Chapter 14
Before she even realizes it,Reckless 3’s tour is almost over. The final show is upon them, and the band has been buzzing with energy. Chloe would have thought that six months of touring would have them utterly exhausted, but the excitement for some time off at home seems to be invigorating them. They’re ready to go home, back to LA.
And Chloe’s going with them. It had felt like the right choice, the obvious choice even, when he’d asked while they were in New York. Maybe it was the softness of that not-date or maybe Chloe was more tired than she’d realized, but clearly she hadn’t thought it through when she agreed.
But now, the reality of it all is finally sinking in, and it’s only serving to heighten her anxiety. She’s been silently biting her nails for days, lying through her teeth whenever Elena or Luke asked what was bothering her.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to go to LA. She does! She’s always wanted to visit the city, and Luke’s right that this past month hasn’t been enough time to figure things out between them. There’s so much more they need to figure out in order to prepare for the baby. Hell, they haven’t even begun to discuss living arrangements! Will he come visit Chloe and the baby in Nashville? How often? How often does he expect Chloe and the baby to travel?
It was a question her mother had posed when she told her about this change of plans. Perhaps it had been cowardly to do it over text, but it hadn’t mattered anyway. Lisa called her barely three seconds after the text had gone through.
‘Hey, Mom,’ Chloe said when she answered the phone, already cringing. She was in the girls’ hotel room, leaning back in the cushy desk chair as she waited for Elena to get out of the shower.
‘What do you mean, you’re going to LA?’ Lisa demanded without preamble. Chloe sat up straight at her mother’s tone, as if she was going to be berated for her posture next.
‘Well, um, Luke pointed out that this past month hasn’t been enough to really work everything out,’ Chloe stuttered, feeling stupidly like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. ‘Baby-wise, you know.’
‘So, you’re just going to drop everything and move to California?’ Lisa’s voice cracked, which cracked Chloe’s heart in tandem. ‘Just like that?’
‘No, no, no,’ Chloe protested quickly, eyes wide. ‘I’m not moving anywhere, Mom! I’m just going there…for a little while to spend more time with Luke. To plan for the baby,’ she tacked on, wincing at how it sounded. Like she was galavanting off across the country just to spend time with a boy.
‘How’s that going to work?’ Charlie asked. Chloe started, unaware she’d been on speakerphone.
‘What do you mean?’
‘He lives in Los Angeles,’ Lisa pointed out. ‘You live in Nashville. If you’re not moving anywhere, then how is any of this going to work? Is he going to come here, to Tennessee?’
Chloe’s throat had closed at the question, so baldly asked. It was one she didn’t want to ask and didn’t really want the answer to. Not yet.
‘That’s one of the things we need more time to figure out, Mom.’
There was a pregnant pause on their end. Clearly, they were having a silent conversation between the two of them, which only served to heighten Chloe’s anxiety. Her leg bounced up and down; she squeezed her knee to try and still it.
‘Maybe going out there all on your own isn’t the best idea, Chloe,’ Charlie finally said.
‘I won’t be alone,’ Chloe replied quickly.
‘Your text said Devin and Elena aren’t coming,’ Lisa pointed out. Chloe bit back a sigh. ‘You don’t know anyone out in LA, honey. If you go, you’re going to be all on your own.’
Against her will, the phrase rang in Chloe’s head. You’re going to be all on your own.
‘I’ll be with Luke,’ Chloe said stubbornly, though she knew that wasn’t what they meant. And it was true, she had no one else in LA. It was why she didn’t like the assumption that she would move to LA for Luke; if she did, she would be giving up her support system.
‘Do what you got to, kid,’ Charlie said when it was clear Chloe wasn’t going to be persuaded. It was an unusual thing for her to be so headstrong, but maybe it was time for her to start. He sighed, and Chloe could hear her mother huff to herself. ‘You need us to send you anything? You have enough clothes?’
It took Chloe a few minutes to assure her stepdad that she did indeed have enough clothes to wear and really, there are washing machines in California that she can use..
‘Okay, okay,’ Charlie gave in after Chloe insisted for the third time that they didn’t need to mail her anything. ‘Just let us know when you get there, alright? Make smart choices.’
It stung, like he was implying that she hadn’t been making smart choices up until now. But she swallowed it back and said her goodbyes.
‘Honey, wait a second—’ Lisa said before Chloe could go. She could hear Lisa fumble with her phone. Then, her voice was louder; she must have turned off the speakerphone. ‘I just want to make sure you’re alright.’
‘I’m fine, Mom,’ Chloe said quickly, but Lisa just sighed.
‘You’ve been spending a lot of time with this boy, and now you’re going to follow him all the way to California. Are you sure you’re going for the right reasons?’ Even though Lisa was careful as she spoke, Chloe could feel her hackles rise.
‘Mom, I want to go to LA,’ she said shortly, ‘for the baby. Luke and I will figure out logistics, and I’ll be home before you know it. Okay?’
‘You know,’ Lisa had said before hanging up, ‘I won’t say I told you so if you tell me you fell for him.’
Still, now that it is time to go, the nerves are eating Chloe alive. She meant what she said—she does want to go so they can spend more time figuring out this parenting thing together.
It’s just…Luke. Handsome, charming, stupidly sexy Luke. Surprisingly sweet Luke. The father of her unborn child, the person who she should absolutely not pursue a romantic relationship with.
The person she’s definitely falling for.
Fuck, her mother was right.
