All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Seventy-One

        I almost turned my suitcase into a weapon of mass destruction. I jumped so hard I slammed into the wall behind me, hurting my shoulder in the process. But it was just Grayson, his backpack slung over his shoulder and his hands out defensively.

        "Oh," I said, my mouth dry. "Just you."

        "Yeah. Sorry. You okay?" he whispered.

        "Fine," I said, rolling my shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

        "Ah, you know, Clay and Tay partied too hard and now I'm homeless," he said cheerfully, as if this happened all the time. "What about you?"

        "Same thing," I laughed.

        He gave me a wicked grin. "Good thing I prepared for this. I booked an extra room, just in case of emergency."

        "Us being this tired is an emergency," I agreed.

        Grayson beckoned me to follow him down the hallway. The new room was only four doors down, and I was happy to note that it was clean and untouched by crazy best friends. I tossed my suitcase onto the chair and unpacked my pajamas and toothbrush.

        "Mind if I brush my teeth?" I asked Grayson, who was brushing his own teeth with the bathroom door open. He nodded and stepped to the side, sharing the sink. That was kind. 

        He spat in the sink and asked, "How was girls' night?"

        "Good," I said through a mouthful of toothpaste. "Guys' night?"

        "Good," he replied, his toothbrush back in his mouth. "Missed hanging out with you though."

        "Ah." I would've said I missed him too, except I was really glad that he'd missed some of our earlier conversations. The toothpaste made a good cover for my lack of response.

        Grayson rinsed out his mouth and put his toothbrush in the little holder. Right when I spit out the remainder of my toothpaste, a harsh blow came to my butt. The force startled me, making me gasp.

        "Did you just smack my butt?" I asked, astonished.

        "Hmm?" Grayson said, feigning innocence as he left the bathroom.

        Quickly wiping my mouth with a towel, I followed him and delivered an equally hard smack to his butt. He yelped and said, "Hey!"

        "Serves you right," I said firmly, pleased with my victory.

        First there was light shoving, then there was pushing, then Grayson and I were giggling so hard neither of us could breathe as we tried to wrestle each other to the ground. I could tell he was going easy on me, simply because Grayson was just so much stronger than me. I ended up flat on my back on the floor, shrieking and giggling as he increased his methods to tickling.

        "No, no," I said breathlessly. "Grayson! I-tickling isn't fair!"

        "Why not? You're so cute, when you're giggly," he said, his fingers cruelly finding my sides. I yelled, still laughing as I managed to throw him off of me.

        We both sat up, bent over to catch our breath. Finally Grayson got to his feet and pulled me up, saying, "We should probably go to bed."

        "Yeah," I panted. 

        Grayson apparently wasn't done with me. I shrieked again as he scooped me up, easily throwing me over his shoulder. "What–no!" I yelped, clawing his waist to hold on.