“I am. Get some sleep. If you need anything, just call my name. I’m a light sleeper. Before you go back to sleep, do you need more pain pills?”
I yawn. “I want to try to go without them.”
“Okay. Get some sleep, Tess.” His voice is soft, so I keep mine soft as well.
“You too, Slater. Thank you.” It only takes a few minutes for me to fall back asleep. The next thing I know, somebody shakes me awake. “What?” I grumble, irritated that somebody is waking me. I figure it’s Stephanie.
“You’d better get up if we’re going to get you to your first-hour class on time.” That voice is definitely not Stephanie’s. My eyes snap open, and I see Slater hovering over me. I shriek and throw the blankets over my head. There’s silence for a moment. “Uh, Tessa?”
“Why are you in my room?” I blurt out.
There’s another pause. “Pretty sure you’re in my room.” It takes a few precious seconds for everything to come roaring back. The pain in my face reminds me first, and I groan. I feel the bed shift, and I know he’s sitting right on the bed next to me. “Do you need to take a sick day?” he asks.
I groan again. “No, I have too much going on today. Can I use your shower?” His eyes drift over my face, landing on my nose. I resist the urge to touch it, not wanting it to hurt more than it already does. “Is it hideous?”
“No.” His answer is immediate.
Knowing I need to get going, I throw back the covers and stand. “Shower?” He walks over to the closed door. “You have your own bathroom?” I hadn’t even noticed yesterday. He turnson the light and starts the shower for me. He grabs a clean towel and sets it on the counter.
“There are products already in the shower. Holler if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” I will most definitely not be hollering I need anything. There’s no way he’s coming in here while I’m showering. I close and lock the door behind me and start carefully taking off my clothes. I make the mistake of looking into the mirror over the sink. I stare at my face, horrified. A cry leaves my lips.
There's an immediate knock at the door. “Tessa?”
“You lied to me,” I accuse through the closed door. He’s quiet. “My face is hideous.”
“No, it’s not,” he argues.
“I could scare small children and give them nightmares for life.” I hear him chuckle. “It’s not funny.”
“Sorry,” he says, but I can hear the humor in his voice.
I look at myself in the mirror once again and take in the bruising all around my nose and eyes. Then there’s my actual nose which is still puffy. “I look like Frankenstein.”
“No, you don’t; but you better get in the shower or you’re going to be late.”
His words get me going, and I climb in. The shower feels incredibly good as long as I don’t let it hit my face directly. When it’s time to wash up, I’m surprised to see my exact brand of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. I stare at them a moment, as well as the pink razor and shaving cream. I’m not exactly sure what to think about that, but in the moment, I’m thankful.
After a shower, I do feel better. I force myself not to look in the mirror again. I notice the pile of clothes sitting on the counter, and I breathe a sigh of relief for my bestie. The underwear and bra are doable, even though I have to loosen the cups to fit around me. The jeans are a little long, but I cuff them.And the sweater is a little tighter than one of mine but not bad. “Thank you, Evie,” I mutter.
“Tessa, there are cosmetics for you in the drawers on the left.”
Slater’s words reach me through the closed door, and I open the first drawer, discovering a new pink toothbrush still in the packaging. There’s my brand of toothpaste and floss picks as well. In the second drawer is my same deodorant, perfume, and even makeup. There’s also a bottle of lotion; that too is my favorite brand. There’s also a really nice hair dryer, straightener, and curling iron. “Slater,” I call through the closed door.
“Yeah.”
“Why do you have all this? It’s all the same stuff I use.” Then a terrible thought hits me. Maybe he keeps these items on hand for girls that sleep over. Maybe the brands are a coincidence. I stare at the products, wondering. When I can’t stand it anymore, I whip the door open. He steps back in surprise. “Do you keep those products on hand for other girls?”
He stares down at me in confusion. “What?”
I’m suddenly mortified. I just made myself sound like a jealous girlfriend. “Never mind.” I try to shut the door, but he shoots his hand out, stopping the door from shutting. He opens the door and steps inside. I take a step back and turn towards the sink, busying myself with picking up.
“Everything in here I bought for you.” His voice is low and soft.
I turn to him in confusion. “Why? And how did you know what products I use?”
“Evie helped me.”