And now, she’s one night away from staying with him in his house. The intimacy of it all heats her skin in ways she doesn’t want to try to decipher. She needs to get over this crush, this attraction, before it leads to further complications.
The drive from New York to the Pittsburgh area lasts roughly six hours, and Chloe spends most of them consumed in her own thoughts. She stares out the window, absentmindedly chewing on her nail. The taste of her nail polish is sharp and unappetizing on her tongue, but it doesn’t dissuade her. Elena’s driving, and Devin is sprawled out in the backseat on her phone. More than once, Chloe hears her camera shutter click as she takes selfie after selfie.
‘It’s gonna be weird,’ Elena says after a while, turning down the music. ‘Going home, I mean.’
It seems that Chloe isn’t the only one who’s been caught up in her own thoughts.
‘You’re sure you can’t come to LA with me?’ Chloe asks lightly, a wry smile on her lips. Of course Elena can’t come with her to LA. It’s miraculous enough that she was able to pool enough PTO to come this far with her.
For the first time since Elena’s come into her life, Chloe’s going to have to go on without her there to rely on.
‘I’m pretty sure my professors won’t give me much more slack,’ Elena responds dryly. ‘They’re being kind enough about my family emergency.’
Devin snorts, pushing herself up so she can see them. ‘Is that what you told them? You had a family emergency so you had to miss a month’s worth of classes?’
Elena shrugs. ‘It’s true, isn’t it? You two are more family than anyone I’m actually related to.’
Chloe laughs lightly, pretending that Elena’s words don’t send a knife straight through her heart.
‘How am I gonna go to LA without you?’ she asks, her voice thick. She’s never been good at hiding her emotions, and her pregnancy hormones have made it that much harder. She catches Devin’s eye in the rearview mirror. ‘Both of you?’
‘Oh, don’t cry!’ Careful not to take her eyes off the road, Elena grabs at the air before finding Chloe’s hand, and then squeezes it tight.‘You’ll make me cry, and then where will we be?’
‘You two are such babies,’ Devin teases them both. She places her forearms on the center console, leaning between the two of them.
‘What, you’re not gonna miss me?’ Chloe asks lightly, nudging Devin’s arm. Devin snorts.
‘Gonna be hard to miss you when we’re in the same city.’
Elena slams hard on the brakes, throwing all three of them forward harshly. Chloe groans as the seat belt holds her in place, cutting into her collar bone. Not much, but enough to hurt. She places a hand over her stomach. She isn’t showing at all yet, but still pats where she thinks the baby might be sitting.
‘Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see the brake lights,’ Elena says. ‘You guys okay?’
‘Just about broke my nose, but I’m fine,’ Devin grumbles, rubbing her nose with both hands. She pulls back, but seems satisfied when there’s no blood on her fingertips.
‘Fine,’ Chloe echoes. She turns to look at Devin. ‘What do you mean, in the same city?’
Devin blinks. ‘Oh, right. Yeah, I decided I’m gonna come to LA for a bit.’
Chloe stares at her, stunned at how blasé she is about traveling across the country on such short notice. She really shouldn’t be surprised, as Devin’s always been a spontaneous person. But still, this is unexpected.
‘Really?’ Elena asks, looking at Devin in the rearview mirror. She’s careful to keep her voice even, but her eyes betray how sad this news makes her.
Devin hesitates. ‘Uh, yeah. I mean, CJ’s gonna be there and…yeah.’
Elena bites her lip, nodding.
‘Is this about Maverick?’ Chloe asks. ‘Because following him to LA isn’t gonna win you any favors.’ Devin rolls her eyes.
‘No, it’s not about Maverick,’ she retorts, running a hand through her hair. ‘I’m over him. If he doesn’t want me, it’s his loss.’
Chloe notices that she doesn’t offer a better explanation as to why she’s coming, but honestly she’s not complaining. Having Devin in LA with her will be really nice, especially if she can act as a buffer for this weird thing blooming between Chloe and Luke.
‘So, you’re gonna stay at Luke’s with me, right?’ she asks. ‘I’m sure he won’t mind. We can share the guest room, I’m sure it’s big enough for the two of us. And?—’
‘Whoa, whoa, CJ, chill!’ Devin waves her hands, cutting Chloe off. ‘You’re getting way ahead of yourself. I’m not gonna stay with you and Luke.’
‘Oh. Well, then where are you gonna stay?’
Devin shrugs, nonchalant. ‘I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. But it would just be weird to stay with you guys. I’d be like, intruding on your whole little family situation.’
‘You wouldn’t be intruding,’ Chloe protests, but Devin shakes her head.
‘It would be,’ she insists, ‘and you’re not gonna change my mind. I’ll be fine, promise.’
Chloe wants to argue more, wants to insist Devin stay at Luke’s so she knows her friend is safe in a strange city, to insist Devin be nearby to spoil all of the tension that’s been growing between Chloe and Luke over the past few weeks.
But she doesn’t. Devin’s the type to dig her heels in when she makes a decision, and Chloe’s no good at debating anyway.
And then, Chloe’s gaze moves back to Elena, who’s grip on the steering wheel is enough to make her knuckles pop.
‘Elena—’
‘I’m fine,’ Elena says quickly, flashing them both a half-hearted smile. ‘It’s great you’ll have Devin in LA with you.’
Chloe and Devin share a look, eyebrows raised.
‘Elena, you know this isn’t forever, right?’ Devin asks softly, leaning forward again. She rests her head on Elena’s shoulder. ‘I’ll be home before you know it.’
