Lila Kate
AFTER SPENDING AN hour walking around the house and cemetery, Cruz then took me to eat breakfast at a casino. It was really good which surprised me. When we were walking back out to Cruz’s bike, he glanced over at me. “So now you’ve seen some of Mississippi.”
This behavior was so unlike the Cruz that I knew I had smiled big. Once Cruz had been nice. When we were kids I’d seen this side of him, but not since then. Seeing it again was . . . it was . . . dangerous. I had to remember who he was and keep my head straight.
The rest of the ride was fast. We entered Louisiana shortly after leaving Biloxi. At a red light, Cruz looked over his shoulder at me. “You want safe and fancy or do you want the atmosphere?”
“Atmosphere,” I yelled through my helmet and over the engine.
“Good,” he replied then took off toward a very scenic area that didn’t smell that great, but it was exactly like I pictured. Considering I was recognizing things from The Originals that I was guilty of watching on a Netflix binge. I started to point something out but stopped myself. Cruz would have a blast making fun of me.
He pulled into a parking deck and cut the engine. I took off my helmet and looked around. “Where are we?”
“Hotel parking.”
I didn’t see a hotel. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Been here before. A couple of times.”
“Why were you in New Orleans?” I asked.
He smirked at me. “Mardi Gras.”
Ah. I should have guessed. “This won’t be nearly as exciting as I had imagined.”
He got of the bike. “There won’t be women showing me their tits all over the street. So yeah, it’ll be less exciting.”
I rolled my eyes and got off the bike. “I have nothing with me. I need to find a store to buy some toiletries, and a change of clothes would be nice.”
“Let’s get a room, then we can go shopping.”
“Rooms,” I corrected him.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Seriously? We’re gonna waste money on two rooms?”
I nodded. “Yes, we seriously are.”
“Jesus, Lila Kate. I’m not going to try and screw you. I’ve never tried and I’m not about to start now.”
That stung. I wasn’t going to let him know it stung, but it did. “I’m aware you’re not attracted to me. You’ve made that very clear. I like my privacy. I don’t want to share a room with you.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
There was the guy I knew. At least he was reminding me that the sweet guy who had wanted me to experience some of Mississippi was a brief lapse. The Cruz I knew and disliked was back.
We checked in without saying much to each other. Our rooms were beside each other. When we got to the doors to our rooms, he looked over at me. “This gonna be too close for you? Planning on sneaking in some guy off the street you find and don’t want me to see?”
He was being a smartass. This Cruz I knew well. But the new Lila Kate wasn’t going to take his smart mouth. I unlocked the door and just before walking inside my room met his cocky gaze. “No. This is fine. My last one night stand was on a public beach. I figure if I can have sex on a public beach then I can have sex in the room next to yours.” I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I quickly went inside my room and closed the door behind me.
I almost expected him to knock on my door to ask me what I was talking about. He didn’t. But I knew he was thinking about it. I had nothing to unpack. But I did use a towel and some facial soap to wash my face. Then I got in the shower and bathed the road scum off me. I washed my panties in the shower then hung them up to dry.
I’d have to go without until we went to a store. Walking over to the window with the bath towel wrapped around me, I took my phone and snapped a photo of the French Quarter. Then I texted it to Eli.
Arrived. It’s just like I pictured it. Sorry I didn’t say goodbye.
I needed to call Nate and Bliss to explain. Then, of course, my parents.
I started to dial Nate’s number when Eli texted me back.
You left already? was his response.
I sighed. He hadn’t even gone looking for me when he woke up and I was gone. I don’t know why I expected him to. He had other things on his mind.
I didn’t respond to him. I called Nate instead.
“Just got off the phone with Cruz,” was Nate’s greeting. “Your dad is going to kill him. You thought of that?”
I sighed. I had considered that. But at the moment, I wasn’t thinking about anything other than doing something completely out of character. Something exciting and I did it. But there was going to be hell to pay later.
“I’ll handle my dad. I’m sorry I didn’t leave a note or get my things.”
“Cruz thinks he’s protecting you. That’s all this is Lila.”
Nate knew. I’d never told him, but he knew. He had been part of our trio as kids. He saw it even though Cruz never saw the little girl crush in my eyes. Nate was always more observant. Now he was making sure grown Lila Kate didn’t get the wrong notion that she had a chance with Cruz.
“I know.” I didn’t say more. It was embarrassing.
“I got your Rover in my garage, and your things will be in the guest bedroom until you return.”
“Thanks, Nate. Tell Bliss I’m sorry for running off without a goodbye.”
“I will. She gets it. Better than me I think.”
We said our goodbyes and ended the call. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to my parents yet. I was an adult. The money I was using was mine. I didn’t have to call them. I was free to be my own woman.
I felt guilty but I dropped my phone back on the bed and went to put my clothes back on without the panties. That wasn’t going to feel very good in jeans. I had to find a store.