“I’llbring you something for the headache.”
That memory hits me like a brick. Did we…? I trail off, trying to remember anything else.
“I’d prefer you sober when I fuck you,”He had said, and I release a breath of relief.
My head is really pounding. Tossing the covers off my bare legs, I search for my heels. I look under the bed and in the bathroom, but it’s useless. Somebody probably stole them if I took them off somewhere. Catching a glimpse of a reflection from the corner of my eye, I look over to see my phone sitting on the bench in front of the bed. I snatch it up and tap the screen, but it’s dead. I imagine my parents have left countless messages and voicemails wanting to know where I am.
Making my way to the door, I crack it open, peering out into a hallway. I’m relieved to see I’m still at Jessie’s and nobody is on the other side. I open it the rest of the way and step out into the hallway, walking towards Jessie’s room. I hear the creak of her door opening, and she steps around the corner, typing on her phone.
“Jessie?” I call out, relieved to see her.
Her head snaps up from her phone at the sound of my voice, and she gasps. “Kelsey? Bitch, where the hell have you been? I’ve been texting and calling, but nothing is going through. I thought you were kidnapped and killed or something.” She grips my arms, lifting them as she spins me around, assessing me for injuries. When she sees I’m fine, her brows pinch her eyes trail the oversized shirt. “Why are you wearing Ryder’s shirt?” She asks skeptically.
Ryder’s shirt?“Come again?” I definitely didn’t hear her right. My mind is dragging, and it’s taking me too long to process what’s going on right now.
“Do you remember anything from last night?”
“Not really,” I answer truthfully. “I think I blacked out, and when I woke up, I was in that room.” I point towards the room I just walked out of.
“Wait, Ryder’s room?” She frowns. “Why did you sleep in his room?”
“Uh, what do you mean by ‘Ryder’s room’?”Wait, wait, wait.The dots are starting to connect.Throwing my hands up, I stop whatever she was about to say. “Jessie, do not tell me thathe’syour brother,” I growl through clenched teeth. This is unbelievable. I knew she knew him, but I didn’t know to this extent. A maniacal laugh bubbles up in my chest. Her brother’s an asshole. That’s what she had told me, and son of a bitch if she wasn’t being honest.
Her eyes bounce around the hallway, probably looking for what’s so funny. “Kelsey, what’s going on with you two?”
I take a steadying breath before dropping it all on her. Iexplain everything from how we met up to the last little bit of last night that I do remember. Leaving out the part where Hayden took my virginity in her supply closet. She listens intently, her eyes widening at some bits of the story. I want to tell her about Hayden, but fuck! Now that I know Ryder’s her brother, I’ll have to take that to my grave.
Licking my dry lips, my hands tremble faintly as I spew everything out like vomit. I’ve never talked about my personal life like this. Scratching an imaginary itch on the back of my neck, I continue, “Then you volunteered me to play against him in beer pong, and then everything escalated so quickly. I remember losing, but…” My eyes drop to the floor in thought, trying to figure out what happened after, but I come up empty.
She places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, she smiles faintly, “I’m not mad at you, you know that, right?” How could she not be? I’ve ultimately been talking to her brother behind her back. Regardless if I knew they were siblings or not.
I shrug pitifully, giving Jessie a sad nod. “All I know is I woke up inhisbed withhisshirt on, and now I can’t find my heels or my clothes. I saved money for months to buy those Dior heels.” I whine. “I think someone stole them last night.”
Without a word, Jessie pivots on her heels and walks back to her room. She comes back out a moment later, with her hands behind her back and a shit-eating grin across her face.
“These heels?” She asks, dangling them by the ankle straps on her finger.
My face lights up like Christmas morning when I see them. “Oh my god!” I screech. “Yes! Thank you!” I run at her, wrapping my arms around her neck in a tight hug. She laughs, hugging me back.
“Where were they?” I ask.
“Ryder said he found them and to give them back the next time I see you. Which, now I find strange since he had you in his bed the whole time…” Her lips purse. Something tells me he did that on purpose.
The wooden steps creak, making mine and Jessie’s conversation die on our tongues as we eye the stairs. We glance back at each other with frowns and shrug, wondering the same thing. Somebody is listening in on us, so we stand here quiet as mice. The steps creak more as somebody continues up. Dark hair and green eyes find mine as I shift from foot to foot under his hard stare. Why does he have to be so captivating?
“What are you doing?” His voice is dark and low, causing my skin to erupt in goosebumps.“I could ask you the same,” Jessie snaps back. I look over to her just long enough to see her standing with her hip popped out, with her hand resting on it. Her lips press into a thin line as she dares her brother to explain.
“I’m going to bed. Get her out of here.” He points at me, but his eyes are trained on Jessie.
How can he be warm and inviting one minute, then cold and bitter the next? What did I do wrong?
Before I’m able to argue, Jessie speaks, “I’ll be damned!” She rushes him, stomping her way down the hall. She fists the front of his shirt, pulling him down to her level, and stands on the tips of her toes. Through gritted teeth, she growls, “Got anything else you wanna say?” She shoves him as hard as she can, but he doesn’t budge. Instead, he leans into his doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing with a cocky smile across his face.
When he looks over at me, his face falls. “She has ten minutes to get her shit and get out.” He slams his bedroom door behind him, leaving us speechless in the hallway.
Jessie turns to face me, “What happened between you two?” She asks again, but this time her tone is more critical. As ifI’mthe problem, and maybe I am. Fuck if I know. I’m ready to go home.
Choosing to ignore her question altogether, I grab my stack of clothes that he had dropped outside his door before he slammed it. “I’m getting dressed and ordering an Uber.”
