Another Door Opens

48 - Serenades

- EDEN -

Waking up for my boxing class after unexpectedly going out and having more to drink than I ever intended considering Austin had bought a whole bottle to dinner---corkscrew, so not able to pop the lid back on and take the rest home---was less than ideal.

I wanted to throw my phone across the room when the alarm buzzed on it, which I believe was Austin's intention too as he broke away from spooning me when I made to move and turn it off.

"What's the time?" he asked groggily. "It seems early."

"It is," I said apologetically, leaning down to kiss his bare shoulder good morning. "It's five a.m."

"Five?!" he exclaimed, seeming like he was perplexed as to why I was getting up so early. He knows I go to boxing classes some mornings, though they're not usually the mornings he stays over for this exact reason. "Why on earth do you have an alarm set so early?"

Or maybe he doesn't? I know I've told him about my classes many times before when he's tried to organise to come over and stay in the past.

"I have my boxing class," I answered. Austin groaned and tried to coax me back into bed when I got up and searched for my gym clothes in the closet. Despite being slightly hungover, I'm not missing my class, firstly because I've already paid for it, secondly because I genuinely love it, even if I won't ever admit it to Wolfe and give him the satisfaction of being proven correct in his guess that I would, and thirdly, well… because, Miles.

"Babe, it's too early for me to be up," he said, as if begging me to let him stay, which I'm not entirely sure I feel comfortable with. I've never left Hades alone with anyone that wasn't my closest friends or landlords, but it would just be for an hour and a half or so. I'm sure I could get up, get ready, punch some things and get back before Austin is awake again, and I know Hades will just fall straight back to sleep when I get up and leave because it's too early for him to be awake too. 

"That's okay. You stay here and I'll be back soon," I said, pulling on my clothes and sneakers, brushing my teeth and heading out the door before I could think any more on my discomfort leaving him there in my space and with my baby without me. 

Taking a look in my rear view mirror before getting out of my car after I pulled into the car park at the gym, I know I've looked better. I didn't brush my hair, which is a little unkempt and matted, probably from the sexy times birthday present I received when we got back from the restaurant, and my make-up was a little smudged from the water I splashed on my face when I was trying to wake up before leaving home. 

I tried to rub the mascara off my eyelids and run my fingers through my hair to brush out the knots as I got out of my car and walked inside, only to find Wolfe and Miles already inside and in stitches about something. And I don't know why because I’ve seen them going off like hyenas at my expense many times in the past, but this morning, this makes me nervous too. 

"Well, good morning, birthday babe," Wolfe said cheerily, reaching down to pick me up and over his shoulders and spinning me around, causing some serious nausea and my desperate hits to his back to set me down on solid ground again. I must be more hungover than I thought. "Belated birthday seeing as you ditched seeing me yesterday; but nonetheless, happy birthday."

"I'm sorry, Wolfe. I didn't know he had plans otherwise you know I would have been with you guys,” I said, feeling so guilty. Luna sent me a text message when I was out with Austin last night that Wolfe was sulking that he didn’t get to see me for my birthday. “Good morning, Miles.” 

He looked at me reverently and asked if I enjoyed the rest of my birthday yesterday as he gave me a hug.

"I did, thank you," I answered, grateful that he can’t quite see my face because I’m no doubt blushing a little thinking about the nice dinner I had and the special attentions my clitoris received when we got home.