute #5)

Chapter 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

As quietly as possible, I padded toward the hotel room I was sharing with Evan. I was completely wrung out, both emotionally and physically. Paige and I had talked and talked and cried and talked some more and cried some more.

Every time I thought we were out of words and tears, another wave would come rushing forward. Paige had confessed to being jealous of me and what I had, and it’d led to some self-sabotaging behavior that’d also involved sabotaging me. She admitted her behavior had been wrong and horrible, and basically told me she understood things would never be the same, but that the guilt was eating her up inside and she missed me. Then she’d added that she hoped we could at least be something close to friends someday.

Honestly, I still didn’t know. I told her I forgave her, surprised that once the words passed my lips, I found I meant them. Like I said, she’d always needed validation from guys, and while I’d been guilty of wanting that—and maybe even needing it from time to time—I was glad that I was more than who I was dating.

I had my job and Tori, and even if my dad didn’t see it, I’d learned how to be okay on my own. Which made it even better when I found someone who complemented me so nicely, from our chemistry to the conversations we had, to encouraging me and telling me how much he believed in me.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I whipped it out, expecting another text asking how it was going from the very guy I’d been thinking about.

But the text was from a number I didn’t have saved in my phone.

Unknown number: I miss you.

I considered ignoring it, but curiosity got the best of me.

Me: Who is this?

Unknown number: Your boyfriend.

Unknown number: I didn’t realize what I had. You’re so much cooler than other girls and I miss you like crazy.

Clearly he’d gotten the wrong number, and if he was trying to get in touch with this girl he missed, I hated to get in the way. In fact, in spite of the up and downs Evan and I had the past two days, optimism had wiggled its way back in, and I was feeling rather Team Love in general.

When he’d first started talking about how there were things I didn’t know about him, I’d been so worried I’d handed my heart over to a guy who was dumping me. Before we’d been interrupted by Mr. Overeager Security Guard, Evan had mentioned his family. If he thought something like who his family was would change how much I cared about him, he was dead-wrong, and I couldn’t wait to tell him that and put his mind at ease so we could finally cross that last line and go all in.

Me: Sorry. Wrong number. Hope you get a hold of her, though. She sounds awesome.

Since I was feeling extra generous, I decided to channel my inner cupid.

Me: Also, if you took her for granted, my advice would be do something big to show her how much you care. Be there for her. Girls like that kind of thing.

Regretful Dude didn’t reply, so I slid the hotel key into the slot, waited for the light to turn green, and sighed when I stepped inside.

A moment ago, exhaustion had hung so heavy on me that walking the few yards to my room seemed overwhelming, yet the thought of a hotel bed and Evan awoke every cell in my body, and they all wanted to finish what we’d started at the pool.

“Evan?”

The bed was empty, but the TV was on, the volume turned low. When I swung my gaze to the left, I caught sight of his large frame in one of the hotel chairs. He was draped at an odd angle, his neck hanging in a way that would leave a kink for sure. If I had to guess, I’d say he’d fallen asleep there as opposed to deciding it’d be a great place to spend the night.

I turned off the TV and dug my pajamas out of my bag, beyond ready to get out of my dress. My hair had dried into a tangled curly knot, but since there was nothing to be done about it besides wash my hair and start over tomorrow morning, I pushed it over my shoulder.

The comforter and sheets took a bit of tugging to come free from their tightly tucked position, but after peeling them back, I rounded the end of the bed and gently shook Evan’s shoulder.

“Hey,” I said. “Crawl into bed with me.”

His eyelids fluttered open and then drooped again. “No. Need to talk.”

“You sound like me on Benadryl. We’ll talk tomorrow. Right now, we both need sleep.” I dragged his heavy ass out of the chair and maneuvered him over to the bed. He was still mumbling when I climbed in beside him.

“Shhh.” I ran a finger down his nose and tapped it to his lips. I skirted it across his jaw and his breathing slowed again, the muttered words fading into nothing. When I snuggled up to him, his arm came around me. He curled me tight to his body and tucked my head under his chin.

Not exactly the steamy night I’d originally pictured, but as I drifted to sleep, a feeling that could only be described as love washed over me, whisking me off to a land where happily ever afters came true.