‘We both will,’ Chloe says, holding her hand out. She wiggles her fingers until Elena relinquishes one hand’s grip on the steering wheel and grabs it.
‘I know,’ Elena sighs. ‘I know. I’m being stupid?—’
‘Don’t call yourself stupid,’ Devin and Chloe say in unison.
‘I’ll miss you so much,’ Chloe adds, squeezing Elena’s hand. ‘But we’ll come home soon and everything will go back to normal, right?’
‘Well, as normal as it can be with Baby Cameron-Waters on the way,’ Devin quips. Chloe flushes.
‘Baby Cameron-Waters?’ Elena repeats. There’s a laugh in her voice, and relief loosens the tightness in Chloe’s chest. Elena’s gonna be okay. And even though Devin won’t be staying with her and Luke, she’ll still have one of her best friends nearby.
‘Well, they haven’t decided on a name yet, right? So, Baby Cameron-Waters works as a placeholder,’ Devin explains.
Elena brightens, sitting up straighter in her seat. ‘Ooh, you know what would be an adorable name for a little girl?’
Chloe settles back in her seat, listening as her two best friends start to bicker over baby names for her unborn child.
Though the hotel is one they’ve never been to before, the sight before them is now familiar as they pull into the parking lot. Reckless 3 fans are everywhere, clogging the lot and blocking the walkways. They wear merch from previous tours, homemade R3 shirts. They hold up signs, as if expecting the band will look out from the windows above and see.
Chloe’s given up trying to figure out how they get the name of the band’s hotel. She’s just accepted that dedicated fans are incredible detectives.
Elena mutters under her breath, carefully maneuvering past a group of teenage girls and trying to edge into a parking spot.
When the girls enter the hotel (after flashing their R3 tour passes at security to get inside the building) with their suitcases in hand, the first thing Chloe notices is Luke at the front desk, arguing with the attendant. Chloe slows to a stop, watching him for a moment. Her eyebrows furrow. Both of their voices are low, so she can’t hear what they’re saying. But their tone is audible enough—Luke isn’t happy.
‘I wonder what’s going on,’ Elena muses beside her. ‘Luke doesn’t normally lose his cool like that.’
Chloe tilts her head, watching for a moment. Luke runs a hand through his black curls, pulling roughly on the ends. Unbidden, a thought pops into her head—Chloe standing by Luke’s side, replacing his fingers with her own, combing gently through his hair. Comforting him when he’s stressed. It’s an embarrassingly domestic thought that she pushes away immediately.
Still, she abandons her suitcase and her friends, and walks up to Luke’s side. She places her hand not in his hair, but on the small of his back. She’s careful to keep her touch feather-light and casual, yet somehow it’s still electrifying. Just like every other time she’s touched him.
Immediately, she feels embarrassed and wants to drop her hand and step away from him.
‘What’s going on?’ she asks instead, looking from the hotel clerk to Luke. Both of them look flustered.
‘They lost our reservation,’ Luke explains, clearly trying to keep his frustration out of his voice. Chloe wonders vaguely if that’s for her benefit. If he’s noticed how tense she gets when people around her get angry.
‘Well, we have Reckless 3’s reservations,’ the clerk is quick to say, ‘But there aren’t any additional reservations under Luke Waters’ name.’
‘I know I booked another room—two queens and a pull-out couch,’ Luke insists. It’s the same room set-up Chloe, Elena and Devin have been sharing for the past month.
‘There’s nothing in the system,’ the clerk says again, typing on her computer. She shakes her head, giving him an apologetic look. ‘I’ve tried every possible iteration of your name I can think of. I’m sorry.’
‘Well, can’t we just get a room now?’ Chloe asks. Before she even finishes her question, the clerk is shaking her head again. ‘Why?’
‘Between the people traveling to the city for the Reckless 3 concert, the anime convention happening downtown and the automotive conference this week, you’re going to be hard pressed to find an open room anywhere on such short notice,’ the hotel clerk explains. ‘Everywhere is booked solid.’
‘But it’s not short notice,’ Luke snaps, gripping the edge of the counter tight. ‘I’ve had this room booked for weeks.’
‘I’m really sorry,’ the clerk says again, impatience finally breaking through her professionalism. ‘But there’s nothing I can do. There are no rooms without occupants at the moment.’
Luke opens his mouth to argue, but Chloe grabs his arm. ‘You’ve already checked in for your rooms, right?’ Luke nods. Chloe excuses them and drags him away from the desk.
Luke protests, but allows Chloe to pull him over to where Elena and Devin are waiting. As they step near the clear doors, screams erupt outside. Fans push against the barricades, shouting for Luke’s attention. He flushes pink, and Chloe drops his arm and steps away from him.
She doesn’t need to give the fans more fodder to hate her with. It’s been a full month, and her social media accounts are all but useless from the constant stream of hate comments in her mentions.
‘So, we don’t have a room,’ Chloe tells the girls quickly. ‘There was a mix-up and now we don’t have a reservation.’
‘We can try another hotel,’ Elena suggests. ‘I know I saw a couple right off the freeway.’
‘Not gonna work,’ Luke mutters. He glances at the fans watching them intently, phones poised and probably already taking video. ‘Maybe we should go up to my room, though. Get away from the crowd.’
Devin glances at the crowd and stands up straighter. She already looks camera-ready, but she adjusts her hair anyway.
