Page 53 of My Heart Belongs to You

She returned to her spot on my chest. We didn’t say anything else as the weight of her confession and the sounds of spring showers lulled us to sleep.

Robyn’s ringtone resounded throughout the hotel suite. Our gazes moved from the television to the coffee table where her phone rested. After glancing at the screen, Robyn offered me a wry smile.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, hurrying to her bedroom. The door was cracked so I overheard her greeting. “Hey, Joseph.” Her tone was pleasant, not giving any indication of how she felt about him calling.

I unlocked my phone, trying my hardest not to eavesdrop.

“No, I’m glad you called,” she said after a moment. My heart raced at her admission.

I thought she’d put him on ice.

The flirty intonation in her voice and giggles did little to help my agitation. There was a knock at the door, prompting me to stop scrolling Instagram. I opened the door for the room service attendant and directed him where to set up the food. After tipping him for his service, I returned to my spot on the couch. I uncovered dishes; a salmon Caesar salad for Robyn and a cheeseburger and fries for me.

Robyn glanced out of her room and mouthed, “one second”, to me. “Yeah, I think our communication could be a little better too,” she said in a quieter tone.

Was she afraid of me overhearing their conversation?

I grabbed the remote from the table and looked through the guide for something to watch. The more I heard her responses, the more irritated I became. After settling for reruns of Law & Order, I started eating. Minutes later, Robyn returned with reddened cheeks. She sat next to me, holding her salad bowl in her hands while eating.

“Sorry about that.”

I popped a fry into my mouth then shrugged. “It's cool. After we finish eating, I’m gonna head to my room so you can get some sleep.”

“You booked a separate room?” Her eyebrows shot up.

“Surprising you is one thing, expecting you to share your space with me after popping up is invasive.”

She laughed. “You’re right. I just assumed you would stay with me.”

“Nah. Not this time.”

Robyn faced the TV, seemingly in deep thought. “When are you leaving?”

“Sunday morning.”

“Two nights off from work? I’m proud of you.”

“Sunny was on me about taking time off. I finally listened.”

It was taking everything in me not to call Summer to see how the opening duties were going. Our Open Mic Nights were guaranteed to draw a packed house. But I trusted Summer to lead the crew tonight. Everyone was capable of handling themselves while the boss was away.

“Good. Tomorrow after my exam, I want to go to dinner and find a bar or something. I’ll get recs from Starling. He has friends out here.”

“Sounds good. Whatever you wanna do is cool with me.”

She smiled then continued eating.

An hour later, I stood in her doorway, staring at her, not wanting to leave. She made it hard with how she looked at me. Those honey eyes were pleading for me to stay. I wanted to, so badly, but I couldn’t. She needed to focus on her test and not whatever was happening between us.

Undoubtedly, there was a shift in energy between us. The hugs felt different, and my heart went into overdrive whenever I thought of her. Last night’s pillow talk added another layer of intimacy to our friendship. This wasn’t just a simple crush or lust clouding my mind. I had yet to define it because I knew that would make it real and neither of us was ready to go there. I was more willing to venture into uncharted territory than Robyn. If I wanted this to work, I would have to be patient and wait for her to catch up.

“I’ll meet you for breakfast in the morning,” I said, realizing someone needed to make the first move.

She pursed her lips while nodding. “Okay.”

I dropped two pecks onto her forehead then smiled at her. She wrapped her arms around my neck for a long embrace. I held her tightly.

“Goodnight, Goldie,” I murmured against her ear.