Downfall | ✔️

Chapter 17.

My alarm sounds, the same deafening, annoying alarm that has woken me for the past few years. The one that makes me groan and ruins my mood from the second it pierces my ears. But this time, it sounded different. I turn it off to find myself still safely wrapped in Mason's arms, his head nuzzled into my hair as I lay on his chest. His hair is messy and untamed, with strands falling against his forehead and across the pillow, his mouth opened slightly as he snores lightly. I'm just as content as I was last night when I fell asleep. I move a lot in my sleep, and usually I'm restless, but today I woke to find myself in the same spot I fell asleep in. I smile to myself and gently try to slither my way from under his arm without waking him up, he begins to stir but doesn't fully wake.

As I stand up I take a second to admire him, in his sleepy state. This is also the first time I've seen him shirtless and I really am not complaining, he's perfectly toned and you can tell he works out. I'm glad he's asleep because he would taunt me forever if he ever caught me gazing at him this way, taking in every detail of his face, and every perfectly placed ripple on his chest.

I step into the showers, my toes flinch as they touch the stone cold ceramic floor. The sensation of the steamy water calms me as it runs over my face and down my sides. This is the most awake, and content I've been in the morning in a long time. As I finish showering I wrap the towel around my body and walk back to the room, hoping Mason is still asleep since I forgot to take clothes into the shower with me. Luckily, he's still dead to the world, and I grab my clothes and change. I still have an hour until class but I need to blow dry my hair and that will most definitely wake him up. He should be awake anyway, he has class. It really irks me how he barely attends.

"Mason." I say softly as I sit on the edge of the bed, gently shaking his arm.

"Mason, you need to get up." I whisper.

He begins to stir and his eyes flutter open to look at me, I swear I could see a smile play on his lips but of course he wouldn't let that happen.

"Why are you up so early?" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

"Class starts in an hour, get up." I sigh and shake him a little more.

"I'm not going today." he grunts as he closes his eyes again, even in the mornings he's moody.

"Yes, you are. I'm about to dry my hair so you won't be able to sleep anyway." I roll my eyes and turn on the drier, looking at Mason's noticeably irritated face as he props himself up on the ege of the bed.

"You're even more annoying in the morning, you know that?" he whines.

"I could say the same thing about you." I retort as I continue to dry my hair.

Before I know it, I need to leave for class or I'm going to be late, again.

"Mason!" I yell.

"Hurry up, I'm going to be late!"

"You can go ahead." he yells back from the showers, he must think I'm stupid. I know if I leave here right now, he won't go to class.

"Hurry up!" I continue to yell as he emerges from the showers, fully dressed and his hair is slicked back—still slightly damp.

"I just need to put my shoes on." he whines, pulling them over his feet.

"If my professor yells at me, again, I'm blaming you." I huff.

"Just tell him your brother will write you a note for your tardiness." he smirks and I know my cheeks flush as he refers to the last note he left with my professor. But the word brother makes me cringe. Brother, I shiver.

"Mason! You're disgusting." I shake my head as he laughs.

"Do you kiss your brother with that mouth?" he teases and I throw a pillow at him.