Recover: Book 2 of the Magic Mutations Series | ✓

2: Broken Hearts and a Broken Bond

Warning: Steamy chapter ahead... Not safe for work.

____

We had stopped at a pharmacy on the way to grab protection before finding a hotel. She objected to my choice of accommodation—one of the four star ones—but I waved my hand and said I was paying anyway. That resulted in more complaints, but after I briefly stated that it would be pocket change to me, she fell quiet.

The air in the elevator was still and echoey, especially with only us in there the long way up. I was almost distracted by the racing thoughts in my head that had me second-guessing whether I could really do this and wondering what I should be doing now.

Should I grab her hand? Or do I wait until we are in the room?

When we are in the room, do we just get started? Do I just kiss her straight away? Or should we ease into it?

Does she want to talk openly about all the logistics or make it some lost-in-the-moment hookup?

But when I glanced over at Emma whose gaze was fixated on the ground, crashing through my thoughts with such speed and force was the memory of the last time I had been in an elevator.

Olivia's eyes turned down, avoiding mine.

Luggage in hand.

Flecks of Ben's blood still caked under her nails.

If I did this, wouldn't I be betraying her?

Sure, the Olivia who left had no relationship with me. She said we needed to move on in separate ways. But the Olivia whose memories I had wiped...

The elevator doors dinged open, pulling me back into the present.

We walked through the hallway in silence until we reached the room. I fumbled with the keycard, pushing the door open for her to enter first. And once it softly thudded behind us, I awkwardly shuffled over to the bed, placing the packet of condoms on the bedside table and sitting on the edge of the mattress.

"This is... nice," she said from the hallway, glancing around the room.

I pretended to also be interested in the decor and mumbled a, "Yeah." All the while, my thoughts were screaming: This is stupid... neither of us have done this before. Surely we wouldn't take this further. But maybe just spending company with each other would be enough to fill the hole for the moment. Or, in my case, dull the fire.

"I'm going to... freshen up quickly," she said, avoiding eye contact as she walked into the bathroom.

I fell back against the bed as I listened to the sound of the tap running on the other side of the wall. It had been so long since I last had sex. Surely this would disappoint her to be with me. Then again, I felt obligated to make it somewhat special for a one night stand given that I'd be the second person she would be with. Who knows if whatever sleeze she would run into at a nightclub would offer her such generosity.

Olivia only had to walk past one before...

I closed my eyes, wincing at the memory that took over my mind as I recalled the tears streaming down her cheeks as I bared my teeth at the man.

A jostling of the bed beside me caused my eyes to fly open, head turning to Emma.

She was staring at the wall, thumbs twiddling together, heartbeat racing. "I really don't know how to do this," she breathed.

I moved back up to a seated position. "Me neither," I muttered. "I haven't just... Normally I take someone on a date first."

She let out an awkward laugh. "Does the bar count as a date?"