You and Everything After (Falling #2)(94)

We needed to time it just right, everything like clockwork from the moment our plane touched the ground. I called Rowe, and she made plans with the boys for dinner at Sally’s. We’d meet them there, so that way they could save us a table before it got too crowded. The only risk left was whether or not they left their room unlocked—their keys inside. Something they do…often.

Rowe is jumping up and down at the elevator when Paige and I get upstairs, and her smile means we’re in luck. I leave my things in the hallway, by our room, and we hand Paige all the keys she needs, and she promises that her assistants are on their way.

In exchange, I promise Paige a free bailout, no questions asked, the next time she’s a little in over her head at a party—something that hasn’t happened in a while, now that I think of it. Her lips curl at the edges, a faint smile at my promise—a baby step. And maybe just saying this to her was enough.

“I can handle this,” she says, reaching into her bag for a band to tie her hair. She pulls her jacket from her shoulders, and rests it on my suitcase, kicking her gigantic pumps off so she can work barefoot. The scene makes both Rowe and me laugh.

“What? I’m not lifting things in those,” she says, blowing her bangs up and out of her eyes. It’s funny mostly, because Paige isn’t likely lifting anything. Our suspicion is even more confirmed when we swap places with three extremely large guys on the elevator, and as the doors shut, I think I catch a glimpse of one of them lifting her in his arms.

“Do you know that guy?” Rowe asks. I’m glad she saw that too.

“No idea who he is,” I say, my eyes wishing they could see through the elevator doors as we start our decent. “Someone’s been keeping a secret.”

Whoever he is, he isn’t a jock or frat guy…or anyone I’ve seen around any of Paige’s parties. He’s way off the radar, and nothing like anyone I’d ever pair with my sister based on her tastes. I hope like hell I see him again.

Rowe and I somehow manage to keep our smiles in check throughout dinner—even pretending to be pissed about the brown room, about how they one-upped us…finally. And when my phone buzzes in my lap with a message from Paige that “the deed is done,” I tug my ear to signal Rowe, and her smile grows wicked.

“I almost want to sprint home,” she whispers in my ear as we wait at the front of Sally’s while Nate and Ty linger by the bar to check the score of a game.

“Play it cool,” I say, and she folds her arms and smirks at me.

“Look at you. When did you get all ballsy and good at this?” she asks. “The student has become the teacher.”

“Okay, you and Ty seriously need to stop with the Kung Fu thing,” I say, and Ty catches the end of it.

“You can never talk too much Kung Fu,” Ty says, and Rowe nods in agreement, jutting her fist forward for a pound.

“Damn straight,” she says.

“So what has my young grasshopper mastered?” His question makes me panic, but only for a second, because Rowe is way better at this than I am.

“Oh, you’ll find out,” she says, waggling her eyebrows, and instantly Ty assumes we’re talking sex. It’s easy to take his mind there, and Rowe is a genius for thinking of it. She didn’t really lie, because he will find out soon. He’s just going to be even more disappointed now.

We take our time getting back, as if there’s nothing to be excited about. I stop at our mailbox downstairs, and pull the sets of keys out, dropping them in my pocket before anyone can notice, and we continue to the elevator.

“Mail’s empty,” I say, winking at Rowe behind their backs.

“Well duh, we just got here. Nobody has any mail yet,” Nate says, totally going along with our plan. Ty, however, makes a face, and the second I see his eyebrow tick up, I look away; I know I won’t be able to bluff him if he looks right at me.

I have to nudge Rowe in the ribs once to get her giggles under control, and when the doors open, we step from the elevator and move toward the boys’ room.

At least, what used to be the boys’ room.

“I’m kind of tired. You know, I think I’m going to go to bed early. Long flight. Hope you don’t mind,” I smirk, and Ty knows instantly.

“Son of a bitch,” he says, his head shaking as he looks to his lap and bites his lip, then lets out a reluctant laugh and folds his hands together, his thumbs tapping one another because he knows. He knows!

“Oh, that’s fine,” Nate says, trying to be polite, still not caught up with the rest of us.

“Good, well…you’re going to need your keys,” I say, tossing them to him. He catches them at his chest, and then realization settles in slowly. Rowe and I push in through our new door, all of our things inside, as if we’d always been here.

“Good night boys,” she says, and we both blow them kisses as we close the door behind us, locking it too, just in case.

My phone buzzes about two minutes later with a text from Ty.



TY: Well played, Ninja.

ME: Enjoy your shit-brown room ;-)

TY: Oh I will.

ME: I don’t doubt it.



I think I may be more proud of this than I am of making the women’s soccer team. I fluff out the Barbie comforter and layer it with my quilt, then crawl into bed, kicking my shoes off and letting them fall to the floor. Rowe does the same.