Lie, Baby, Lie ✔️

chapter nine- wade

Chapter Nine

I must wake up after Mia because when my eyes open, the first thing I hear is the sound of the shower running. I almost forget I'm not alone in this room for a few seconds, but then I process the empty bed beside me and my brain finally registers she must be washing up. For a few minutes, I lay in bed with an arm thrown over my face.

When she steps out of the bathroom, she's wearing nothing but a towel. Wet, dark hair falls down her shoulders in matted waves, and her long legs catch my eyes. It's too early for this, and with the water droplets running down her shoulders and her perfect curves, I'm definitely staring. Suddenly, my pants feel way too tight, and I know she needs to stop before I do something I'll seriously regret.

She must not notice me at first, because she starts to untie the damn thing.

I clear my throat loudly. "Uh, Mia—"

She all but jumps out of her skin. "Shit! Sorry, Wade! I thought you were asleep."

I'm wide awake now. "Just woke up."

She grabs her clothes with flushed cheeks and darts back into the bathroom as fast as she can go. One look at my lap is all it would take to see what I'm thinking about, and I'm glad she's not here for that.

"Carajo!" I hiss softly.

She's already killing me and she has no idea.

Thankfully, she comes back dressed and sheepish. Her expression is apologetic, but she avoids talking to me as she slips her old outfit into her bag. She's in jeans today, and one of her knees peeks out from a hole in them. I like that she doesn't put a fuss into how she looks. She dresses for comfort and keeps it practical.

I climb out of bed and brush my teeth. Splashing water on my face, I try to get the image of her in that damned towel out of my head. It seems I probably won't be able to anytime soon.

"You hungry?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "I could eat, but I'm not too hungry."

Even though she tells me that, the growling of her stomach tells me otherwise.

"There's a gas station a few miles from here. We'll stop there," I decide.

"Don't you have places to—"

"We'll make time," I cut her off. "Can't have you starving on me."

Mia doesn't protest anymore, probably because she wants something to eat too much. We grab our things and head back to the truck in a matter of minutes. Since the radio reception is utter crap, she hooks her phone up to the speakers. Neither of us likes awkward silences, and it turns out, she has half-decent taste in music.

She bobs her head every once in a while, her hair bouncing in time with her chin. Her face is facing the window, so the sun highlights every angle, down to the curve of her mouth. Since she was basically naked an hour ago, it's hard not to picture her like that. She's always been gorgeous, anyone can see that, but the more I learn about her, the more tempting she is. Mia Critt is slowly weaseling her way into my life, and for some crazy reason, I'm letting her.

At the gas station, I get a huge cup of black coffee first. She takes her time wandering by the coolers, finally reaching in for some orange juice when she spots it. From there, she grabs a muffin and stands beside me.

I grab some things for later, but since I don't have much of an appetite, I don't grab more than necessities. I throw a wad of cash at the cashier without really glancing at the total, knowing I have more than enough for this trip.