red string | jay

thirty two

ina woke up with a groan, her limbs sore from sleeping in an awkward position. surprisingly, there was no headache pounding at her temples, no nausea, no regret-induced sickness in her stomach. she blinked at the ceiling for a moment before it all rushed back to her—jay, the drinks, the drive home.

the car ride nap and the bottle of water he'd made her chug must've sobered her up more than she'd realized. she sat up slowly, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.

"fuck," she muttered, dragging a hand down her face.

she hadn't meant to go that far. the test was a stupid idea in the first place. trying to trick jay into kissing her just to prove a point to herself? that wasn't exactly textbook healthy behavior. but she needed clarity. or closure. or something in between.

what she got was... confusion.

she shuffled out of bed and trudged down the stairs in search of water, her throat parched. but she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of jay, passed out on the couch, mouth slightly parted, his arm hanging off the side, chest rising and falling steadily.

her eyes widened. "what the fuck? he stayed over?"

a thousand thoughts raced through her mind in half a second. had he passed out while waiting? had he stayed on purpose? had she asked him to? she didn't remember asking him to.

she stood there for another beat before huffing under her breath and heading back upstairs. she returned with a blanket and gently draped it over him. the act made her pause. her fingers lingered on the edge of the fabric as she stared at his sleeping face.

"what am i doing," she whispered to herself.

he had been infuriating, arrogant, the bane of her existence for the better part of her life. but lately... he was ruining everything. with his sudden kindness, his quiet gestures, the way he refused to cross a line when any other guy in his position might've leapt at the chance. it was unfair, really—he was starting to make it harder to hate him.

and that was dangerous.

"ugh," she groaned, spinning on her heel, "i'm making breakfast."

after a quick wash and a change into something cozy, she was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and hair tied in a loose bun. she gulped down a full glass of water before pulling out the ingredients. she moved on autopilot, dipping slices of bread into the cinnamon mixture and placing them on the pan while bacon sizzled on the other burner.

the faint sound of footsteps made her glance up.

jay stumbled into the kitchen, hair damp and messy from sleep, eyes barely open. he looked like a boy dragged out of a dream.

"morning, drunkard," he mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

"you could've slept in the guest room, you idiot. why'd you stay on the couch?" she asked, not even looking at him as she flipped the toast.

"passed out," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

she sighed, "go freshen up or something. i'm making french toast and bacon."

without a word, he left. ina continued cooking, trying to ignore the way her heart did something stupid at the idea of him waking up in her house, showering here, having breakfast with her like it was some kind of shared morning routine.

when he returned, he looked freshly showered and significantly more awake. she noticed he was wearing the clothes he kept in the guest room from a while ago.

he stopped at the edge of the room, watching her place two plates on the dining table, pouring orange juice into glasses.

for a moment, he didn't move. it hit him—this looked domestic. the quiet morning, the scent of cinnamon, ina in her oversized t-shirt, barefoot and scowling at the toaster. it felt too easy.

he furrowed his brows slightly at the thought, only to be pulled back into reality by her voice.

"why are you just standing there? i'm not gonna feed you."

he snorted, walking over and taking the seat across from her.

"you didn't poison this, did you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow before taking a bite.

"just two drops of rat poison. nothing extravagant," she replied with a smirk.

they ate mostly in silence, both scrolling through their phones, occasionally sipping juice. the peacefulness of it all was unsettling. too natural. too... couple-y.

as they cleared the plates and walked into the kitchen, jay leaned against the counter, watching her with crossed arms.

"so," he began, "care to explain why you drank enough last night to knock out a horse?"

she gave a shrug, leaning against the opposite counter. "no reason."

he raised an eyebrow. "you remember anything? or is it just a blur?"

ina hesitated, eyes flickering for a second. "you think with the amount of alcohol in my system, i'd remember anything?"

he gave her a knowing smirk, that infuriating glint in his eyes. "i think you'd absolutely kill yourself if you did."

and honestly? he wasn't wrong.

"you're being dramatic," she muttered. "i couldn't have been that bad."

he tilted his head, smirk widening. "you told me i looked hot."

ina rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw her brain. "wow. must be nice, living in delusion like that."

"well," he shrugged, "i'm counting the days till you remember and combust from embarrassment."

she squinted at him, a mischievous smile forming. "what, did i try to seduce you or something? cause even drunk me has standards. i think you're gaslighting me."

he clutched his chest in mock offense. "the slander. you wound me."

she chuckled, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing too hard. "you're insufferable."

"and you," he leaned forward just a little, voice low and teasing, "are going to die of embarrassment when the memory hits you."

"maybe i will," she muttered, unable to hide the small smile on her lips.

he was dangerous like this—comfortable, warm, full of banter and knowing smirks. she should've felt relieved he hadn't kissed her. instead, her chest ached with something stupid and soft.

and for once, she didn't want to overanalyze it.