Just Play Along

Forty-One & Forty-Two

PART FORTY ONE

I woke up later in the day burning hot. But it wasn’t fever hot, it was more of a combination between the hot sun beating into the room we were in and the close proximity of Aston’s bare body against my back.

Shifting slightly I let out a small groan. I was still exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep like this anymore.

“You up?” Aston whispered to me, his hot breath on my neck.

“Mmmm…”

“I ordered food like twenty minutes ago,” he said quietly, before pressing a tiny trail of kisses up my neck.

“Thanks,” I stuttered, my skin tingling at his touch.

I’d never done this before, the morning after thing. I always made sure to get out of bed and home instead of sticking around. It was my way of ensuring that no one got attached, but somehow even that rule had been broken over the course of this holiday. 

Now what was I supposed to do? We'd slept together, again, and then I'd stayed the night in his bed. Did he expect me to reciprocate his advances now we were awake? What was meant to happen now? I honestly had no idea what to do. So I froze.

“I’m just going to go to the bathroom,” I said quickly, slipping out of the bed and pushing my way out of Aston’s room over to my own. I didn’t care that I was just in my underwear, snatching up a nightdress from the top of my case as I got into my room.

Once in the bathroom I stood and stared at myself in the mirror. I could not believe myself. I wanted that! All of it! What had happened to my life plan? Thrown out the window for some guy?

“Jessica Rego,” I whispered to myself harshly, pointing at myself in the mirror, “You better get your act together and start following the rules pretty soon or you’re going to be in deep trouble.”

I took a deep breath and then did what I had to do, grabbing my dressing gown off the bed when I was done.

“Food’s here,” Aston said. He was wandering around in some gym shorts with no top on. I had to mentally chastise myself several times for staring.

“Thanks.”

I grabbed a plate and filled it with all sorts of stuff, pouring out a cup of coffee and going to sit on the deck. I needed distance and alone time to regroup that was for sure.

“Everyone is going to the beach,” Aston said once he’d come out and sit across from me, “Thought it might be a good change from the pool.”

“Ok,” I said, “I might do a bit of a shop around if you don’t mind. But I’ll join you later.”

“You want me to come?” he asked.

“I’ll be ok,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“Sure,” Aston replied, his eyes narrow as he studied my face. I busied myself eating my food, and then when I was done I went off to get ready for the day. It was only just gone noon, which meant I’d only gotten like four hours of sleep or so, but I really didn’t care. I needed to get out and reconfigure my brain.

“Hey Jess!” Aston called out to me as I stood at the door ready to head out.

“Yeah?”

“Just wanted to talk for a second,” he said, coming into the main room with his now empty plate.

“About?”

“Last night.”

“What about it?” I asked, trying to put my frosty act back on. It was so much easier to hide behind a personality than to do this for real.