Page 55 of Don't Think

“Dude!” I yell—then immediately start laughing.

Nora stands there, her eyes half closed, swaying back and forth as her eyebrows draw together. “Arrre you m-madd at me?” she slurs, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout.

“Oh, Nora!” I yell, wrapping my arms around her neck, almost sending us both crashing to the floor. “I thought I losst you!”

She regains her balance and laughs. “I thoughtIl-losst me,” she says, her finger digging into her chest.

Nora’s arms tangle with mine as we jump around, letting out every ounce of energy we somehow still have. We dance, jump, and bounce until I completely forget the feel of the stranger’s hands and my legs are shaking, screaming for a break.

But does drunk Allie listen to screaming limbs? Absolutely not.

So I push on, ignoring the way my knees buckle every time my feet hit the solid ground. Strictly because…

I can.

Chapter Seventeen

Jax

What do four grown men do in a hotel room on a Saturday night?

PlayCall of Dutywith the TV loud enough to piss off their babysitter—that’s what.

Casey and I have been at it for the lastthreehours, and I haven’t had the heart to tell the poor guy that I don’t want to anymore. I stopped wanting to well over an hour ago, but it somehow felt like we finally started… bonding?

Honestly though, I just want out of this freaking hotel room. The stuffy, claustrophobia-inducing walls feel like they’re closing in the longer I sit here, glancing from the TV to my phone and back again.

Hanging out with Allie and her friends cracked something open in me. It gave me a taste of freedom I didn’t know I missed. It’s definitely a weird feeling since before, I could sit for hoursdoing absolutely nothing and not give a shit. But now? Now I can’t stomach the idea of just sitting here, withering away.

I’m lining up a perfect headshot when a sticky bomb slaps the wall beside me and blows me to hell.

“Well, thatwouldhave been perfect,” I say with a chuckle, dropping the controller onto the coffee table. I lean back into the couch, stretching my legs out, and glance at the clock glowing under the TV.

9:06 PM.

Not even ten o’clock on a Saturday, and I’m already thinking about just going to bed.

I need something,anything,to occupy my mind. To stop myself from reaching for my phone and sending Allie a message just to ask how her day was.

My eyes linger a little too long on the screen, making my fingers twitch at the thought of grabbing it.

It should be easy, right? Just a quick “How are you?” A simple text. But a weight settles in my chest like a bloody boulder, instantly pushing the idea back down where it belongs.

After all, she’s a mum. A nurse. She’s got her life in order, her priorities straight. She doesn’t need a guy like me—someone who’s always gone, living out of hotel rooms, never in one place long enough to build anything real.

She deserves stability, not uncertainty.

And I won’t do that to her.

So a distraction is absolutely necessary right now.

“Anyone up for a drink downstairs?” I blurt, not really directing it at anyone in particular.

Casey doesn’t even look up, just shakes his head with his eyes still locked on the screen. James doesn’t answer since his nose is buried deep in his phone,again. And Gareth just shrugs like he couldn’t care less.

I slap my palms against my knees and push myself up with a sigh. “Okay then.” I breathe, already stepping over Casey’s outstretched legs.

I’m halfway to the door when James suddenly jumps up, nearly making me trip on my own feet.