Delirium

Chapter 63 - Gifts

a/n hiiii... i know it's been a while and i'm very sorry about that... moving is hard.

so here's a quadruple update for all of your patience!!! 

i hope you enjoy these chapters :)

~*~

In the morning, before the sun was even fully risen, Jolie found herself blinking up at the vaulted ceiling of Cassius' stateroom.

She glanced to her right, finding his perfect, flawless face relaxed and peaceful as he slept, not even a hair on his head looking out of place, the duvet tucked seamlessly right up to his neck.

He looked like a perfect, porcelain doll. Or maybe an ageless, undead vampire.

Either way, his lack of any overall or minor flaw was slightly unnerving.

And just downright inequitable.

Reaching her hand up, Jolie tried to comb her fingers through her ratted hair before wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Gods, he looked like that, and she probably looked a fright.

She had to get out of here.

Lest she wake him, she was careful not to move too quickly, gently lifting her knees and sliding her legs out of the silky sheets and heavy duvet. Draping her legs over the side of the mattress, the balls of her feet pressed down upon the plush carpet, and she finally scooted completely off of the bed, standing proudly.

Though her pride did not last.

When the first wave of her pounding headache pulsed against her temples, a fresh hangover threatening to make her keel over, she almost wished she had just stayed in bed.

But—not with him.

With another quick glance over her shoulder, finding Cassius still sound asleep, she straightened her pyjamas and ran her fingers through her tangled hair a few more times, wincing with each snag of resistance she caught.

And without making a peep, she tip-toed over to the door, slowly turned the knob, and when it was open just enough, she slipped out.

In the privacy of the corridor, she felt as though she could finally breathe.

Until this morning, she had thought that spending a night with Cassius was something she'd wanted.

In the past few days, she was sure she truly had wanted him in that way—wanted him lying next to her, wanted him to touch her. Wanted him on top of her, even.

But last night... she didn't know what had happened to those feelings.

She had just felt entirely out of place.

Wondering if something might truly be wrong with her, Jolie meandered down the corridor, briefly considering going into her and Madeline's suite.

However, when she remembered that Adrian could possibly be in there, she redirected.

Across from her own suite, she turned the knob of Theo and Daphne's door.

Surely if she asked, neither of them would mind if she used their loo to freshen up a bit. Maybe even have a shower. Or a bath. With lots and lots of soap and bubbles. And a loofah to scrub her skin raw.

Jolie didn't know why, really, but she just felt dirty. She felt wrong.

Which didn't make much sense considering she and Cassius hadn't done anything other than snog.