“So I heard Britt talking to Bria this morning.”

Crap. My stomach clenches at the thought. Those two together are sure to be trouble. And Taylor doesn’t need any more reasons to doubt me. “Might as well get it out. What’s on your mind, baby?”

“Bria told Britt you guys were having a romantic time, visiting the London Tower and everything. I had to hear all about in the café.”

I release a hiss through my teeth. I should have known this would come back to bite me in the ass. “We did go see the London Tower, but I can assure you – it was anything but romantic. Bria bitched about her heels pinching her feet the entire time and it was pouring rain.”

“Oh.” Taylor’s quiet. Too quiet.

“Babe, we’ve gone to see a couple of the tourist things the last few days, but tomorrow we’re getting down to work. We’re coworkers, that’s all, I promise you.”

“I just don’t like the idea of you staying at a hotel, in another country for weeks with a girl you’ve slept with. Call me crazy.”

I hesitate for a second, but know I need to come clean. I drop my voice an octave lower, not wanting Bria to overhear me. “I never slept with Bria.”

Taylor stumbles over her words. “Wh-what? What do you mean?”

“Well, we actually never slept together.” I don’t know how she’s going to take this. But I want to be as honest as I can be with her, after fucking up so bad the last time. “We messed around, but we never had sex,” I admit, quietly.

Taylor doesn’t say anything, but I can hear her breathing. After a moment, she sucks in a deep breath. “That’s almost worse.”

“How so?” I thought she’d be relived.

“Because, Colt. I know how you are, I mean how you were. Once you sleep with them, you move on. But if you haven’t yet done that with Bria, you’re probably still curious what it’d be like.”

I shift on my bed. I hadn’t really thought about it, but I suppose she’s right. But that’s the old me. “Taylor, stop. You are what I want now. Just you. End of story.” I hope I put an end to this conversation, but somehow I doubt that will be the case. Taylor doesn’t let things go easily.

“Did she go down on you?” she asks, her voice serious.

“Taylor. Do you really want to talk about this?”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Did you go down on her?”

Shit. I hate disappointing her. I swallow roughly. Maybe if I keep quiet I won’t incriminate myself further. The truth is, Bria and I did pretty much everything but have sex.

              “Colt!” Bria shouts from the other side of the door.

“Just a second, baby.” I shield the phone with my hand. “Now’s not a good time,” I call to the door.

Bria stays quiet. I put the phone back to my ear, almost reluctantly.

“What was that?” Taylor asks.

“Ah, just Bria. I told her I was busy.”

“Are you guys in the same hotel room?”

“We have a two bedroom suite. It’s more cost effective than two single rooms.”

“Oh,” she whispers.

“What’s wrong, babe?”

“I don’t like that, Colt. Not at all.”

“I’m sorry, baby. Please trust me.”

Taylor stays quiet, and we say goodnight a short time later. Thought I hadn’t thought twice about it, I now have an uneasy feeling about sharing this suite with Bria. By the way Taylor took the news, I could tell she thought that us sharing a two-bedroom suite on our assignment was a unique thing. I hate now that it wasn’t. I want her to feel special and important to me, not like a number.

Taylor

The second my eyes open in the morning, I recall my conversation with Colt before bed. I hate the idea that he’s sharing a hotel room with Bria. I know during the field assignment I had with him, we did too. But I assumed that was because he liked being near me. I realize this means they’re together 24/7, sharing every meal, working together, laughing together. The thought does nothing to calm my nerves.

My stomach rumbles loudly. But I don’t care. I’m way too worked up to eat. I need to go get Reis up and go for a run. Maybe then I can pound out some of this angst I feel.

I dress and head downstairs, knocking loudly on Colt’s door to wake Reis.

He pulls open the door wearing nothing but boxer briefs.

I stumble back, shielding my eyes with my hand. “Oh, hi. Sorry.”

He chuckles. “It’s okay. Come in.”

“Can you um, put something on?” I peek through my fingers as I follow him into the room so I don’t stumble into the door frame.

“No, I’m just going to wear my boxers all day.” I hear the sarcasm in his voice, and a second later, I hear clothes rustling.

“Put on something you can run in.” I open my eyes in time to see him pull a pair of mesh running shorts over his hips.

“Ready.” He holds his arms out to the sides. “Just let me brush my teeth.”

His bare feet pad across the floor to the bathroom and rather than standing here feeling useless, I busy myself by making the bed. The bed Colt and I have spent countless hours cuddling on is now where Reis is sleeping. It’s a little strange, but I push the thought from my mind.

Reis returns and pulls his on running shoes, knotting the key to Colt’s room into his shoelace.

During our run, I complain to Reis about Colt and Bria sharing the same hotel room. He looks bothered, his brow knitting together in thought, but he doesn’t say anything. I find myself more talkative and open than normal. Reis’ quiet, accepting demeanor does that to me. If I had told all this to MJ, she’d be telling me to break things off with Colt for sure.

After our run, we shower then round up MJ and Logan and the four of us head off in Reis’ Jeep to get some breakfast off campus.

Colt steers into the parking lot of a dingy looking little diner. “I know it looks shady, but I’ve been here before with Colt. They have really good pancakes.”

We head inside and when we stop at the hostess station, we’re greeted by the red head we had a run in with at the movies. Amber. My body stiffens.

“What’s wrong?” Reis questions at my sudden visible response to seeing her here.

I shake my head curtly. I won’t draw more attention to myself than I already have. I just want to get on with this and get to our table. Maybe she won’t remember me.

“How many?” Amber looks up at us and her eyes instantly lock on mine. “Oh.” She frowns.

Reis, MJ and Logan all turn and look between her and me, wondering what’s going on.

“Four of us,” Reis says, stepping in to shield me from Amber’s gaze. Amber’s eyes flick to Reis, noticing how much he looks like Colt, I’m sure.

A second later, she grab she menus and spins away across the room. We follow her, with Reis guiding me along by the shoulders, somehow aware that my legs aren’t working so well right now.

We settle into a booth in the corner of the dingy diner and scan the menus. Reis sets his down after merely glancing at it, and leans back, stretching his arm across the back of the booth behind me and leans closer. “I don’t know what that was back there, but are you okay?” he whispers so just I can hear him.

I answer in a tight nod, not wanting to discuss this with MJ and Logan. MJ is barely okay with me dating Colt as it is. I don’t want to give her any more ammunition against him. But I’ll talk to Reis about this later, I’m sure. He was such a good listener on our run this morning. I release a deep sigh and settle into the booth against this arm.

MJ’s mouth twitches, watching us. “So Boyfriend Junior, um, I mean Reis.” She smirks. “What are you doing tonight?”

He chuckles and slides his arm from behind me, moving his hands to his lap. “Whatever Taylor wants. Colt says I’m in charge of watching her.”

“No one’s in charge of me,” I stipulate.

“Wow, you two are unconvincing,” MJ mutters, setting down her menu. “Well Logan and I decided that tonight will be a perfect fall night for a bonfire out by the old barn. You guys in?”