‘Probably a good idea,’ Elena agrees. She and Devin pull up the handles of their suitcases. Chloe reaches for her bag, but Luke grabs it first.
‘I can carry my own bag,’ she tells him, grabbing at the handle. She resolutely ignores the tingles where her hand brushes Luke’s, and tugs the bag to her. It doesn’t budge.
‘I know you can,’ Luke replies, a teasing smile blooming on his lips. Chloe’s traitorous heart picks up, fluttering in her chest. ‘But I’m gonna do it anyway.’
He pulls the handle up and begins to drag away from the door, towards the elevator. Chloe follows behind quickly.
‘No way,’ she argues, grabbing at the handle again. Luke deftly keeps it out of her reach. ‘Give it!’
‘Mm, don’t think I will.’ Luke looks so stupidly smug, pulling the suitcase behind him. Chloe’s eyes narrow, but she knows she can’t reach it without pressing herself flush against his body.
Which isn’t an unappealing idea, but it certainly isn’t a smart one.
‘Luke, seriously,’ Chloe says, a laugh in her voice. She holds her hand out. ‘Give me the bag so we can go upstairs.’
‘Can’t you just let me be a gentleman and help you?’ He takes a step closer to her, leaning close. His nose almost brushes her own. Chloe’s breath catches in her throat. ‘Hm?’
‘God, get a room, why don’t you?’ Devin calls from the elevator. Her foot is in the door, keeping it open for them. Chloe blushes hard and drops her hand. She clears her throat and takes a step back. A quick glance to the door shows that they hadn’t quite made it out of the line of sight of the fans.
God, that video is gonna be everywhere, isn’t it?
Luke smiles smugly, counting this as a win. He gestures for Chloe to go first. She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips, and heads for the elevator. She ignores the suggestive look Devin shoots her way.
She’s definitely going to hear about this later. Because that was definitely flirting, no doubt about it.
Elena, Devin, and Chloe find themselves alone in Luke’s hotel room a little while later. Luke let them in, dropped off his things and then promised to be back later. That was an hour ago. So, what could be taking him so long?
Devin and Chloe lay back on the queen-sized bed, making themselves right at home, while Elena sits on the cushy chair in the corner. Tinny music plays from Devin’s phone—some popular artist Chloe’s definitely heard of but can’t name for the life of her.
Chloe has her phone hovering above her face, scrolling through hotel site after hotel site, but as far as she can see the hotel clerk was right. Just about every hotel room in the city seems to be booked. How the hell is that even possible? How can there not be a single room available?
‘This is hopeless,’ Elena groans, slumping back in her chair. She kicks her feet out, resting them on the edge of the bed by Chloe’s head. Chloe fake-gags and swats them away.
‘Don’t be gross,’ she says, pointing a finger at Elena. Elena sticks her tongue out. ‘I’m serious, I can already feel the morning sickness coming on and I don’t need you to make it worse.’
‘Ooh, playing the pregnancy card again? That’s low, CJ,’ Devin says, dropping her phone onto the bed and rolling onto her side to face Chloe. She props her head up with a hand, elbow digging into the soft mattress.
‘I’m not playing any card,’ Chloe protests, giggling as Devin pokes her in the side. ‘I’m not! It’s the truth. I could vomit any second now.’
‘Sure,’ Elena says in a voice that makes it clear just how much she believes Chloe’s words. ‘And anyway, what was that earlier?’ she asks, dropping her feet to the floor and leaning forward. ‘You two were flirting a lot down in the lobby.’
‘We were not?—’
‘Liar, liar!’ Devin sings. She pokes Chloe in the ribs again. ‘C’mon, admit it. You’re totally into him.’
‘Devin—’
‘You’re in looovvvveee!’
‘Shut up!’ Chloe shouts, more harsh than she meant. Instantly, she feels slick guilt settling in. She sighs at the wide-eyed looks on both her friends’ faces. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just…can we not talk about this? Please?’
‘Chloe, you’re going to have to—’ Elena starts carefully.
Chloe cuts her off. ‘Please.’
Elena purses her lips, but doesn’t say anything more. Chloe can practically hear the lecture she’s bottling up inside her. ‘
Thank you.’
‘Okay, fine,’ Elena says, shaking her head. ‘We have more immediate issues right now. We’re never going to get a room tonight. What are we gonna do?’
‘We could always sleep in the car,’ Devin says blandly. Chloe wiggles around to kick Devin in the side. She rolls out of the way, snorting. ‘What? It’ll probably be safe enough.’
‘Who’s sleeping in a car?’ Quinn asks as she lets herself into the hotel room. Luke follows closely behind, shutting the door with a soft click.
‘Us, apparently,’ Chloe responds. She drops her phone by her side and pushes until she’s sitting up. She sighs. ‘There are literally no empty rooms in this entire city. Everything from the seedy pay-by-the-hour motels to the Hilton is booked solid. How is that even possible?’
‘Bad luck?’ Quinn offers wryly. ‘Guess that car is sounding better and better, huh?’
‘Shut up Quinn, they’re not going to sleep in a car,’ Luke says, stepping over Devin’s pile of bags. He leans back on the dresser. Quinn raises her eyebrows with a smirk and shrugs.
‘I don’t know,’ she sings playfully. ‘If they already have their hearts set on it?—’
‘Quinn.’
