Page 55 of The Love Bus

BACK ON SCHEDULE

W incing, I slapped at my phone the second the alarm went off. It took a few seconds to remember where I was.

That had been happening a lot lately.

Ever since The Incident , I’d been waking up like this—floating in a haze of pretend-normal, right before reality settled in like dust.

People who’d lost loved ones talked about it. That cruel half-second of peace, just before the remembering hit.

Even though Leo hadn’t died.

It was more like I had died—or at least the version of me that used to exist. My old life, my plans, everything I’d built?

Gone.

And for the past month, I’d relived that loss every single morning.

But this morning…

This morning was different.

My body was sore in a way that made me blush just thinking about it.

Noah Grady and I were finally having our fling.

And we’d kicked it off twice.

The first time had been fast. Raw.

Like we were both dry tinder, and when he’d walked through my door, I’d lit the match. It was needy. A little desperate.

Perfect.

The second time…

That one was slow. Lingering.

We’d turned off the lamp and then memorized each other in the dark and now I knew at least two of his ticklish spots. I knew that he loved having his back scratched.

And that he made this low sound in his throat when I kissed just below his ear.

I didn’t have to roll over or even reach across the bed to know he was gone.

And…okay.

That was fine. Totally fine.

I hadn’t expected him to stay the whole night.

Had I?

I sat up slowly, letting the cool air settle over my bare shoulders—and that’s when I noticed my PJs, neatly folded on the chair.

Which was...not where they’d landed last night.

No, they’d ended up somewhere on the floor, along with his sweatpants. And the condom wrappers.

But now everything was tidy.

He had done that—folded my clothes. Cleaned up.

So…he was gorgeous. Super smart. Considerate. Sexy. An amazing lover , and also…

Neat?

What else was there to learn about this man?

Would I get the chance to find out?

By the time I made it to the bus, my brain was in full spiral mode—having looped through these questions and about a thousand others while I showered, got dressed, repacked my suitcase.

.. and yes, for some reason, tucked one of the condom wrappers into a zippered pocket like the world’s strangest souvenir.

But I kept telling myself I was fine.

Just a girl on vacation.

Enjoying a cute guy.

A super sweet, gorgeous, heroic guy.

Still, when Tay welcomed us all onto Love Bus 2.0—almost identical to the original—I felt a strange wave of imbalance.

The layout was the same. The seats were the same.

And yet...not.

This one was newer. Shinier. Better, probably. And yet, standing there, I felt a flicker of loss. Silly, really.

But maybe not entirely.

Sometimes when the old breaks, you have to let it.

Sometimes it’s okay to move on. It’s okay to start over with something new.

Before I could dwell on it too long, I caught sight of Noah already in his seat—the one next to mine. And even though my heart did a little happy dance, I tamped it down.

Because very early this morning , we’d agreed to keep whatever this was between just the two of us. Less complications.

And this way, in my mind , we wouldn’t have to deal with forty senior citizen spectators.

I’d already endured one very public breakup; I had no desire to repeat the performance. When this tour ended, when Noah and I went our separate ways, I could lick my wounds privately.

Perfect. Excellent plan.

But then he stood up to let me climb into my spot over by the window, and our bodies brushed.

It wasn’t by accident.

It wasn’t fleeting.

“Morning,” he said, voice low and casual, like it was just any morning.

Like we hadn’t both been naked, wrapped around one another just a few hours earlier.

I hadn’t even noticed that he had an extra coffee until he handed it over once we were both sitting down.

“Mostly cream with a dangerous amount of sugar, right?”

I blinked. “You remembered?”

His shrug was almost casual. But then he licked his lips. “I pay attention.”

To me.

He paid attention to me.

Cradling the hot drink in both hands, my eyes locked with his.

“Thanks.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “You still want to keep this”—he gestured between the two of us—“under wraps?”

It took me a second to process. But… “Yeah.” I nodded. “Totally. Just a fling. No one needs to know.”

“You’re sure?”

The question hit harder than it should have, and in a flash, I saw all of them—Babs, Ed, Eddie, Tay, the entire bus—lined up like an audience. Watching. Judging. Pitying.

The poor-Luna glances.

“Yeah. Definitely,” I said quickly, my throat tight.

Noah studied me for a second, and then, like he understood, nodded.

