Quote of the chapter:
Saturday, December 5th
I groaned and pushed my head deeper into the pillow.
My head pounded aggressively and I felt a great urge to throw up.
I shouldn't have drank so much last night.
My hands went to my head and I rubbed my temples.
What happened? The last thing I remembered was dancing with Will. And maybe a cab or something else.
I looked down at the comforter that was wrapped around me and didn't recognize it as my own.
I slowly pulled myself up by my elbows and looked around the room.
The room had a single bed and desk in the corner.
The walls were covered in random art and a dresser sat in the opposite corner with a small pile of books on the floor next to it.
The room was about as large as Casey and mine, except it was a single.
Where was I?
I couldn't remember what happened last night.
I felt myself begin to panic as I thought back to that night years ago. I woke up hungover and confused the same way I was now.
I pulled the blanket off of my body and looked down at my clothes.
I wasn't wearing the white tie top or my skirt. Instead, I wore a white hoodie and black sweatpants.
I tried to get up but the room began to spin. Sitting back down, I gripped the sheets of the bed trying not the throw-up. I looked down at the carpet and tried to think of anything else to calm my stomach.
What was going on? Whose room was this?
I felt a slight panic in my chest. My head was pounding so hard right now.
The door opened and Will walked in holding a tray of food.
He stood there shirtless with grey sweatpants on. I couldn't keep myself from staring at his bare chest.
I felt my heartbeat quicken at the sight of him. I blinked and looked away.
Oh God, what did I do?
He took one look at my face and placed the tray down on the desk across from the bed.
He came over quickly and sat down beside me. His curly hair was slightly messy and I bit the inside of my lip, scared of what he was about to tell me.
"You okay?" He asked peering at my face. He looked concerned and placed a hand on my shoulder.
I was both relieved that it was his room and not somebody else's. But I was hesitant to know how I got here.
"Yeah...I just woke up...in a random bed and...I thought..." I said calming down.
He gave me an understanding look and moved his hand to my back, rubbing it in a circular motion.
I wasn't used to his affection and I moved away in confusion.
"Sorry... I should have thought of that." He winced, realizing his mistake.
I placed my hand on his bare arm and felt his bicep flex.
"What happened last night?" I said nervously. I needed answers now. My brows furrowed in fear.
He gave me a small smile and I felt my heart pounding in my chest.
"Did we-" I said fearfully. Gosh...I couldn't even finish that sentence.
I couldn't be his friend now if we did. That's so embarrassing.
His eyes went wide and he laughed. "No, no. You were drunk and we came here after the club. I figured I could just let you sleep here instead of carrying you home."
"Everyone else went home. Casey was pretty wasted so Ben took her home and Gen and Sean left early."
I looked down at the sweatshirt I was wearing. "How did I get into these clothes?" I looked back up at him and asked nervously, "Did you put them on me?"
He shook his head earnestly. "No, you insisted that you didn't need help when I gave you my spare clothes. It was actually kind of funny seeing you fight trying to put them on." He rubbed the back of his neck, a half smile on his lips.
"I slept on the floor and kept watch to make sure you didn't choke on your own vomit."
I sighed in relief and let out a small laugh.
"Thank you," I whispered.
The sunlight peered in through the window and shined on his bare skin.
I looked down at his chest and peered at the little moles on his skin.
"What?"
I reached my hand out and traced over his tattoos with my fingers tips. His eyes watched my fingers move back and worth.
"I haven't seen all of your tattoos." I pulled my hand away and he showed me the three he had on his inner bicep.
I traced my fingers over each of them and felt the soft little hairs on his skin.
I pulled my hands away once I felt that weird feeling in my stomach again. Did I want to throw up or was it something else?
"Breakfast?" He asked. "I have an Advil for the hangover."
"I need to brush first."
"Bathroom is over there." He said pointing to the door at the opposite end of the room. "There's a spare toothbrush under the sink."
I got up slowly and walked towards the bathroom. I turned to close the door and watched as his eyes peered at me with a smile on his face.
I closed it shut and looked at myself in the mirror.