As much as she tries, Chloe can’t tell what Quinn really thinks of them—of her, specifically. She likes to poke at them, to send mean comments their way, but it doesn’t always seem mean-spirited. Chloe’s running theory is that Quinn was a mean girl in high school and never learned how to be nice even if she wanted to. Devin says that she’s just a spoiled bitch. All in all, the jury’s still out.
‘So, if the car isn’t an option,’ Chloe says, leaning onto her knees, ‘then where are we staying?’
Luke mimics her, leaning forward as well. There’s still about a foot or so between them, but Chloe can practically feel electricity in the air. She could choke on it, she thinks.
‘With us, obviously.’
‘Really?’ Devin asks, jumping to sit up. A mischievous smile curls on her lips. Quinn makes a face like she knows exactly where Devin’s mind has gone. To be fair, they all definitely know where exactly Devin’s mind has gone, and she pushes Devin over and plops down next to her on the bed.
‘Don’t look so excited, you’re rooming with me tonight.’
‘What?’ Devin squawks. She looks back to Luke with a pout. ‘No, I wanna room with Maverick.’
Quinn flicks her in the forehead. ‘Too bad. We couldn’t find him and he can’t defend himself, so now I have to do it for him. You’re rooming with me.’
‘Come on, it”s the last night of the tour! It’s my last shot,’ Devin whines. She sticks her lower lip out, as if the puppy-dog eyes will have any effect on an ice queen like Quinn.
‘Too bad, you’re stuck with me.’
‘So, Devin and Quinn in one room, you and Maverick in another, and Chloe and me in the last room?’ Elena asks, pointing to everyone as she speaks. Luke grimaces.
‘Actually, you’ll be with Mav, if that’s okay,’ he says. Elena’s eyebrows go up, and he’s quick to add, ‘Unless you’re uncomfortable with that?’
‘I mean, I guess not, but won’t he be upset about it? He’s not here to speak for himself.’
‘Trust me, he’d rather share with you than me,’ Luke says with a wry laugh. Quinn makes a noise of agreement, pulling out her phone. ‘Our first tour, Regina tried to save money by having Mav and I share a space and we learned the hard way how bad an idea it was. We made it about three days before we were about to kill each other over the dumbest shit.’
‘Yeah,’ Quinn snorts. ‘Didn’t Mav end up with a black eye after you threw the remote at him?’
‘I didn’t throw it!’ Luke protests. ‘We were fighting over it and I let go and bam, it hit him in the face. He was still holding it and everything.’
‘Sure.’ With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Quinn adds, ‘You two are just too alike to get along sometimes, you know? Like brothers.’
Luke scoffs. ‘That is very much not true.’ He rolls his eyes when Quinn doesn’t look like she believes him, and turns his attention back to Elena. ‘We can manage one night if you’re not okay with it, but I just think?—’
‘It’s fine,’ Elena answers quickly. ‘I just don’t want to be any trouble.’
She looks a bit unsure, but just smiles when Chloe shoots her a questioning look. No one asks if Chloe’s alright sharing with Luke—obviously, it wouldn’t be the first time they’d been together in a hotel room—but the thought does make Chloe’s heart race.
She stands, sliding her phone into her back pocket. ‘Should we get our things moved around, then? You guys need to get to the venue soon, right?’
There’s a bit of a shuffle as the five of them move all at once. Devin scoops up her multitude of bags that took her two trips to get upstairs in the first place, balancing them on top of each other in her arms. Quinn stands to the side, snide smirk on her face.
‘Did you bring your entire wardrobe with you?’ she asks lightly. Devin shoots her a glare out as best she can.
‘Here, let me help,’ Chloe says, coming around the corner of the bed.
All at once, everyone says, ‘No!’
‘What, why not?’ Chloe asks in surprise.
‘You’re pregnant,’ Elena reminds her needlessly. ‘You need to rest.’
‘I’m not even that far along,’ Chloe says, making a show of rolling her eyes. ‘I’m not that fragile.’
‘Too bad, you’re not helping,’ Elena says sternly. She points to the bed. ‘Sit down and relax, that’s an order.’
‘Yeah, think of the baby, CJ,’ Devin admonishes, wagging a finger in Chloe’s direction. The movement jostles her pile of bags, and the makeup bag on top slips off and crashes on the floor with a clatter. She gasps. ‘My blush is gonna be ruined!’
‘You big baby,’ Quinn mutters, bending down and picking up the bag. She pushes Devin towards the door, bags teetering precariously. Chloe feels useless. She wants to help, but she does as she’s told and sits. ‘Move before you make even more of a mess.’
Everyone filters out of the room, Luke taking Elena to Maverick’s room, leaving Chloe alone, in the hotel room she’s going to be sharing with Luke for the night.
It shouldn’t be a big deal. They’re friends! Friends can share a room for a night without it being weird. Chloe shifts in the warm, very comfortable bed and sighs. She runs a hand through her hair.
She’s already been obsessing over tomorrow night, when she’ll be all alone in his house with him. In close quarters, with no Devin or Maverick to act as a buffer between them. It feels so intimate, and now this is like a preview.
The very thought of them in this small space together has her remembering that night in Nashville, and her stomach swoops with…something. Nerves? Excitement? Anticipation?
No, absolutely not. There’s nothing to be anticipating. Sure, she and Luke get on surprisingly well, once Chloe gets out of her own head. He’s sweet, far sweeter than an obnoxiously famous rockstar has any right to be. It’s easy to be near him, to talk and maybe even flirt a little.
But that doesn’t mean anything! And it certainly doesn’t mean that anything is going to happen tonight, or ever again.
