The next morning, I wake up tangled in Clay's sheets. For one blissful moment, I forget about everything from last night and just focus on the smell of him that surrounds me. The moment passes all too quickly, though, and soon my stomach is tight with anxiety. I creep across the room as quietly as possible and push the door open, trying my best to stop it from making any noise.
Right outside, Clay is leaning against the wall, fast asleep, his head slumped sideways. In one hand, he loosely holds his phone and in the other, a smashed cupcake from the party. I carefully situate myself beside him and lay my head on his shoulder. He stirs a little but doesn't seem to wake up. "Clay," I whisper, linking my fingers with his. He takes a deep breath in and picks up his head, panicked.
"Wha-? Shit, are you okay?" he asks, immediately sitting up and searching the hallway for any sign of danger. His body finally relaxes when he realizes it's just me.
"Clay, have you been sitting here all night?" I ask, noticing the deep coloring under his eyes. Instead of answering, he leans back against the wall and closes his eyes.
I can tell he's thinking for a few moments before he finally lifts his head back up and opens his eyes. "I got an uber last night and you were already passed out by the time we got here. I was gonna go do some stuff, but-" he pauses, massaging his temples gently. "I just didn't want to leave you alone again. I couldn't."
"Please, Clay. That wasn't your fault. There was no way for anyone to know she would show up there. The most important thing is that we're fine and nothing horrible happened."
"Nothing horrible?" He shakes his head, letting go of my hand. "She attacked you, Y/n. I don't care who she is. You need to get the police involved."
"You just don't understand the situation, Clay. If you-" I try to explain, but he interrupts me.
"Then make me understand! I'm completely in the dark here, Y/n. It seems to me just you have a crazy ex who's trying to hurt you! That's enough for me to know that you're in danger!!" I bite the inside of my cheek as tears form in my eyes. He seems breathless for a moment before he realizes that he's yelling at me. "Shit," he whispers, trying to caress my cheek with his hand. I turn away from him, hiding the hot tears that are now falling down my face. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Please, Y/n, look at me. That's not what-- I didn't mean to blame it on you, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," I say, my voice coming out a lot more firm than I expected. I turn to face him and give a weak smile. "Can we just talk about it later? I've got a horrible headache and I need to eat something." He nods, skeptical but not wanting to upset me any further.
Clay hands me medicine and takes some himself before starting on breakfast. He refuses to let me help and instead insists on me sitting at the bar the entire time.
"I need to go check on Sam," I say after a while.
"Okay. I'm going with you," he replies without hesitation, barely looking up from the eggs in the pan. I wait for a moment before saying anything else, hoping he might let up.
"I just wanna talk to her about some bakery stuff. I'm okay on my own."
"You have to know that there's no way I'm letting you go anywhere alone."
"Clay," I say, but he isn't budging. He gently sets a plate of food in front of me and sits beside me with his own. "You have things to do. You can't just pause your life to go everywhere with me."
"I can," he starts, taking his time to spread peanut butter on his toast. "And I most certainly will until I can guarantee your safety. Now eat."
"Seriously, Clay. I'm fine. I don't need a babysitter."
YOU ARE READING
family friends
FanfictionA few months ago, you moved into a new house and found that your neighbor, Isabella, loves baking as much as you do. After a while, you become close with her family-at least most of them. She's always talking to you about her oldest son, Clay, but y...
