When Parker pulled into a crappy motel parking lot, Ruby thought it must be some kind of joke. It didn’t match the nice car he drove, which was black, sleek, and screamed money. Something about the fanciness of the car had made her feel safe, though. The leather seats were incredible, there was plenty of legroom, and there were airbag symbols everywhere. She didn’t think she’d have been able to make the trip in any other vehicle.And now they were sitting in front of a motel that probably had dead bodies under the beds.She didn’t mean to be ungrateful, considering she wasn’t the one paying for any of this, but the unexpected feeling of safety she’d enjoyed for the past three hours had suddenly been replaced by anxiety. Not only did the motel look lik

Ruby quickly changed into pajama bottoms and an oversized T-shirt, wanting nothing more than to be in bed and asleep by the time Parker got out of the shower. Except it was the very fact that Parker was showering that kept Ruby awake. She lay in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. When she heard the water turn off, she rolled over, her back to the bathroom door, and squeezed her eyes shut. She would not think of Parker in any way except as an acquaintance who could occasionally be considered a friend.Except, did acquaintances go on weekend trips together? Maybe. Would they stay in the same hotel room together? Only under duress, and she considered herself in that category.The bathroom door opened and a couple of minutes later Ruby felt the other side of the bed sink with Parker&rsq

Ruby couldn’t believe she had done that. A torrent of complex emotions catapulted through her as she followed Parker to his car. Guilt was definitely at the forefront. But that prison she had told Parker about was very real, and for the split second it took her to kiss him she had felt free from it. She had felt peace, and happiness, and excitement. But she was experiencing the repercussions of it now.Ruby avoided Parker’s gaze as she slid into the front seat. It took a moment to realize he was just sitting in the driver’s seat, watching her, not starting the car.“You okay?” he asked. “If I did something wrong—”“No,” Ruby interrupted. “You have nothin

Ruby watched as the mountains and trees transitioned into farms and fields. Everything was green, and so different than back in Amor. As beautiful as this was, it made her miss home. Ruby knew the desert, had grown up with it, and knew what to expect from it. She wasn’t thinking of just the landscape, but also the people in it. They were predictable, just like the seasons. She knew when the windy season would give way to the monsoon season, and when to expect the mosquitoes and rattlesnakes.Up here was different. When she and Parker had first gone up in the balloon, she’d felt freer than she had in years. Everything was new and exciting. She found she could actually pretend she was a different ve

Ruby held onto the seat in front of her, but she couldn’t keep herself from bouncing all over the place, even with the seatbelt on. This was her worst nightmare come true. Her fear of riding in cars battled with her fear of Parker dying in a flying accident, and she swore that if something happened to him, she’d never leave the house again.Ruby knew she shouldn’t have convinced the guys to help Parker get into the air, but she had been trying to be supportive of what he was going through. She didn’t know everything, but Andy had told her enough to cause her to spring into action. He had been right. Ruby saw how self-centered she had been, and right then, all she wanted was to help Parker through his own personal tragedy. That was what was real. All they had was the present, and Ruby didn’t want to mess things up again.