Dragging myself into the bathroom, I twist my hair up in a clip and force myself into the shower. The water helps clear the fog, but it can’t rinse away the reality of what I did.
I danced flirtatiously withthree guys. In front of most of the senior class. And then I devoured mystepbrother.
The worst part? Ilikedit.
Jesus.
What do I do now? Bring it up? Try to clear the air? Pretend it never happened? Two of them live under the same roof. I need peace. I need stability. I need...a time machine. Yes, that’s it.
Once I’m clean and dressed, I make my way downstairs, thankful I don’t run into anyone. In the kitchen, I spot a covered pan on the stove and a note beside it:
Breakfast for anyone who needs it. There’s Gatorade in the fridge. – Maryanne
God bless Maryanne.
I pile eggs, bacon, and toast onto a plate, grab a couple bottles of Gatorade, and escape back upstairs to eat in solitude. Call me immature, but I’m not above hiding from my problems. Especially when those problems are six-foot-plus with hypnotizing eyes and dangerous hands.
Out of the gutter, Lina. Out. Of. The. Gutter.
The food settles my stomach, and I spend the rest of the morning lounging in bed, sipping electrolytes and watching reruns on my phone. My setup is elite, with a hands-free holder stretched across my bed. My only real regret is not having a bell to summon snacks.
My eyes are just starting to drift closed when the adjoining bathroom door creaks open. I crack one eye. Axel pads in quietly, hair wild, eyes sleepy. He climbs into bed like it’s the most natural thing in the world and groans, clearly as hungover as I am.
“Morning, Sunshine,” I greet in a deadpan voice.
He groans louder and yanks the covers over his head.
“Who made me drink that much?”
“You did that all on your own,Pumpkin.”
“Don’t remind me,” he mumbles. After a beat, his face resurfaces from beneath the blanket, hair hanging across his eyes. I gently brush it aside so he can see.
“Thanks,” he says quietly. “What are we watching?”
“I’m,”I emphasize, “watchingGossip Girl.”
“Cool.” He snuggles closer, resting his head on my shoulder so he can see the screen.
“Where’s Nik?” I ask, not sure if I should expect theblonde god to wander in at any moment.
“Johnny just left to take him home,” Axel mumbles.
“Cool.” I close my eyes again. Listening to Chuck and Blair argue always seems to weirdly help me relax.
∞∞∞
The next time I wake, a hand is gently running through my hair.
“Sorry, honey, didn’t mean to wake you.” Johnny’s voice is soft. “I turned off your show. Go back to sleep.”
He kisses the top of my head. Feeling Axel’s warmth still beside me, I cuddle closer, letting myself drift again.
∞∞∞
When I wake for real, I’m alone. I stretch like a cat and blink at the clock on my phone. It’s just after five.Wow, I slept the day away.
Note to self: hangovers aretime-consuming.