My mouth fell open as I saw my reflection in the mirror.
My hair was a fuzzy curly mess and my makeup was smudged dark under my eyes. The hoodie I was wearing was also swallowing me whole and not in the cute way.
I looked like a white whale.
I opened the sink cabinet and pulled a toothbrush that still sat in its package.
I spent the next 10 minutes brushing my teeth, fixing my hair, and rubbing the makeup off my face as best I could. It wasn't much help that Will barely had any skincare items in his bathroom.
Thank God he at least had face soap.
I opened the door and Will sat in his bed leaning against his headboard.
"Breakfast now?"
I nodded my head and he got up to bring the tray to me.
I sat back down on the bed and Will placed the tray on my lap.
Eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and french toast sat on a large plate in front of me.
"I don't think I can eat all of this," I said laughing. He sat down beside me and grabbed a piece of bacon, stuffing it in his mouth.
"Who said it was all for you?"
I smirked.
We both shifted backward, leaning against the headboard. We spent the next 20 minutes stuffing our faces with food in silence.
Will gave me an Advil for my headache and I lied in his bed trying to keep the room from spinning.
"How exactly am I going to get out of here? Someone is going to see me."
"Well, most of the guys are at practice and they won't say anything even if they are here. I'll make sure of it."
I sat up slowly and he moved closer to me. "Wait you have practice? Then why are you here?"
He shrugged. "I'm not gonna leave you while you're still hungover."
"Don't waste a practice at my expense," I said feeling bad.
"It's fine. I told my coach I wasn't feeling well and he said I'm too important to the team and he doesn't want me to burn out."
He gave me a small smile and I stared at him shyly.
"Thank you for this." I paused. "For everything. I know I'm kind of always giving you a hard time and pushing your buttons, but thank you for looking after me."
He leaned his head closer to mine and smirked. "No problem. Plus I've always enjoyed your honesty. I mean who else is going to tell me that I'm another mediocre white guy blending into the crowd."
I rolled my eyes and smirked to myself. "I've never said that before."
"But do you think it's true?" He said with a wide-toothed smile.
I laughed lightly. "Next question."
He chuckled and leaned in slightly.
"Would you say that I'm a stereotypical black girl?" I said raising my eyebrows.
He stopped laughing and sighed. "That seems like a trick question that I do not have the right to answer."
I nodded my head. "Good answer."
I looked back at his alarm clock and the time read 12:27 pm. "I should probably go. I've got finals to study for."
He turned his head to the side and stood up, moving towards his closet.
"I actually have all of your things. Casey said you'd probably want to study so she stopped by and gave me this bag early thing morning."
I smiled in shock as he brought my bag over to the bed. I opened it to find my laptop with my books and notes.
Of course she would. I knew what she was doing and I couldn't help but laugh.
"So...you wouldn't mind if I stayed here and just studied all day?" I asked with apprehension.
He smiled and sat down at his desk.
"I don't see why not."
"Okay, thanks." I picked up my bag and moved over to the table. I stood in front of Will, placing all of my things on his large desk.
Once I turned around I felt my knees lightly brush against his.
He swiveled the chair slightly and stood up, moving around me. We were closer than what I was used to and I could feel his body heat envelope around me before he moved away.
"I'll let you get to it."
"What are you gonna do in the meantime?" I sat down in his gaming chair and opened up my laptop.
He threw himself on his bed and laid down. "I'm gonna take a nap before I start studying. My brain is half asleep right now."
I was almost jealous. Will seemed like the kind of person that didn't have to study hard to do well. School probably came so naturally for him. I, on the other hand, still get nervous about standardized tests.
I watched as he stretched out his body, his abs and arm muscles stretching as he relaxed his head on his pillow.
I opened up my history notes and saw the study guides I made last week and pulled out my notes to read.
My eyes wandered over the same sentence 3 times and I had to blink hard to focus.
I couldn't concentrate and I knew why.
I peered back over at Will and his eyes were closed as the sun shined on his face and bare chest.
I chewed on the edge of my pencil and focused back on my computer. I needed to focus.
