Love Condemned: Beginnings by Stephanie Brown

her in a trance, similar to when the rain was streaming down the window. Her mind wandered and for a minute, she forgot all of her worries. When she pulled herself out of the reverie, she realized that she had been doing this for quite a while. Her fingers stopped in their tracks. When she looked up to Adrian's face, she didn't find even a hint of disapproval in his eyes. It was quite the opposite.
    A flash of confusion crossed her face as her eyes locked with his. Both of them held the gaze for more than just a few seconds. Then slowly, without letting her dark eyes break contact with Adrian's green ones, Miranda pulled back her hands. "It doesn't sound stupid," she said softly while she let herself sink back in her own seat. Suddenly, both of them seemed to realize how intimate the moment had become, and quickly averted their eyes. 

Chapter Eleven
     
    The remainder of the bus ride was filled with small talk and awkward silence. Miranda did not know what to say or how to react without scaring him away. She had not liked a boy in so long that she was scared. There were occasional, accidental touches that made Miranda flinch and the heat in the bus increase, but generally the conversation was a relaxed one. Miranda had brought a magnetic scrabble board, and they enjoyed themselves with that for a while. The digital numbers of the clock above the aisle showed it was 12.23pm when Alice stood up and announced they would be arriving to their hotel momentarily. A cheer went through the bus, and Miranda grinned. She had quite enough of sitting, and would be glad to do something more active. 
    "We will give you the time to settle in to your rooms first," said Alice through the microphone. "You have until two o'clock to unpack and get some lunch before we'll go to the first point of interest in Rome. We made it a good one - the Pantheon. Please note that every item you consume in the hotel is included in what you paid for the whole trip, everything outside it is at your own cost. We will first be assembling in the lobby of the hotel, Hotel California, where everyone will receive their keys." 
    Miranda nodded unconsciously, knowing she'd be stuck with The Eagles' version of "Hotel California" all day now, and quickly fished her bag from under the chair when the bus stopped. Everything she did radiated quiet enthusiasm. Close behind Adrian, she left the bus after checking she had everything. There, the bus driver was already removing all the bags and suitcases from the loading area. Soon enough, Miranda's plaid bag came out. When everyone had their luggage, Alice asked them to follow her. The hotel was two street corners down from the bus. Miranda laughed silently as she watched people trying to carry and drag their excessive luggage over the cobblestone path. This is the reason she brought her small bag. Miranda stopped in the lobby and waited while Alice fussed over a list with names and a whole bunch of keys. 
    "Sophie Kensington and Ellen Hope?" Alice asked, and moved toward s the two blonde girls that raised their hands. "You are in Room 21. Adrian Hunter, you can use the room of the passenger that didn't come along, Room 22." She handed Adrian his key and checked her list again. 
    "Miranda Carroll, room 23." When Miranda accepted the key with the cold steel number on a key ring, she thought over this coincidence. Their rooms were next to each other. She realized it wasn't a coincidence at all. She and Patrick had booked together, and had asked for adjacent rooms. Miranda smiled at Adrian, perhaps to let him know that she didn't mind she was still "next to him". She hardly heard anything else Alice said when he smiled back, forgetting everything around her. 
    "Well people," Alice demanded attention again, "the elevators are over there. I will meet you here again in two and a half hours." Miranda grabbed her bag off the floor and followed Adrian to the elevators as one of the first. With wide eyes, she stared at the thing