For the next ten minutes, we stared at each other. It drove me crazy that I didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling.
When the bathroom door opened, I bolted out of bed to grab my bag and claim some alone time. It wouldn’t pay to take a shower yet; I needed some time on the treadmill before we headed out. So, I splashed some water on my face before brushing my teeth and combing out my hair. After pulling the mass back into a ponytail, I braided it.
Ethan was the only one in the room when I reemerged. He sat on the bed with his shirt off and the tube of cream in his left hand.
“I think you’re milking this,” I said, setting the bag down.
“Guilty. So, you wanna tell me how I ended up in bed with Carlos?”
Ethan handed me the tube. Then, he managed to pull off his own shirt while I squeezed some of the athletic cream onto my fingers.
“You were right,” I said as I started to rub it in.
“Hold up. Say that again. Only this time, say it like you’re selling it.”
“Shut up.” I poked his side, then went back to spreading the salve. “Carlos caught me on my way to the bathroom last night. He said we were switching and took my spot. At first, I thought he meant I should sleep with him.”
Ethan snorted.
“Like to see him try,” he said.
I grinned, remembering how I’d tried to knee Carlos.
“I think he’s jealous of you,” I said as I stepped back to signal I was done.
“Good. Guess what he did before he left?”
“What?”
“Changed into workout clothes.”
That sneaky giant...
“Want to go for a run outside?” I asked.
Ethan bent down and lifted his running shoes. He knew me too well.
It was early enough that the sidewalks were still clear. Ethan and I ran in unison. We didn’t run together often, but when we did, he stuck to me. I liked the sound of our feet hitting the pavement together.
The gestapo caught up to us seven blocks from the hotel. Grey’s worry gave them away. I didn’t slow down or give any indication that I’d noticed them tailing us. Ahead, I spotted a fast food chain restaurant. I veered that direction.
Sweaty, but not yet breathing too hard, Ethan and I stepped inside. I ordered double of everything we would normally eat. To go.
“You always play nice,” Ethan said under his breath.
He was right. I did. When I could. I tried to make up for the times my mood swings wouldn’t let me be nice.
Ethan carried the bags, and I carried the large orange juices. Grey and Carlos were waiting just outside the doors. The sight of Carlos in his tight exercise clothes made my palms sweaty. I ignored the weird phenomenon and pushed my way through the doors. Carlos’ gaze swept over me then locked on my face. I pretended not to notice and focused on Grey instead.
“Grey, you’re going to need something other than jeans if you plan on taking up running.” I handed him an orange juice.
“If the point of the exercise is to burn off the emotion you absorb, doesn’t stopping for breakfast defeat the purpose?” he asked.
“Sleeping in a hotel defeated the purpose before the breakfast run did. If you would have felt what was coming from the room above us...”
He winked at me and took a bite of his breakfast sandwich.
“I’m going to have to tell Gabby to stop ratting me out,” I said, handing a juice to Carlos.
“She didn’t.”
“How did you find us?”
Grey answered by tapping the side of his nose before taking another bite.
“You should have showered,” Ethan said to me under his breath.
“Shut up. I don’t stink.” Did I?
He laughed at my frown and dug into his sandwich.
“Might as well walk back,” I said as I unwrapped my own food. I wasn’t about to run with the two of them following us. The whole point of leaving the hotel was to give myself some distance from Carlos.
Grey turned and started walking. Carlos hung back, waiting for me to follow. What did he think I would do? Run away? Where would I go? They had the cars. I rolled my eyes and sped up to walk beside Grey.
“Hey, Grey...do you fight?”
He grinned at me, a twinkle in his eye.
“Nah. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Darn. I needed a partner before we left. And it wouldn’t be Carlos or Ethan.
My partner happened to find me as we rounded the corner near the hotel. Luke stood waiting by the doors.
“Isabelle, may I speak with you for a moment, please?”
His proper speech made me grin.
“Sure thing. What’s up?” I stopped to talk to him while everyone else went inside. Carlos lingered just on the other side of the doors. I wished Michelle had never said anything because my stomach wouldn’t settle down around him.
“Bethi wants to speak with you. Alone.”
“Alone seems to be pretty hard to do around you people.”
“You’re safe with me. He knows it.” Luke tilted his head toward Carlos.
What did I care if Carlos thought I’d be safe? And why was Luke concerned about what Carlos thought?