Chloe scoots across the bed until she can reach the phone on the side table and calls down to the main desk.
‘Hi, this is room 613,’ she says when the clerk answers. ‘Is there any way we could get, like, a rollaway bed up here for the night?’
‘I’m so sorry, but they’ve all been claimed for the night,’ the clerk answers. The door clicks, and Chloe sees Luke let himself back into the room.
‘You’re sure?’ she asks the clerk. ‘There aren’t any left at all?’
‘I’m sorry, ma’am, they’re all gone. Is there anything else I can help you with today?’
‘No, thank you,’ Chloe says with a sigh and hangs up. She groans, rubbing her face hard.
‘Everything okay?’ Luke asks. Chloe pauses, then tells him what the clerk said. She watches carefully as he purses his lips, nods. Chloe would give just about anything to know what’s going through his head right now.
It’s stupid to think, but is there any chance he might be feeling what she is? If those moments, those looks he likes to send her way, how he makes butterflies erupt in her belly mean as much to him as they do to her? If the thought of them sharing a room, sharing a bed, makes him just as nervous and excited as she is?
‘That’s okay,’ he says finally. ‘I can take the floor.’
Or maybe not.
‘You’re not taking the floor,’ she says flatly, inwardly cursing her stupid heart. ‘That’s ridiculous. This is your room. If anyone’s taking the floor, it’s me.’
‘You’re not taking the floor,’ he rebuts immediately.
‘It’s not gonna kill me to sleep on the floor for one night, Luke,’ Chloe says. She crosses her arms over her chest.
It’s good that he’s not so eager to jump in bed with her. It’s good because they’ve already agreed to be just friends. To not try to make this anything more than platonic. For the baby.
Somehow, the reminder just isn’t that comforting.
‘I’m not making the mother of my future child sleep on the floor,’ Luke insists. His phone buzzes, and he makes a face. ‘I have to go. You’d better be asleep in the bed when I get back.’
He wags a finger at her, half-jokingly. Chloe snorts horribly and slaps her hand over her mouth to stifle it.
A grin makes its way over his face. ‘What was that?’ he asks, delighted.
‘Uh…a totally normal laugh?’ She meets his gaze, those stupid, beautiful brown eyes, and the two of them just crack up. Chloe falls back on the bed, giggling like a madwoman.
It’s too easy with Luke. In a second, he can make her forget all her worries. He makes her laugh like no one has before.
Luke’s laughter dies away when his phone buzzes again. He winces. ‘Shit, I’m gonna be late for soundcheck. I gotta go.’
‘You’d better hurry,’ Chloe says. She tries to speak seriously, but giggles slip from her lips without her permission. ‘We don’t want Regina to kick me off the tour.’
Luke rolls his eyes. ‘Shut up, I wouldn’t have let her do that.’
Chloe shakes her head and waves him off. ‘Go. I’ve distracted you too much as it is. I’ll be here when you get back.’
She doesn’t miss the look he sends her. ‘You’d better.’
He gives her a wave, grabs his wallet and keys from the dresser, and leaves. The door closes with a click, and Chloe sinks back into the pillows with a groan.
It’s like the universe knows that Chloe is nervous about tonight, and so the night flies by. It feels like she blinks, and Luke’s suddenly letting himself back into the hotel room, the final concert of the tour officially over.
Chloe tries not to, (really, she does!) but she can’t help but watch him as he comes in. He’s wearing a sleeveless band tee that shows off his toned arms far too well. His muscles practically ripple as drops his phone and wallet on the dresser. His black jeans hug his body tight especially his?—
‘Hey, how was your night?’ he asks. Chloe clears her throat. She feels a blush creep up her neck as she tries to pretend she wasn’t ogling Luke’s ass.
‘Fine,’ she says, her voice high. She clears her throat and tries again. ‘Fine. Uh, how was the show?’
He beams, and she could swear his smile lights up the whole room. ‘It was awesome! I swear, the beginning and end of tour is always the best. We always have the best crowds. And we played three extra songs…’
He keeps talking, buzzing around the room as he collects a set of clean clothes and his toiletries bag from his luggage. Chloe pulls her knees to her chest and hugs them as she watches, listening to him rehash the whole show.
If she’s being honest, music’s really not her thing. But she could listen to him talk about it for hours.
She frowns at that thought.
‘Uh, sorry,’ Luke says sheepishly. He runs a hand through his dark, sweaty curls. ‘I didn’t mean to ramble on like that.’
Chloe blinks, and then realizes he thinks she was frowning because of him. ‘Oh, no! No, don’t worry about it. Really.’
‘I know it’s not, like, all that interesting to hear,’ he says. This time, Chloe’s frown is because of him. She wants to know exactly who made him think his interests weren’t worth listening to. Wants to know who she needs to yell at.
‘It is,’ she says honestly. He shakes his head. ‘No, I swear! I like hearing you talk about something you’re so passionate about. I-I wish I was passionate about anything like that.’
Luke looks at her, his dark eyes searching hers. ‘You’re not?’
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know. Maybe books?’
It feels like a pathetic comparison.
‘I think you’re more passionate than you realize,’ he says. He clears his throat, balling the clothes he’s holding between both hands. She would almost say he was embarrassed, but brushes the thought away. ‘I’m gonna—I’m gonna take a shower now.’
‘Okay.’
‘Okay.’
He hesitates, then shuts himself in the hotel bathroom. Chloe holds her breath until she hears the water start running.
