Page 11

Chapter eleven

Hazel James

My forehead scrunches. Why am I so warm? It feels like I’m sleeping in a furnace. My clothes stick to my skin. I tug at the collar of my sweatshirt as I blink my dry eyes open. I’m greeted with a dark, unfamiliar room, the only light source streaming from beneath a door nearby. My mind spins as I try to comprehend where I am.

Something tickles my chin, and I crane my neck to see what it is. Or rather who it is. Sweet little June is snuggled up against me, her face soft and angelic in the low light. So this is why I feel like I just ran a summer marathon in Florida. How does such a small person emit so much body heat?

I shift my arm out from underneath her to try and cool down. As I do, my eye catches a figure across the room. I freeze. My heart drops. There, asleep in a too-small hotel chair, is Emmett. His legs are propped up on the ottoman, his arms crossed over his chest. He somehow manages to maintain his intimidating posture even while asleep, but his face has softened. The resemblance between him and June is much more evident with him so relaxed.

It feels wrong to watch him like this when he seems more vulnerable than ever before. But I can’t tear my eyes away. During all of our interactions, it’s been difficult to truly look at him because he makes me so nervous. Now that he can’t do that, I find myself drinking in his appearance. The yellow light from the cracked bathroom door casts him in a warm glow, deepening his sun-tanned skin. His hat sits on the end table next to him, putting his wavy locks on display. The urge to run my fingers through them wraps around me like an unexpected hug.

From the moment I met Emmett, I knew he was attractive. Painfully so. But seeing him so soft is opening up something within me, terrain I can’t afford to explore.

June rolls over, drawing me out of my hazy dream. The nerves come rushing back, shocking my system like I stepped into a too-cold shower. I fell asleep here. In Emmett’s room. My boss is sleeping in a hotel chair because I stole his bed.

Slowly, I slide off the mattress and pad over to Emmett. My heart gallops in my chest, but I know what I have to do. I reach out and place a hand on his large bicep.

“Emmett,” I whisper, running my hand up and down his arm. His muscles tense as his dark eyes pop open. He draws back in surprise.

“Hazel?” The raspy way he says my name sends tingles across my skin.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your room, I’m sorry,” I say in a low voice, careful not to wake June up. “I’ll go to my room now.”

His gaze flicks from my eyes to my hand that’s still on his arm. I yank it away and take a step back. He shifts in the chair, sitting up more fully before raking a hand through his hair.

“What time is it?” he asks, still in that delicious, raspy voice that sounds far too intimate.

I glance at the bedside clock. “A little past two. I’m sorry again. I know you have several big games coming up. You shouldn’t have slept in that chair. You could have woken me up,” I ramble, wringing my hands.

He stands up, wincing with the movement. I bite my lip. I’m sure he’s sore after sleeping there for so long.

“You and June looked so peaceful, I thought it better not to wake you.”

“Why didn’t you trade rooms with me for the night?” I ask as the thought dawns on me. He could have simply went across the hall to my room and stayed there.

He scrubs a hand over his face. “I didn’t want to worry you or June if you woke up and I was gone. I guess I could have left a note.” One of his shoulders lifts in a shrug. “I ended up falling asleep pretty quickly anyway.”

“I’m amazed you fell asleep in that torture instrument,” I say with a soft laugh.

His mouth quirks up on one side. “When you travel as much as I do, you learn to sleep anywhere. It was no big deal.”

Maybe not to him, but to me it is. He could have woken me up right away and told me to go to my room, but he didn’t. He could have gone across the hall and had a good night’s sleep in a soft hotel bed, but he didn’t. Instead, he let June and me steal his bed and stayed here so we wouldn’t worry about him being gone. He cares , I realize. Beneath his reserved exterior is a man who cares for those around him. I’m not delusional enough to think he feels anything for me, but maybe we’re becoming friends.

“Well, I appreciate it.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I’ll let you get some more sleep. I’ll see you in a few hours to get June up.”

I turn and walk toward the door.

