Page 71 of False Start

I came up empty.

Something in my stomach tightened the longer I thought about it, especially when I replayed how welcoming everyone had been to me. Giana, Riley, Mary, and Julep made me feel like I’d always been a part of their friend group. The guys made me feel like I’d always been a part of Kyle’s life.

That made my stomach tighten even more.

Because, in a way, I had been.

Memories of the past slid down my spine like ice water, and when the elevator doors slid open, I blinked back to the present.

Kyle was quiet now, and he didn’t move to put his hand on my lower back or touch me in any way when I stepped onto ourfloor. He just followed behind me silently, holding the door open for me once he’d scanned our key card.

The energy immediately shifted as soon as we stepped inside, and both our gazes locked on the bed.

I can help you with that.

His words drifted back to me, and a shiver ran over my skin as the door clicked shut behind us.

Kyle pulled his wallet from the pocket of his slacks, letting it drop onto the desk before he grabbed the back of his neck. His eyes slid from the bed to me, and I swore my face was hot enough to melt metal.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

My eyes bulged at the question, heart kicking in my chest, and Kyle chuckled. He took one small step toward me, but it was enough to suck all of the oxygen out of the room.

“That wasn’t me inviting myself to join you,” he said with a smirk, one of his gorgeous eyebrows ticking up into his hairline. “Although, it would save water…”

I rolled my eyes on an exhale of a laugh, a little of the tension melting away when I did. “Oh sure,nowyou’re environmentally conscious? I know what you drive,” I shot at him.

That made his grin double.

He nodded toward the bathroom. “You go ahead, I’ll take second. I’m going to get some ice.”

“Ice?”

“Yeah,” he said, pulling the door open before looking back at me. “For your water.”

He left before my jaw popped open, and I stood there gaping at the closed door for a full minute before I dragged myself into the bathroom and ran the shower as hot as it would go.

He remembered that?

When we were younger, when he’d sneak over to my house in the middle of the night to sleep on my floor instead of inhis home, he would see me in my rawest form. I usually had on panties and a tank top and nothing else. Sometimes I would be wearing a face mask, sometimes I’d be rubbing lotion on my legs, sometimes I’d be jumping on my bed — a nightly routine I used to do to shake off some energy.

And I always had a tall glass of water on my bedside table, with as much ice crammed into that glass as I could manage.

I tried not to overthink it too much as I took a quick shower, washing my face and brushing my teeth before I wrapped myself in a towel and made my way back to the main room. Kyle’s eyes flashed when I emerged, his gaze dropping to the water still dripping down my legs before he cleared his throat and slipped inside the bathroom to take his own shower.

I hadn’t planned on sleeping in the same bed with Kyle.

I hadn’t planned on even being in the sameroomwith him.

Now, I was staring at the pair of panties and the silk camisole nightgown I’d packed to sleep in like they were enemy number one.

I muttered a curse as I hastily put them on, combing my hair with my fingers and scrunching out as much moisture as I could with my towel before I climbed into bed. I pulled the covers up to my ears and laid on the far edge of the bed, practically hanging off it as I stared up at the ceiling and willed my heart to beat steady.

It’s fine, Madelyn.

You’re both adults.

This bed is huge, and it’s just sleeping.