We stay like that a minute while he finishes up, and when he turns to reach for a dish towel, I grab it for him. It’s a slight disappointment that I have to step away to do it.

Then Elise says, “Well, it’s getting late. I think we’ll head up to bed. Travis, you’re staying right?”

I’m hit with a flash of panic.

“Don’t let us get in the way of whatever it is you two would normally be doing,” she adds.

“Eww,” May says.

“Hush,” Brenden tells her, face flaming. He glances nervously at me, and we attempt to have a silent conversation.

Finally, I nod, because it seems like the only option. “Yeah. I was gonna stay.”

Brenden’s face is a strange mix of relieved and worried now, and I can’t say I’m not experiencing a mix of emotions myself. Of course Elise and Grant would assume that I spend some nights here, but I kind of figured that the respectful thing for a boyfriend to do would be to stay at home and give them space for their visit.

Brenden and I didn’t talk about the possibility of me actually sleeping here. We didn’t talk enough about anything. Damn it. We’ll need to work out all the details of this ridiculous plan tonight. In his bedroom.

Fuck.

Me.

CHAPTER SEVEN

BRENDEN

Well.

Here we are.

Elise and Grant are in May’s room for the night, and May is all set up downstairs on the couch. And somehow Travis and I have found ourselves standing in my bedroom, facing each other on opposite sides of a bed that I forgot to make this morning.

“Uh...” I scratch at an itch on the inside of my elbow.

“I’m sorry,” Travis says, his gaze flicking rapidly from me to the bed, then back to me again. “I didn’t know if you wanted me to stay since they expected me to, or if I was supposed to make up an excuse to leave.”

“Don’t be sorry,” I tell him. “We should’ve had a plan for this. But I don’t mind you staying. Unless it’ll be uncomfortable for you.”

I grimace at my own words. Of course this would be uncomfortable for him. He’d obviously rather be at home sleeping in his own bed than here sharing mine with me. This is really pushing the boundaries of our friendship.

It’s true that I got us into this situation, but I’d hate myself if I ruined our friendship for the sake of saving face with two people whose opinions of me will never be that high anyway.

“Maybe we can sneak you out?” I offer half-heartedly, glancing at the window then scratching myself again. “This is all my fault, I’m so sorry.”