Read Anywhere With You for Free Online

looked down at the phone in my hand, and then up at me. He didn’t have to say anything. His expression gave him away. He gently placed his hand on mine as he spoke. A peace offering. “Say you’re tired. Tell him you’ll see him tomorrow.”
    The ringing only seemed to grow louder. “I—I can’t do that, Jack. He’s expecting to see me.”
    He removed his hand, looked at the phone once more and shrugged. Then he turned and walked away. I pressed the button, silencing my phone and caught up with him at the elevator doors. Once inside, I watched as he deftly pressed the number for the fourteenth floor and then ran his fingers through his hair. “Why are you staying in this hotel anyway?” He frowned. “It’s not your style...”
    I watched his reflection in the mirrored walls. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean who booked the room?”
    I furrowed my brow. “Ian did. Why?”
    He nodded and the shook his head slightly. “No reason. I was just curious.”
    I watched the numbers light up as the elevator rose and wondered why he had to be such an ass. But as we stepped out of the elevator, I did my best to let it go. He’d made the trip to Boston for me, and the least I could do was cut him some slack.
    Jack found our room as I fumbled around in search of the room key. Exasperated, I looked up only to find him dangling it in front of me. “I don’t know what you’d do without me,” he chided.
    I grabbed the key card from his hand and slid it into the slot in the door. How I do it without him. Seriously? My patience was running thin. “Somehow I manage,” I assured him, stepping inside. Jack followed.
    Immediately, I slung my bags to the floor and plopped down on the bed closest to the windows and text Ian.
     
    AMELIE: Jet-lagged. Super tired. Going to bed. Call you in the morning. Early. Love you.
     
    Seconds later, I received a response.
     
    IAN: Really? Are you sure? I’ve been waiting up… I miss you.
     
    I chewed on my bottom lip as I rattled off a response. Short and sweet, just the way he liked it:
     
    AMELIE: I’m sure. I’ve missed you too. Can’t wait to see you. But must sleep now. I’d be lousy company anyhow. Call you mañana. XO
     
    IAN: All right then. Rest up. Can’t wait to see you. We have a big week ahead of us. Sweet dreams. I love you.
     
    I read his text, clicked my phone off, and tossed it onto the bed. Then I turned to Jack, who’d clearly been watching me. He raised his brow. “Everything ok?”
    I smiled and then crawled to the edge of the bed. “Let’s do something crazy!”
    “I thought you were ‘going to bed’?”
    I offered up the most serious go-to-hell look I could muster. “Why would you say that?”
    “Just an educated guess.”
    I hopped off the bed, put my hands on my hips and waited. “Well?
    Jack sighed. “Can I shower first?”
    “Have at it,” I said, I motioning toward the bathroom.
    I watched as he strode across the room like he’d just won the lottery. Jack always had liked winning. It was the fact that he couldn’t stop playing the game that was the issue. Jack’s problem was that he’d never learned how to count his blessings, quit while he was ahead, and call it a day. And because I knew Jack, I knew he probably never would.
    He closed the bathroom door only to open it again a few seconds later. Shirtless, of course. “Hey, kid?” he called.
    “No, Jack,” I told him even though I wanted to say yes. Yes, I’ll shower with you. I wanted to say yes. But thankfully, at least one of us knew how to quit while we were ahead.
    He looked genuinely confused. “No? What?”
    I shook my head. “Never mind.”
    “I was just going to say…for what it’s worth—that if it were me —I would have put you up in a better hotel. One with history… the kind you like.”
    I didn’t respond. At least not with words. Because even if I’d had the right ones, I wouldn’t have been able to force the lump that had formed in my throat out of the