Forty-Five
When the sunlight bestowed my room with a faint golden glow, my eyes lazily flickered open. I rolled onto my side, palming the mattress beside me. Sebastian’s spot was cold, a cruel reminder that he had been gone for days, even though I still subconsciously patted the sheets searching for him each morning.
With a deep yawn, I pulled myself upright and stretched my arms over my head. With no plans, I took my time getting out of bed, spending the better portion of an hour studying what nature I could see from the window.
Eventually I made my way to the washroom, where I cleaned up for the day ahead before putting on yet another outfit that wasn't mine.
My socks shuffled over the strips of shining hardwood in the hallway, snagging on a loose nail where I stopped in front of Sawyer’s room. I yanked the thread free, then rammed my fist against the door. “Sawyer? Are you awake?”
It was early, but he wasn’t one to sleep in, so when silence was all I heard beyond his door, I knocked again. Harder.
I raised my voice. “Let’s go get something to eat and then we can do some sparring practice. I’m already bored with this day and?—”
The door swung inwards, revealing a fully nude blonde woman.Fullyblonde.Everywhere.
My fist suspended in the air, my mouth fell into a tight line. “Uh.”
Sweet mother of gods.
“May I help you?” The woman’s bright blue eyes sparkled as she spoke, her heavily mascaraed lashes batting against her cheekbones with each blink.
“I. Um.” I stepped back, doing everything in my power to put space between myself and her bare body. I turned my head to the side, looking down the hall before forcing my attention back to her, holding it steadily on her face. “Is Sawyer in there?”
“Why?” she practically snarled, her blush lips pursed.
With a slight shake of disbelief, I jerked my head back.Why?Why was I looking for my best friend? The only person I knew in this kingdom at the moment?
“Um? Because he’s my friend and we’ve been getting breakfast together for the past two days,” I spat back.
She licked her lips. “Hm. He hasn’t mentioned you.”
Dumbfounded, my cordiality lost me. “Who the hell even are you?” I sneered, shoving my shoulders towards the ceiling in a palms-out shrug.
The woman parted her plump, pink lips to reply, only to be interrupted by the person I wasactuallylooking for.
“Stella, who is it? And put some clothes on, for gods’ sake.” Sawyer appeared behindStellain the doorway, just about as clothed as her, although thankfully sporting a pair of underwear. He gripped the door frame with one hand, tousling his dirty-blond hair with the other.
Stella huffed a breath, but turned away into the dark room, making sure to flaunt her near perfect ass first.
Sawyer closed the door behind her, stepping into the hallway and crossing his bare arms. His head bobbed with his greeting, “Sup?”
Keeping my eyes on the upper half of his body, I scrunched my nose. “Sup?Sup with you?” I gestured my head towards the door. “Fun night?”
Guess he moved on quickly.Not that that was a bad thing. It certainly took some pressure off of my shoulders.
A cocky grin bestowed upon his half-awake face. “I don’t have a classy way to answer that question.” He shrugged and disregarded my question, crossing his arms to back against the door. “Do you need something?”
“Not particularly. Yourfrienddoes though. A few things, actually. A bra wouldn’t hurt. Pants. Maybe a shirt. Panties, for fuck’s sake. Oh, can’t forget a better attitude.”
He rolled his eyes, but agreed, “She always did have an attitude.”
My sarcasm faded. “I came here to see if you wanted to get breakfast, but Sawyer—” I lowered my tone, just in case there was a naked little eavesdropper on the other side of the door. “I don’t know the entire story between you and her, but is starting things over with her something you really want to do?”
“Not particularly,” he stated blandly, dropping his own voice to a deep pitch.
“Okay…does she know that?”
“Gods. You sound just like Kohen right now.If you're gonna hook up with her, fine, But make it clear that it’s just sex. Don’t play with her feelings blah, blah, blah,” he mocked in his best Kohen impression, which was actually pretty spot on.
