“You coming to bed?” I asked, throwing back the blankets.
Leaning over, he booped the tip of my nose like you would a child. I hated it. It felt all kinds of wrong. I didn’t want this brooding version of the man I was falling in love with, I wanted the one who pinned me to the wall and made sure I knew who I belonged to.
“In a minute. I’m just going to jump in the shower really quick.”
He didn’t even give me a chance to ask if he wanted company before slipping into the ensuite and shutting the door. When I heard the click of the lock, my heart sank. Everything was all sorts of fucked up.
We’d supposed to have been celebrating. After a really shitty couple of months when it felt like the world was against us, everything was finally coming together. I had a job I was so excited about, and everything I wanted was within my grasp. And Seth, he’d finally got the starting jersey he’d been chasing and working his arse off for months. Probably years. We should be riding high. Instead, one drunken dickhead had fucked everything up. And all because he couldn’t control his grabby hands. Damn, I wish I’d kneed him in the balls.
Now I was lying here in Seth’s big bed, feeling more alone than ever. Sliding out from under the covers, I crept into the spare room to find Beth already passed out and murmuring in her sleep. I wished I could’ve made out her words, but it was all gibberish. Quietly, I adjusted the covers over her before climbing in beside her. I was too tired to fight tonight and crashing here seemed like the best option.
“What the!” I whisper yelled as I came out of the deep sleep I was in.
“Shhh.”
As I blinked open my heavy eyelids and my stomach gurgled, I was swept up into Seth’s arms. Silently he carried me out the door before tucking me back into his bed. Sliding in behind me, Seth wrapped himself around me like a vine before pressing a soft kiss against that spot just below my neck that made my whole body quiver.
“The only place you sleep in my house, Claire, is in my bed,” he mumbled, squeezing me tight.
“Mmkay.”
Seth’s phone shrilled, waking me up and I wanted to jam it fair up his arse. I sat up way too quickly, making my head spin and my stomach lurch.
“Shut it up,” I grumbled, flopping back down on the pillow and pulling the blanket up over my head.
“Morning,” Seth answered sleepily.
I couldn’t hear what the evil person on the other end of the line was saying, but I could hear what Seth was saying. And it didn’t sound good. “Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. See you in an hour.”
He ended the call before dropping it down on the bedside table and climbing out of bed.
“Who was that?”
“Luca. I’ve gotta be at the club in an hour.”
“What happened?” I was wide awake now.
“Not sure. Guess I’m going to find out. Just go back to sleep.”
A minute later, I heard the shower start and leaned over, picking up my phone to check the time. It was only just after six on a Saturday morning. No wonder I felt like shit. I was still drunk. But even through the throbbing headache and the blurry vision, I didn’t miss the notifications blowing up my phone.
Slightly terrified, I opened the first one from Isaac.
Twenty seconds of vision later and I was wide awake. I dropped my phone and covered my mouth. Holy fuck. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
