I froze. I had not expected her to say that. Rolling over beside her, I pulled her in against me, spooning her from behind.
“Why would you say that?” I dared to ask.
“Because none of this is real.” Her voice began to fade, like she was already slipping into slumber.
Instead of answering, I laid there beside her while she passed out. Staying awake for a while to make sure she was okay. Pondering what she said.
I liked her too. More than I had intended. There was something about Ripley that made me want to protect her. To destroy anyone who would dare to hurt her. I hated the thought that the person who hurt her might end up being me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
RIPLEY
I slept so hard. Barely aware of anything going on around me. I don’t remember passing out. Waking up would live in my memory though.
My mind felt fuzzy as I resurfaced from the deep sleep that had held me in its grip. My mouth was dry, my head throbbing. It took several attempts to pry my eyes open. They felt so heavy.
The room around me came into focus. A room I didn’t recognize. Where the fuck was I?
A memory took form. Me begging Auryn to fuck me. I was pretty sure he hadn’t taken me up on that. I must’ve been a real mess if he hadn’t been interested. How embarrassing.
I struggled to sit up, clutching the blankets against me when I realized I was completely naked. The sheets smelled like him, confirming that I was in his bed. Alone.
Listening hard, I tried to pick out any noise from beyond the closed door. The faint sound of dishes clinking came from the kitchen. What had even happened last night? The last thing I remembered was going outside with the girls to get some air and talk. Some guy from one of my classes invited us to smoke a joint with him and his friends. I was the only one to partake.
Shit. He must have dosed me with something other than weed. I should know better than to take drugs from anyone I didn’t know well. I’d seen what that kind of thing did to my mother.
Pressure in my bladder forced me from the bed. Needing to find the bathroom quickly, I slid out of the bed and pulled Auryn’s abandoned T-shirt over my head. After locating my underwear, I tugged them on and opened the door a few inches.
There was nobody in the hallway. The bathroom was located right across the hall, allowing me to sprint across quickly and lock myself inside. I quickly relieved myself before staring at my reflection in the mirror while I washed my hands. Splashing some water on my face helped wake me up. It did nothing to chase away the embarrassment.
Fragments of last night started to come back to me. I’d been pretty out of it. Auryn had brought me here, doing his best to get me through the night without issue. He’d taken care of me. I could only imagine what he must be thinking now.
Since I couldn’t hide out in the bathroom all day, I finally emerged and darted back into Auryn’s bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding a tray of toast and coffee.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, placing the tray on the bedside table. “I brought you coffee. You should probably try to eat a little something.”
My stomach twisted and turned. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for food yet. Toast seemed like a relatively simple start.
“Thanks. I feel like a moron.” Shoving my tangled hair back from my face, I joined him on the bed.
Auryn wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. He still had bedhead and a slight crease on his cheek from the pillow. I doubted he’d been up long. He slid over into the middle of the bed, motioning for me to join him.
“Come on. Let’s have coffee in bed. Feels like a day worthy of a slow start.” He waited for me to crawl in beside him before adding, “Don’t feel like a moron. It wasn’t your fault. That joint was laced.”
I released a heavy sigh, accepting the mug of coffee he passed me. “Yeah, but I should’ve known better. I’ve seen enough shit to know you don’t take drugs from strangers. Even when it seems like one innocent little joint.”
My gaze darted around the room until I spotted my purse on the floor. I desperately needed to pop a couple pills so I would feel better. Would Auryn question it? What would I tell him?
“Codie said you like cream and sugar.” Auryn followed my gaze to the purse on the floor. “I hope the ratio is okay.”
He leaned over to grab the purse strap, swinging it onto the bed. I quickly grabbed the strap, dragging the purse onto my lap. “I’m sure it will be fine. I appreciate the effort.”
Auryn placed the tray filled with buttered toast onto the bed in front of us. There were a few more slices with strawberry jam. A couple others with peanut butter. “I didn’t know what you would prefer.”
I paused with my hand in my purse to stare at him. It may have only been toast and coffee but it showed a sweet side to him that I didn’t know he possessed. His brow furrowed, like he worried it wouldn’t be enough.
“This is great, Auryn. Really. Thank you.” Bracing myself for the questions he would no doubt ask, I poured two pills from the bottle into my palm and popped them in my mouth, chasing them down with coffee.
