𝐼𝓃𝒻𝒶𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹

Chapter 24- What Happened in the Highway Haven

Above: The bedroom the pair live in for the night :)
Image courtesy: Pinterest

Simone's P.O.V.

Chase Walker was inadvertently trying to find his way into my heart, again and again. 
And I was afraid. Of my emotions, and the strength they held.
I was afraid of giving my heart out again.

But when he sang the last lines of that beautiful song with me, I was rendered surprised.
His voice, and his stares gave me constant butterflies in my stomach, his touch made sparks fly up my arm. He made me feel... different. That's the conclusion I had come to.
Which is why I was surprised. 

So far, life had been life with it's fair share of fortunes and misfortunes, surprises and shocks, tornadoes and rainbows. But I have to admit, Chase... while coming into my life, he had brought along a new feeling too. And though I was surprised, I was anxious of what was next.
But every moment I spent with him, strangely enough, not an ounce of any stress was present.

I didn't understand these new feelings. Maybe I was too anxious to do so.

I had promised myself of keeping myself away from guys in general. 'Cause I dated a good amount of times in the past. Now I needed to just focus on my studies. 
I didn't need another Francis, after all. I wanted to avoid heartbreaks. Due to any guy, not just Francis. But there was a problem.

Chase Walker felt different from the other guys I had been with. He was inadvertently affecting me in ways I never thought were possible. And man, was I scared. 

Though I would have never been singing my heart out in front of anybody, that spiked drink I consumed made me do it in front of Chase, of all people. Actually, the confidence that spiked drink gave me, that's what made me do it. So much so,  wasn't even that insecure or cautious when he suggested the plan to stay in a motel overnight. I did feel sort of drunk, after all, though being able to handle liquor, I didn't show much of that drunkeness, thankfully.
Even kissing him and dry humping him, was supplied by the confidence, supplied by the liquor.

Never in a hundred years do I imagine myself doing the any of the above with anyone while I'm not drunk.

Stop, brain. That's it. Your time is over. Shut up now.

We had arrived to a comfy looking motel which I estimated had about fifty rooms. Beside it was nestled a small wooden cottage, the wood painted teal. From the road to the entry into both of the structures, a grey stone path was built, against which my boots clicked loudly as I walked.
A huge rectangle, enough for people to go through, was cut into the middle of the cottage. Above the rectangle, a banner was hammered in oak planks. The banner said, in an Aberdeen Street font: 

Tuffin's Highway Haven
Reception

With Chase walking a little behind me, as I looked at the place in wonder, we walked to the reception in the form of an adorable cottage. 

I'd rarely been to road trips. Of fuckin' course I'd be excited.

Inside, I was met with a young girl, about thirteen, with rogue streaks of blonde on her wavy, black, shoulder length hair. She sat behind an oak reception table pushed up against a wooden plank wall, happily lost in a crossword puzzle in a newspaper which was neatly folded and placed on the table. A cup of hot chocolate sat on the table beside the news paper. A silver service bell stood beside the cup.

The reception looked pretty cozy; behind the young girl, there was a soft-board on which, about thirty out of about fifty keys hung from thumb stacks. The keys had copper cards attached to them, on which room numbers were engraved. The soft-board was flanked by two wall sconces.
On the left side of the wall, was a simple wicker sofa set with cream cushions. In the center of the sofa set stood a wooden coffee table. The large center sofa was pushed up against a wall made entirely of toughened glass. Behind the table and the sofa set, I saw a dimly lit hall. 
Attached to the high-enough ceiling, was a simple chandelier which threw a cozy light over the room.