"What do you mean?" I asked slowly.
His mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. I had to close my eyes for a moment, before I embarrassed myself by grabbing his face and kissing that grin senseless. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart before glancing back at him.
The grin was actually bigger and more knowing. I could feel my cheeks heat, but I ignored it, and him, by looking slightly behind him at the wall instead of directly at his handsome face.
"Caught that, did you?" He chuckled. "You’ll be staying with me for a while."
That had my head snapping back in his direction. "What? No, no, that is not happening." I shook my head. No, he was delusional if he thought I was going to stay with him in his apartment.
No, he was crazy to think I would spend twenty-four hours a day for however long with him. It would be pure Hell. Then I thought about really seeing Alex all day and night. More like Heaven. No, Hell. I couldn't handle that. It was too confusing.
I was still shaking my head when Liz walked in. "I'm sorry, Sam, but I had to call him. You need someone to take care of you."
My teeth ground together and my eyes narrowed on my supposed best friend. "I can take care of myself."
Liz's eyes were kind, her words were soft, but I was not fazed. "Normally I would say that is completely true, but honey, right now there are some things you are going to need help with. Your parents aren't coming, and I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
"Doesn't matter," I said, my chin lifting defiantly. "I’m not staying with him. I will be fine."
Liz watched me quietly, and I noticed Alex had not interrupted once. He stood silently by the bed, his arms crossed, as he calmly took in the situation. He didn't seem upset by my insistence to not stay with him.
"Alright," Liz said, taking a deep breath and releasing it noisily.
She rubbed the spot in the center of her forehead. I knew that meant she was stressed, and I had a moment of guilt for being the cause.
"Alright," she said again, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I'll cancel my trip."
I leaned forward suddenly, which was a bad idea. Wincing, I lay back against my pillow. Alex had moved closer ready to help, but stepped back when it was obvious I was fine. I was pleased to see he cared, but ignored him nonetheless.
"Liz, you can't do that. What about your job? Get on that plane," I demanded.
Liz shrugged, as if it was no big deal, but her fingers were twisting restlessly in front of her. "I'll talk to Mr. Wolford again. I might be able to save my job. It’s possible that I could be demoted, but as long as I have work, we'll be okay."
I shook my head, "No, this isn't just about a job. You wanted to travel for as long as I’ve known you, which is forever," I smiled. "It's your dream, go."
Shoulders straightening, Liz dropped her wringing hands and glared at me with hard blue eyes. "That's the deal, Sam. You go with Alex, let him take care of you, or I will refuse to get on that plane."
I swallowed hard. There was no changing Liz's mind. She was as straight forward as they came and wouldn’t have issued the threat lightly.
I glanced up at Alex. I was surprised to see he had backed up against the far wall. I hadn't seen or heard him move. I shook my head. My mind must have been too occupied with Liz to pay any attention.
His gaze fixed on the bed; his expression was one of deep thought. He looked like his mind was far away, but I knew he was listening to every word. There was a watchfulness about him, like he was taking in everything, even as he tried hard to look uninterested.
Then something Liz said registered. She had said Alex would take care of me, but where was Jordan? I thought I had seen him the day before, standing over me, but later when I woke, I dismissed it as just a dream. When Alex walked in, I changed my mind and thought maybe it wasn’t a dream, but where was he?
My heart squeezed painfully. Jordan wasn’t here, because he didn’t want to be, and he probably didn't want to take care of me either.
This time I saw him move. I looked up as Alex pushed off the wall, as if to come closer. His knowing brown eyes set on my face. Could he tell what I was thinking? Could he read me that well?
Trying to pay him no attention, I turned back to Liz. It was obvious what I had to do, and she knew it. Luckily for her, there was no smug smile on her face, only determination.
"That is so unfair, Liz," I sighed. "Okay, I'll go with Alex," I said, my voice sounding resigned.
Liz nodded, as if she already knew my answer. I was sure she did. My gaze found Alex's and my eyes widened. His expression was not full of arrogance, as I’d assumed. His eyes were bright with happiness and relief. I caught the glimpse only for a moment, before he turned away.