Page 152 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol 4

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I put my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. It had been a long time since I had run this early, but I couldn't sleep. All I could do was think about Hailey lying in the bed beside mine. I had gotten out of bed at five in the morning and had been running ever since. After several miles I realized I was trying to run off the sexual tension I felt. This whole situation was so frustrating.

I stared out at the field of grass. And that's when I saw it. A buffalo in the distance. Just like Hailey had said she saw yesterday. I held my breath as I watched it disappear into the sunrise. I hadn't believed her at all. Maybe she really had seen one too. I blinked and saw dots from staring into the sun. Or maybe I had imagined it too.

I turned back to the hotel and walked as slowly as possible, half trying to catch my breath, half delaying going back to the room. Hailey looked so peaceful while she slept. There was no pain or worry in her eyes. She just looked happy. And it made me realize just how much she was tormented while she was awake. She was dealing with something, and I wanted to know what it was. I wanted to help her. Maybe I could help fix whatever it was. But first, I probably had to open up to her. I just didn't know if I could.

I let myself into the room as quietly as possible so that I wouldn't wake her. But I was surprised to see that she was already up. She was sitting on the bed with her chin resting on her knee. Her hair was tied in a knot on the top of her head, giving me a view of her long neck. I felt like I was intruding on her privacy. She hadn't seemed to have heard me come in.

"I saw a buffalo," I said.

She turned toward me. "Did it stomp on my head?" She put her hand on her forehead.

I picked up the Advil I had placed on the nightstand for her and handed her it and the glass of water. "Here. And no, I saw it on my run while you were sleeping off your hangover."

"Ugh. That sounds rather majestic. Are you sure you didn't imagine it?" She put her chin in her hand and smiled at me.

That's what I had said to her yesterday. "No, it was there."

"Mhm." She downed the pill and took a huge gulp of the water. "What the hell happened last night?" She leaned back on the bed.

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"You drank tequila like it was water and tried to seduce me."

She laughed. "I highly doubt that. Well, not the tequila part. That actually sounds like me." She sat back up and slid off the bed. "You should probably go take a shower so you don't stink up the whole car."

"I thought you liked the way I smelled?"

She drew her eyebrows together. "What?"

"Nothing." It really seemed like she didn't remember last night. Maybe that was for the best. Unfortunately, I remembered every second. Especially the way her lips felt against mine. And now it seemed like I had missed my chance. I should have fucking kissed her back. "I'm gonna go take a shower real quick and we can get going."

Missing Pieces - Chapter 13

Hailey

Monday

Shit, shit, shit.I quickly got dressed while Tyler was in the shower. I didn't remember all of last night. But I did remember wanting him. Really, really wanting him. I remembered singing with him on stage. I remembered his fingers digging into my hips and the feeling of his erection pressed against me. I clearly remembered him wanting me back. But then I had kissed him. And he didn't kiss me back. So I had told him off. I had told him to drive away without me.

Everything else was a blur. How I had ended up in this hotel room was a mystery to me. I tried to put the pieces together, but I couldn't remember. All I knew was that we definitely hadn't slept together. If we had, I wouldn't still be so horny that I could barely think straight.

I didn't know what happened when I walked away from him in the restaurant. But it didn't matter. The only important thing about last night was that I had put myself out there and gotten rejected. So that was that. We were just friends. Which was perfectly fine with me. In a few days we'd be going our separate ways. It's not like it could have been anything more anyway.

I'd just keep pretending like I didn't remember the whole night. Then there wouldn't be anything awkward between us. It was better that way. I shoved my dirty clothes into my duffel and zipped it closed. There were four states between us and Pasadena. All I needed to do was keep my legs closed and not get shitfaced around him again. I had just wanted to forget forone night. And it had just created more things I needed to forget about.

And even though the rejection stung, I was glad nothing had happened between us. I didn't want to be the girl he fucked to forget about what he really wanted. For once in my life, I wanted to be the one that someone actually wanted. Me. Not my slut of an ex best friend. I just wanted to be wanted.

I slung my bag over my shoulder when Tyler emerged from the bathroom. He was fully clothed, thank God. I didn't want to be distracted by his abs ever again. I quickly looked away from him. "Do you want me to drive some today?"

"Nope."

It was worth asking. I felt useless. He hadn't even let me help pay for gas yesterday. I was the worst hitchhiker in the history of hitchhiking. And the worst daughter.

He followed me silently out to the car. I got in the passenger's seat, folded my arms across my chest, and stared out the window.