She runs her hands through her hair, pulling hard on the ends. She feels like such a disaster of a human. Honestly, how hard is it to act normal around Luke? She’s been traveling with him for weeks now, seeing him day after day. How does she still get so tongue-tied, so stupid around him?
With a groan, she slumps down into the bed.
The bed. Right. She almost forgot that she was sharing a bed with Luke for the night.
And so the anxiety creeps back in.
‘It’s not a big deal,’ Chloe says out loud. She lays on her side and curls her knees up. Her gaze lands on her stomach—still mostly flat and really, it’s too early for her to be showing at all—and she places her hand there. ‘Your mom’s a drama queen, you know that? I don’t know why I overthink things. Why things feel like such a big deal to me all the time. You’re gonna have fun dealing with me for the rest of your life.’
She rubs her belly softly. Her baby’s too small right now, she knows it can’t actually hear her yet. But it’s nice. It’s comforting.
‘You know,’ she says after a moment, ‘I think I’m in way over my head. Maybe your Grandma Lisa knows more than I give her credit for…Maybe I’m not as strong as I thought.’
‘What are you doing?’
Chloe nearly jumps out of her skin, jerking up to see Luke standing by the bathroom door. His hair is still dripping wet, and hot steam rolls around him in the air-conditioned air.
‘Uh,’ she says, feeling like an idiot. With a small huff, she admits, ‘Talking to the baby.’
She expects him to…well, not laugh, because Luke is way too nice to laugh at her when she’s being genuine. But instead of finding her funny or even ridiculous, he smiles at her fondly.
‘That’s sweet,’ he says, dropping his things on top of his suitcase. ‘What about?’
‘Just—things,’ Chloe answers evasively. She glances at the clock. ‘What time do we have to be at the airport tomorrow?’
‘Noon. Our flight is at two,’ he tells her. The words don’t quite stick, though. Chloe’s a bit too distracted by the beads of water dripping from his hair down his clavicle. She watches as it slides down his neck and underneath his T-shirt. ‘Uh, you okay, Chlo?’
Chloe blinks, tearing her gaze away to meet his eyes. ‘Huh?’
‘I just said that we have to be at the airport by noon,’ he repeats. ‘You feeling okay?’
‘I’m fine,’ she says quickly. ‘Just tired, I guess?’
That must be it. She’s not normally so…so aware of Luke and his general attractiveness, but tonight it’s all she can notice. She’s usually much better at ignoring it, but maybe she’s just too tired to do so tonight.
Or maybe it’s pregnancy hormones. According to the books she’s been reading, her body’s just swimming with them right now.
But in the end, neither cause really helps her right now.
Luke’s eyebrows furrow. ‘Have you been sleeping enough?’ he asks. He strides over to where she sits, tilting her face up carefully to get a better look. She tries not to blush, but her face heats up all the same. ‘Dr. Garcia did say that sleep is extra important during pregnancy. It’s a lot on your body.’
‘I know,’ Chloe says. ‘I am, I promise.’
‘Okay,’ he says, taking her for her word. ‘You should get some sleep now, though. It’s gonna be a long day tomorrow.’
Wake up, pack everything, then a six hour flight to LA. “Long day” doesn’t really begin to cover it.
Chloe nods, yawning as she climbs out of the bed to begin her bedtime routine. She’s more tired than she realized. She ambles to the bathroom, still full of steam from Luke’s shower, and shuts the door softly behind her.
Going through her nightly routine helps to ground her and calm her ever-buzzing nerves. She washes her face, brushes her teeth and does all the little things that make her feel like she’s not so far from home. It may only take a short amount of time, but it helps.
A few minutes later, she exits the bathroom feeling slightly more normal. At least, as normal she can in her current, very un-normal situation. She moves slower than normal, taking her time to turn off the bathroom light and shut the door behind her.
The idea of sharing a bed with Luke shouldn’t make her so nervous. They’ve done so much more together, this should be nothing. A cakewalk. But even after her few minutes of normalcy, she finds her hands shaking.
She stops short when she sees Luke lying not in the bed like she expected, but on the floor in front of it. He’s got a little nest going, utilizing the extra sheets she’d seen in the dresser drawers earlier.
That dick.
‘No, no, no,’ she says, ‘absolutely not! I told you; I’m not stealing your bed. Up, now.’
Luke shakes his head, burrowing himself further into his nest of sheets. ‘And I told you, I’m not making my baby or my baby’s mother take the floor or share a queen bed. The bed is yours. Have a great night.’
Chloe grits her teeth. God, he really can be stubborn sometimes. Unfortunately for him, so can she.
‘Fine,’ she says after a moment. Ignoring the little self-satisfied smirk on his lips, she steps over him to walk to her chosen side of the bed. Instead of crawling into it though, she grabs the remaining pillow and tosses it so it lands next to Luke on the floor.
‘What—’
‘You’re being ridiculous,’ she tells him. ‘So if you’re on the floor, then so am I.’
‘You can’t just leave the bed empty! That doesn’t make any sense.’
Chloe shrugs, settling down on the floor beside him. She stretches out—it’s a little tight, but she’ll manage. ‘Too bad. Either we’re both in the bed or we’re both on the floor. You choose.’
‘Get in the bed, Chloe.’
‘Nope.’ She gives him a saccharine smile, just to be annoying. ‘Good night!’
The floor is hard beneath her, the carpet and sheets both far too thin to offer any real cushion. But Chloe’s not one to back down, not when Luke is being ridiculous, so she snuggles into her pillow and waits.
