"Morning, princess," Dax says. "Where are you going?"
I freeze with my hand on the doorknob, closing my eyes and exhaling slowly before answering. "I'm getting dressed."
I don't breathe again until I close it behind me. I need to get my shit together.
My phone vibrates in my hand, a text message flashing across the screen.
KIRA So, is it true or not? Do they like to share? Does he fuck fully clothed?
KIRA WHAT'S UNDER THE CLOTHES!?
I don't know, and I'll never know.
The lie comes easily; I've gotten plenty of practice lately, haven't I? Anyway, there's no way in hell I'm telling her or anyone else about last night—not when I can barely process it myself.
But I'm going to have to face them now, aren't I? I toss the phone onto the bed before removing Dax's shirt, dressing in a pair of shorts and a hoodie.
I don't look at either of them, going straight for the coffee maker. I load the pod and then open the cabinet to grab a mug, but there aren't any on the first shelf, and even on my tiptoes, I still can't quite reach the cups on the higher shelf.
Great.
I'm about to climb onto the counter like a ninja when Nolan reaches over the top of me, grabbing a cup and handing it to me.
"Thanks," I tell him, not quite able to meet his eyes.
"You're welcome."
I hit the 'brew' button as he leans against the counter next to me, keeping my eyes intently on my cup.
"How are you feeling?" he asks.
"My head hurts."
"You're blushing."
"Am I? It's kind of hot in here." It's another lie; the sliding door is open, likely because of the smell, the crispy fall air causing the skin on my legs to erupt in goose bumps, easily giving me away if he noticed. I grab some almond milk from the fridge, splashing a bit into my coffee before putting it back.
"Really?" Dax asks. "You look kind of cold, Ripley."
"You're low on groceries," I say, ignoring him.
Nolan rests his hand on the back of my neck, tracing the space just below my hairline with his thumb. "I'll make breakfast, Saige. Go sit down."
I turn toward him, meeting his eyes for the first time this morning. "Elias will get mad."
Nolan almost smiles before shrugging. "I'm not too worried about it. Anyway, it's Saturday. He said weekdays, didn't he?"
"Okay…"
I grab my cup and head for the couch, but Dax stops me, hooking a finger through my belt loop. "Where are you going, Ripley?" he asks, pulling me toward him.
Coffee sloshes in my mug, threatening to spill over the edge, and I shriek, "Stop! I'm going to spill it."
"Don't make me then. Come sit with me."
I sit in his lap with my mug in my hands, his arms wrapped around my body while watching the news. He presses his lips to my neck, inhaling. "You smell likeme. You know that?"
Yeah, I do know that. I used his body wash; I slept in his bed all night. I can smell him on me, too. Nodding, I take a sip from my mug.
