Please Don't Try and Turn On the Lights

32. Pool Day

The day after, I was awakened by the sharp sun in the white bedroom. I opened my eyes slowly and to my satisfaction found that I was alone in the bed.

If Alex wouldn't have been so drunk the night before, I probably would've felt manipulated by him. But strangely enough, I didn't feel the least bit bad about what had happened last night even though I hadn't fully forgiven him for the Arielle-thing.

I could hear the others were up and due to the smell, I could tell they were probably cooking breakfast. There was a small knock on the door before a woman's voice called, "rise and shine!"

"I'm awake," I mumbled, my head still heavy from last night. The good thing about joints was the fact that you never got a hangover from them but seeing as I'd been pretty drunk before I had started smoking, the hangovers had gotten to me too.

Katie entered the room, "sounds like you had fun last night," she laughed.

"Don't remind me," I groaned, "you heard too?"

"Naah. Only Jamie but he made sure to tell everyone downstairs," she laughed.

I groaned even harder. So they all knew that Alex had charmed me even though I was angry with him. Just terrific...

"So have you forgiven him?" she asked me.

"Definitely not. I was drunk and high and out of my mind so I lost my power of judgment but he has to make amends if he wants me to fully forgive him."

"Forgive who? Me?" Alex entered the bedroom with a puzzled expression. He was carrying a plate with eggs and bacon.

"I'll leave you to it then," Katie said as she shot me a look that said good-luck-with-that.

Alex put the plate down on the table next to me and said, "forgive me? I thought I was pretty clear that there's no need for you to forgive me for anything seeing as absolutely nothing happened."

"Something almost happened. And it definitely would've happened if we hadn't interrupted you."

"Same thing with Miles," he said and shrugged.

"It's not the same thing. I would never do anything with Miles."

"Yeah yeah I get that - look we went over this last night and judging from how you treated me last night, I was pretty sure that we were good"

"You started things last night," I said, ice in my voice.

"Yes - and you continued! Or do you not remember how you bossed me around so you could suck my dick?"

I shot him a look. I clearly remembered. "I was drunk and I was high."

"So was I," he said, "but I still had the best sex of my life. And don't deny that you found it pretty good too."

"I did," I admitted in a small voice.

"Rhea, nothing is going on with Arielle," he sighed "I promise you. I'm so sorry for how I behaved before but I just want to enjoy the days we have together before you have to go back again, okay?"

"You have to make amends," I said. I didn't know why but I couldn't stay angry with him.

"Anything!"

"I'll come up with something."

-

Half an hour later I emerged downstairs. The glass doors to the pool deck were slid open and I could hear people screaming in delight from outside.

I stepped outside and saw Katie, Kelly, and Breana in the pool while Nick and Matt was throwing them around. Jamie and Miles were playing backgammon and Alex was lying in an awkward position with his mouth hanging open on one of the sun beds. He was clearly asleep.

"Mornin' Rhea," Matt yelled from the pool, "we brought your stuff from the hotel if you want to get changed."

"You guys are the best," I said and hurried inside to change into my bikini.

As I had gotten changed I took a sun bed next to Miles and Jamie.

"Double sixes, come on," Jamie said as he rolled the dice, and hooted when he actually got what he'd been praying for.

"COME ON," Miles yelled, "Nobody is THAT lucky."

"I know someone who is," Jamie said and I got the hint as he was looking at me over the top of his sunglasses, "How was your night?" he asked me with a smile playing on his lips, "forgiven Al, have we?"

"My night was uneventful, you nosey basterds," I mumbled.

"Didn't sound uneventful," Miles laughed, "and Al was quite excited this morning. Don't think I've seen him so relaxed since I-don't-know-when."

"That's what a good night's sleep does to you," I smiled sweetly, "you should try it for once."

"Yeah, he sure looks like he slept all night," Jamie said and nodded towards Alex who was now snoring loudly. Miles and Jamie erupted with laughter.

"Ah, come on love. We're just happy our mates are happy," Miles said and put his arm around my shoulders as I pouted.

I fell asleep on the sun bed and as I woke up again, the others had already taken up drinking. Alex was sitting on the sun bed next to me, texting someone with a beer in his hand.

"You're awake," I said.

Alex put the phone down, "so are you," he smiled.

"Shit, I'm feeling so hot," I said, "I need to take a dip in the pool."

"I'll join you," he said and put the phone down. He got up and stretched his body and I went to the side of the pool and dipped my toes in the water, preparing myself for the cold water. Suddenly, I felt someone running into me and I fell in the water with a shriek.

As I emerged from the water, coughing up my lungs, Alex was looking at me with a wide grin.

"You arse," I laughed.

"Sorry, I just could not resist," he said and swam over to me, wrapping his arms around me. He had his hair slicked back and it had started to curl up a bit. I liked the way he had started to wear it nowadays.

"I'm so going to get you for that!" I laughed.

Jamie and Katie joined us in the water for a ballgame and as Nick plopped in too, I let him have my spot on the team as I wanted to tan for a bit.

As I was drying my hair in a towel, I saw that Alex' phone lit up. I didn't exactly want to look but I couldn't help it; it was shining directly in my face - and apart from that it read a name that I absolutely didn't want to pop up on Alex' phone; Arielle.

Was she the one he had been texting earlier?