“Wait, Hazel,” Emmett says, and I turn around to find him walking toward me. “It’s late, and this is a nice hotel, but something could still happen. Mind if I make sure you get to your room okay?”

“Oh.” Heat spreads across my chest. “Sure, that’s kind of you.”

He brushes off my compliment. We walk to the door together and he opens it for me. I murmur my thanks, then step out. My room key is tucked into the pocket of my leggings, so I pull it out before taking the three steps from Emmett’s door to mine. The soft beep of the door accepting the key punctures the silence of the hallway. I push the handle down and turn to face Emmett.

His expression is unreadable as he leans against the doorframe of his room, the door resting against his foot so it doesn’t shut all the way.

“Thanks again,” I say quietly.

He nods. “Sleep well, Hazel.”

“You too,” I whisper before escaping into my room. The door clicks shut behind me and I press my back against it, drawing in a shaky breath.

What was that?

The next morning, I’m up well before June is scheduled to come over for the day. I found that after returning to my room, I wasn’t able to sleep much. I tossed and turned, then gave up and pulled my Nintendo Switch out of my backpack to play games until my bleary eyes couldn’t see straight. The attempt at distracting myself was futile though. I still can’t stop thinking about Emmett.

His kind actions, the way he looked in the dark room, how my name sounded in his sleepy voice. The memory clings to me like smoke. I’ll have to work to get rid of it, but I’m not sure I want to. It’s been so long since I felt anything like this. So even though it’s foolish to entertain a crush on someone like him, I let myself anyway. It’s harmless enough. No one ever has to know.

I splash warm water on my face and dry off with one of the white hand towels on the sink. I’d call them pristine if I hadn’t seen Emmett’s guest bathroom. I’m convinced nothing is cleaner than that room and those towels. As I’m contemplating asking him for the number of his maid so she can tell me her secrets, my phone starts to buzz on the nightstand where I left it. Thinking that it might be Emmett saying he’s heading over with June early, I rush to snag it before I miss the call.

When I pick up my phone, though, I notice that it’s my sister Raven.

“Hey, honey,” I answer. “Everything all right?”

Raven rarely calls me. She prefers texting to phone calls the majority of the time.

“No,” she says with a sniffle. “I need you.”

“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to remain calm as panic tightens like a belt around my chest.

“Mom told me that she was going to take me to the museum for my internship interview tomorrow, but I woke up this morning to cash on the counter and a note saying she’d be back in a couple of days. Dad said he can’t call out of work to take me, and none of my friends are available. Can you please give me a ride?”

Anger burns hot in my blood. Why can’t they just be parents ? They don’t have to do much. Raven’s almost an adult, and I’ve been taking care of her for years now. All they need to do are the very basic duties of a parent, but neither of them can even manage that.

“I’m in New York right now, remember?” I remind her gently. The sound of a sob catching in her throat makes my heart break. “But don’t worry, I’ll handle this, okay? I’ll find someone to take you. What time is the interview?”

“Four,” she croaks.

“Let me make some calls. I’ll talk to you soon. Take a few deep breaths for me.”

“Okay, thank you.” She sniffles again. “I’m sorry you have to deal with this.”

“Raven James,” I coat my voice in steel. “You know better than to apologize for things that aren’t your fault.”

“I just hate having to call you all the time.”

I sigh. “I know, honey, but it’s not your fault. This is what sisters are for. Now I’m going to try to get this handled. I’ll call you back shortly.”

“Okay.” The weakness in her voice guts me. “I love you.”

“I love you most.”

We hang up and I take a deep breath. Starting my day off with this challenge isn’t ideal, but anything involving my family rarely is. Raven deserves so much better. She shouldn’t have to fight for the bare minimum. A small voice whispers that I shouldn’t have to either, but I silence it. This isn’t about me, it’s about making sure that Raven gets everything she needs to succeed in life. Even if it means lecturing my dad like I’m the parent in our relationship and he’s the irresponsible child.

Suddenly, the exhaustion that eluded me earlier has now arrived to take me captive. I fight through it and find my dad’s contact in my phone. This is what sisters do. Maybe not what they should have to do, but what they do nonetheless.