Chapter 82 Room Service (Part 2)
Chapter 82 Room Service (Part 2)
Shannon
Blake stepped inside behind me, closing the door quietly.
The motel room somehow felt even smaller now.
Not cramped.
Just… intimate.
There wasn’t really anywhere to go. The little table beneath the window only had one chair, and I wasn’t about to make him sit on the edge of the dresser like some awkward middle school dance chaperone.
He glanced around the room before smiling.
“I think this room might actually be smaller than my freshman dorm.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
He pointed toward the television.
“I bet that thing weighs three hundred pounds.”
“It probably remembers the moon landing.”
“I think it covered it live.”
I laughed.
The easy rhythm we’d somehow rediscovered during the drive settled back over us almost immediately.
I kicked my shoes off and climbed onto the bed, scooting back until I rested comfortably against the headboard.
“Well?”
I patted the mattress beside me.
“We’re not sitting on that chair.”
He looked from the chair…
…to the bed…
…back to me.
“You sure?”
I smiled.
“It’s a bed, Blake.”
“I know.”
“You’ve sat on one before.”
“I’ve done more than sit on one.”
I rolled my eyes.
“There he is.”
“There who is?”
“The idiot.”
He placed a hand over his heart.
“I was gone?”
“For a few weeks.”
“Damn.”
He climbed onto the opposite side of the bed, careful to leave enough space between us that our shoulders weren’t touching.
I noticed.
I wasn’t entirely sure he realized I’d noticed.
I leaned over him and reached for the remote sitting on the nightstand.
The television clicked on with a loud pop before settling into a fuzzy picture.
Static.
Infomercial.
Weather.
Another infomercial.
Three channels that appeared to be selling commemorative coins.
Blake frowned.
“I don’t think this place has discovered streaming.”
“I don’t think this place has discovered this century.”
He laughed.
Finally we landed on a movie that had already started.
A woman was slowly walking through what appeared to be an abandoned hospital carrying nothing but a flashlight.
Blake looked at the screen.
“…She’s going to die.”
“I think that’s the point.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“The point is she’s making terrible decisions.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do.”
He pointed.
“If you voluntarily walk into an abandoned hospital after midnight, you deserve whatever ghost has been waiting patiently for your arrival.”
I laughed.
“That’s harsh.”
“It’s practical.”
“Maybe she’s looking for someone.”
“Call them.”
“They might not answer.”
“Then they made their choice.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“You’ve really thought about this.”
“I’ve watched enough horror movies.”
The woman on screen opened a rusty metal door.
Blake sighed.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The bad decision.”
Something immediately jumped out of the darkness.
I yelped. Actually yelped. My entire body jerked.
Beside me Blake burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“I’m a little sorry.”
“You laughed.”
“I did.”
I folded my arms.
“You’re terrible.”
“A little.”
The movie continued.
Five minutes later another scare happened.
This time I managed not to scream.
Mostly.
I did, however, instinctively grab Blake’s forearm.
“…Sorry.”
He looked down at my hand wrapped around his arm before looking back at me.
“It’s okay.”
I let go. Immediately. Pretending that hadn’t happened.
The movie apparently took that personally because another jump scare happened less than two minutes later.
Without thinking, I scooted just a little closer. Not enough to actually touch him.
Just…
Closer.
The room had grown darker while we’d watched.
Outside, the last traces of daylight had disappeared, leaving only the glow of the motel sign filtering through the curtains.
The television became the only real light in the room.
Blue.
Soft.
Flickering across Blake’s face every few seconds.
The woman wandered into another dark hallway.
“I don’t like this.”
Blake didn’t take his eyes off the television.
“Neither do I.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
I looked over.
“I thought you weren’t scared.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why don’t you like it?”
“Because she’s about to make another stupid decision.”
Sure enough…
She opened another door. Something lunged at the camera.
I squeaked again. This time I didn’t just grab his arm, I buried my face against his shoulder.
For half a second I froze there.
Realizing exactly what I’d done.
“Oh my God.”
I started pulling away.
“I’m sorry.”
Before I could move very far, I felt his arm settle gently around my shoulders.
Not possessive. Not demanding.
Just…
There.
“It’s okay.”
His voice stayed quiet.
“You can hide if you want.”
I laughed into his shoulder.
“That’s so embarrassing.”
“A little.”
“You don’t have to agree.”
“I wasn’t agreeing.”
“You were.”
“I was observing.”
I shook my head, smiling despite myself.
“You are impossible.”
“I’ve heard that.”
The movie kept playing.
I honestly had no idea what happened for the next fifteen minutes. Not because I wasn’t watching. Because I had become very aware of the fact that Blake’s arm was still around me.
He hadn’t tightened his hold. Hadn’t tried to pull me closer. Hadn’t turned it into something it wasn’t. He simply let me decide whether I wanted to stay there.
So…
I did.
His heartbeat was slow beneath my cheek.
Steady.
Comforting.
The kind of rhythm that made the motel room somehow feel quieter despite the explosions and screaming coming from the television.
Eventually the credits rolled.
I let out a long breath.
“Great.”
Blake smiled.
“What?”
“I’m definitely going to have nightmares now.”
He reached for the remote but didn’t turn the television off.
“Easy fix.”
“Oh?”
“We watch something happy.”
I laughed.
“That’s your solution?”
“Absolutely.”
“Erase the scary movie with cartoons.”
“I was thinking cooking competitions.”
I looked up at him.
“You watch cooking competitions?”
“I get invested.”
“In soufflés?”
“They’re under a lot of pressure.”
I laughed hard enough that I had to sit up.
“You are unbelievable.”
“I know.”
He flipped through channels.
A sitcom.
A fishing show.
A documentary about volcanoes.
Finally he settled on some old comedy movie.
“There.”
He tossed the remote onto the blanket.
“Good dreams.”
I watched the television for a second.
Then looked back at him. He was smiling. Relaxed.
Completely unaware I wasn’t looking at the movie anymore.
Instead…
I was looking at him. Really looking at him.
At the man who had spent months pursuing me.
Then finally just stopped.
The man who had every opportunity tonight to flirt. To make a move. To test boundaries.
Instead…
He’d simply held me while I watched a scary movie.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
He noticed me staring.
“What?”
I smiled.
“I think…”
He waited.
“…I know what would help with the nightmares.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Oh yeah?”
“What?”
I didn’t answer.
Instead I leaned forward.
Then my lips found his.
Soft.
Gentle.
Questioning.
For one suspended heartbeat he seemed almost too surprised to respond.
When he finally kissed me back, it wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t hungry.
It wasn’t the kiss of a man who thought he’d won something.
It was careful.
Almost disbelieving.
Like he was afraid that if he moved too quickly, I’d disappear.
When we finally separated, we stayed close enough that our foreheads almost touched.
Neither of us spoke.
Then…
Very quietly…
He smiled.
“…Hi.”
I laughed softly.
“…Hi.”