By then, the rest of the group had settled into their seats, and Tay was already in her usual spot at the front of our new bus, calling everyone to attention.

“Good morning, WonderWorld travelers!” she chirped into the mic, her voice bright and caffeinated.

“Can I get a big round of applause for Love Bus 2.0? We are officially back on schedule, baby!”

Murmured claps. Babs gave a little “Woo!”

“Okay, so here’s the rundown for today, and yes—I am speaking directly to the spirits of the Tour Gods right now—we will not be missing a single thing. You hear that, universe?”

I sipped my coffee, my heart slowing, until my gaze drifted to Noah’s hand, resting on his thigh. The same thigh I now knew far more intimately than I had twenty-four hours ago.

“First stop…” Tay flipped the pages on her clipboard with a flourish.

“Four Corners Monument! Coming up in about two hours. We’ll have about forty-five minutes there—just enough time for Eddie to buy a set of matching T-shirts for her and Ed, and for the rest of you to get starfish selfies lying on the ground with all four limbs in different states. ”

Then she turned, mic still in hand, and squinted down the aisle.

“Just checking—Dr. Noah, are you officially off duty this morning? Because inevitably, someone will throw their back out while attempting said starfish.”

He shook his head. “Officially, yes.” But Noah, being Noah, added, “That being said, I’m always on call.”

“But we don’t want that, do we?” Tay was speaking to the entire group again.

“So, I beg of you. Stretch responsibly. After that, Arizona, here we come, specifically Cliff Dwellers Lodge for an early lunch. Trust me, best fry bread you’ll ever taste.

And then…we roll into Lee’s Ferry. There, we have guides waiting to take everyone rafting down the mighty Colorado. ”

“It’s just a float trip though, isn’t it?” Mrs. Grady asked, sounding a little uncertain.

“The most beautiful float trip in the world,” Tay reassured her with a hand to her chest. “Which is why we absolutely cannot be late getting to Lee’s Ferry.”

She glanced over her shoulder—pointedly—at Joe.

“There will be no transmission issues today. Is that clear?”

“Crystal!” Joey chirped, sitting up a little straighter.

“Excellent.”

For a second, I thought I caught a flicker of exhaustion behind Tay’s eyes, but if it was there, it vanished fast. Her clipboard snapped against her palm like a gavel.

“Launch at the put-in is scheduled for thirteen hundred hours. So help me God, you will go on this river trip even if I have to drive you there myself.”

Okaaay…

Noah and I exchanged a quick glance.

Maybe that breakdown back in Durango had rattled Tay more than any of us realized.

But then again…Durango had flipped a switch in me, too.

Whereas earlier in the trip, I’d simply been aware of Noah beside me—the way you’re aware of a pan heating up on the stove—now I knew what it felt like to actually taste the dish.

To savor it, to anticipate having it again…

I could vividly recall the feel of his mouth on my shoulder, his hand between my legs… and the sounds he made when I kissed my way down that little happy trail…

His thigh brushed against mine as the bus bumped along the highway, and instead of pulling back, he let it rest there. Solid. Warm. Intentional.

Across the aisle, Mrs. Grady leaned forward, peeking around Babs.

“Oh, did I mention I have a little surprise lined up for you tonight, Noah?”

Noah glanced over. So did I.

Babs turned in her seat to face us, her eyebrows climbing halfway up her forehead. “A surprise? You didn’t tell me anything about that. What is it?”

Noah gave a slow blink, the kind that read more “resigned son” than “curious adult.”

“I’ve learned not to ask questions when my mom says the word ‘surprise.’”

His mom smiled, but it wasn’t the same as the warm, train-ride version of her I’d felt drawn to yesterday.

She looked at me, then away, then back again.

And there was something there. Not unkindness. But something quieter. Subtler. Smugness? Apology?

Cheese and biscuits, she was as hard to read as her son was.

Without elaborating further, Mrs. Grady turned away, back to Babs and their usual chatting—about today’s drive and their favorite stops so far and how she’d finally mastered Babs’s secret stitch while crocheting a unicorn for Courtney. Because, apparently, Courtney loved unicorns.

And yes, I remembered who Courtney was.

I shifted slightly, turning just enough to catch Noah’s profile. He looked tired, but in a good way—the same way I felt.

“You good?” I whispered.

He looked at me for a beat too long.

Then he nodded. “Absolutely.”