For a moment, she thinks he’s not going to cave. But he sighs, loud and aggrieved, and nudges her in the back.
‘Fine,’ he says. ‘We’ll share the bed.’
Chloe rolls over, her own self-satisfied smile on her lips. ‘Glad you came to see reason.’
Luke flicks her in the forehead. She makes a face, but that just makes him chuckle at her.
‘Cute,’ he mutters, and Chloe pretends not to hear. She turns the lamp off as she stands, the darkness in the room hiding her pink cheeks well.
They both climb into the hotel bed, laying on their sides so they face each other. There’s just a dash of light coming in from a crack in the curtains, a bit of moonlight illuminating Luke’s handsome face. Chloe hopes he can’t see her cheeks burning in the moonlight.
God, calling her cute should not elicit a reaction like this! But lately, it seems like everything Luke does makes Chloe blush. Makes her want to be near him.
You’ve always fallen in love too easily, her mom said.
I just don’t see a way this will end without you falling for him, Elena said.
I won’t get my heart broken, Chloe lied.
‘Hi,’ she whispers, if only to break the silence that was settling around them.
‘Hi,’ he whispers back with a smile. His curls brush his pillow lightly. Not for the first time, Chloe wonders what it would feel like to bury her fingers in there. She really missed her chance that first time around.
‘It’s getting late,’ Luke whispers. He brushes a lock of her hair back from her face, then rests his hand on the bed between them. Chloe’s fingers itch to reach out and hold it between her own. ‘You should get some sleep.’
‘You should get some sleep,’ Chloe replies. She doesn’t really know why they’re whispering, but it feels like anything else might be too loud. Might shatter the air around them. ‘You’ve got to be exhausted.’
He nods. He blinks slowly, like his eyelids don’t want to open again. Chloe feels kind of bad for keeping him awake. ‘I am, but I gotta make sure you’re all set. ‘S my job to take care of you.’
Chloe’s heart skips a beat.
‘You and little Philomena, that is,’ he tacks on, nodding towards her belly.
Chloe’s heart drops like a stone.
‘We’re not calling the baby Philomena,’ Chloe repeats, too harshly for the joke she knows it is.
But it’s just another reminder that this—this thing, these feelings—can’t happen. Luke doesn’t like her, doesn’t have feelings for her. He’s here for the baby.
As she whispers goodnight and turns away from him, she reminds herself that this is for the baby too. The baby deserves parents who can work together, whose feelings won’t get in the way.
It takes a long time to fall asleep, just knowing he’s there behind her.
Light filters in through the curtains, washing over Chloe’s sleeping form like a gentle wave. Chloe wakes slowly, burrowing deeper into the warmth that cocoons her. She buries her face in her pillow for a long moment, savoring the rare feeling of being so well-rested.
Someone tightens their grip on her waist, nuzzling their face into the crook of her neck. For a second, Chloe can’t remember where she is or whose warm embrace she’s tucked into until consciousness descends on her…Luke. His body is pressed flush against her back as he spoons her. He shifts and—oh.
Chloe’s entire body goes still. All at once, she’s far too aware of Luke’s presence. They’d started the night sleeping on the edges of the bed. Chloe had been careful to leave a sizable gap in the middle. And yet, sometime in the night, they must have rolled into each other, and were now cuddling closer than she’d ever cuddled with someone before. The last time they’d been this close was, coincidentally, the last time they’d been in bed together.
Somehow, this feels even more intimate.
Luke hums in her ear. The sound vibrates through Chloe’s body and she swallows back a gasp. Her heart speeds up, thumping almost painfully in her chest. His curls brush her cheek as he shifts, pulling her impossibly closer.
All she wants is to bury her fingers in them.
The clock on the nightstand reads eight in the morning. Chloe bites her lip, weighing her options.
She could do what she so desperately wants; snuggle back against Luke and let his warm embrace lull her back into sleep. To pretend, for just a moment, that this is real. That Luke is holding her because he wants to be as close to her as humanly possible. That she’s more than just the mother of his kid, more than just his friend.
That he feels for her even a fraction of what she feels for him.
The thought hits her like a ton of bricks and it scares the absolute shit out of her. She’s tried and tried, but she can’t deny it anymore.
She’s in love with Luke. She wants him, to be with him, to be loved by him.
It looks like Elena won the bet.
Chloe squirms, suddenly unable to sit there for another minute. Carefully, she shifts the blanket and starts to extricate herself from Luke’s grip. Despite being asleep, it’s surprisingly strong.
She makes it halfway out of the bed before he begins to stir. Chloe freezes, one leg out of the bed while the other is still trapped between Luke’s. Her heart beats in her throat as she waits to see if he’ll wake up and catch her.
She can’t think of a single reaction he could possibly have to this that wouldn’t just kill her inside. Her heart might just break if he thinks it’s no big deal when it’s the biggest deal to her or God forbid, he’s upset about waking up with her in his arms.
A moment passes. Two.
‘Luke,’ she dares to whisper. ‘You up?’
Luke twitches and Chloe holds her breath. He sighs, settling back into the covers and relaxing once more. Chloe lets out a sigh in relief. He shifts enough that Chloe has a chance to slip away easily. She dances backwards, trying not to fall, and then hurries off into the bathroom. Just as she makes it to the door, she pauses. It feels like…like someone’s watching her.
But when she turns back, Luke’s eyes are still closed.