When You Least Expect It

26

Chapter 26

Silence blanketed the room like a heavy fog, broken only by the occasional distant rumble of passing cars. I lay in bed, consumed by loneliness and mind-numbing boredom.

To kill time, I texted Ilya earlier—but our conversation quickly fizzled out once things got weird after I mentioned we booked a motel.

Ilya: ahahaha a motel??

Max: It was the best option we could find.

Ilya: ahaha, I bet you two won't be able to keep your hands off each other.

Max: Shut up, Ilya, seriously.

As I read Ilya's teasing texts, a hot blush crept up my cheeks, burning brighter with each word. Hastily, I silenced my phone and shoved it under my pillow, hoping to bury both the messages and the embarrassment they ignited.

Glancing at the nightstand clock, I saw it was 2:00 AM. I'd been tossing and turning in bed all night, and when it became clear I wouldn't be able to drift off anytime soon, I decided to check on Carson. I wondered if Carson had managed to find any rest, considering the events of the day.

I slipped out of bed, the soft fabric of my plaid pajama shorts brushing against my skin, and padded across the hall to his room. Pausing outside his door, I leaned in, pressing my ear against the wood. The murmur of voices reached me, muffled by the door's barrier. Either Carson was on the phone, or the TV was on. His blinds were pulled tight, so I couldn't tell if he was still up.

I didn't want to bother him, so I headed back to my room, feeling lonely and empty. Minutes passed, each one stretching into an eternity as I lay on the edge of my bed, listening to the quiet hum of the motel outside. And then, just when the silence threatened to consume me, there was a knock on my door. With a mixture of relief and surprise, I opened the door to find Carson standing there, clad in a hoodie and plaid pajama pants. The expression on his face and the dark circles under his eyes said it all.

"It's okay, I couldn't sleep either," I said, motioning for him to come in.

Carson flopped onto my unmade bed, sneezing as a cloud of dust erupted around him. "Well, I guess the dust bunnies are having a party tonight too," he said, wiping his nose.

"Hope they don't mind us crashing the party and bringing our own snacks."

Carson looked like he was holding back a smile. "I hope they're not too picky. We might have to share our crumbs with them."

We both burst into a fit of delirious laughter. As I stood there awkwardly in the middle of the room, I suddenly became acutely aware that my shorts had ridden up higher than I had intended.

"You know," Carson started, slowly, his dark eyes fixed to my face, leaning back on his palms.

"What?" My voice came out like a squeak.

"We've got the entire motel to ourselves. I scoped out the place earlier."

Something about the way he said that stirred something in me. Alone together in my room, his gaze held a hunger that was hard to ignore.

After composing myself with a deep breath, I tried to lighten the room with a a joke. "Are you planning a midnight snack raid on the vending machines, or something?"