************************************
After finally getting 30 minutes of review done I took a break to wake up Will.
I didn't think he meant to sleep for that long.
I got up and went to the side of his bed, poking at his abs. He stirred for a bit and then his eyes blinked open. He looked up at me and smirked.
"Hey, gorgeous." He whispered lowly.
I rolled my eyes. "Sleepyhead, I think you've been out for long enough."
He leaned up onto his elbows. "Yeah, I-"
We both froze as we heard the sharp footsteps in the hallway.
"Who's that?" I whispered looking at the door.
"I'm not sure." We both stared at the door staying absolutely quiet. The footsteps got louder and closer with every passing second.
"Will!" I heard a voice call out in the hallway.
We both looked at each other with our eyes wide as we recognized the voice as Monica's.
"What is she doing here?" My voice was so low as I moved closer to him.
"I don't know."
There was a knock on the door and Will and I exchanged looks of anxiety.
"Will! Are you here? I need to talk to you." I could hear her whining tone through the door and turned to hide in the bathroom.
"Just a minute!" Will grabbed my arm and I pulled back in confusion.
"Get on top of me."
"What?" I nearly yelled aloud.
"Trust me." He whispered pleading with me.
He lifted up the blanket and pulled me down to his bare chest. My hands fell on his arms as I tried not to fall off the bed. He pulled at my waist and my legs wrapped around his torso.
I felt my face burn up in embarrassment as he gently pulled my neck down to his. "Don't move at all okay?"
I nodded. He's insane if he thinks this is gonna work.
I pulled my hoodie up over my head to hide my face and laid my head in his neck, facing away from the door.
Our bodies were on top of one another, completely still and connected.
I felt him pull the blanket over us and I wrapped my arms around him closing my eyes.
"Come in."
I could feel his body adjust to mine and I tried to control my erratic breathing. My heart was beating too fast.
He wrapped his body around me from underneath the blanket.
This was such a bad idea. I should have just hidden in the bathtub.
I heard the door open and the sound of her shoes as she walked in.
"What the actual fu-"
"What do you want Monica?" Will's voice boomed against my chest. "Can't you see I'm sleeping?"
"Who's the tramp?" Her tone dripped with disgust and I heard her move closer to the bed.
"Seriously, what do you want?"He lowered his voice and I squeezed his sides in apprehension.
Please just leave. Please.....
"I need to talk to you." She said with a whining tone. "Drew broke up with me and I don't know what I'm gonna do. I really liked him."
Will sighed. "I'm sorry about that, but there's not much I can do for you."
"Make me feel better? Let's go hang out or something." She said hopefully. "We haven't really hung out much because you're always at practice and then... you're always with some girl."
"I'm gonna assume that this is her." I could hear the irritation in her tone and I almost wanted to get up and leave. Monica was starting to piss me off.
Did she have any regard for privacy?
"Would you quiet down, she's sleeping," Will whispered. "And yeah I've been occupied with other things recently but why do you keep coming back to me?"
"You know you have other people to go to about these things."
I remember when I spoke to Will in the library a while ago. We had only known each other a day and I told him that Monica probably still had feelings for him. Then I said the same thing at the Halloween party but he said it wasn't true since they broke up a long time ago.
And now thinking back to the pictures on her wall of him, I knew that it was.
Monica came to him because she couldn't let go of him. He was her safe place.
I honestly felt bad for her.
"Yeah but Will..." She whined.
"Monica...I'm sorry that you're hurting right now, but I can't do much to help you."
I squeezed his arm and he moved slightly.
He needed to tell her the truth or this cycle was never gonna end. It wasn't my place to get involved though. And now obviously wouldn't be the time to speak.
"I mean this in all honesty." He started. "As an ex of yours, I don't really want to hear about your current relationships or who you're with."
She gasped. "Since when? You always talk with me about these things."
"I think you should go." He said softly.
"Whatever." I heard her footsteps move towards the door and the sound of it opening. "I don't need you."
The door slammed shut and I let out a breath of relief.
"You okay?" He breathed into my ear.
I laughed into his shoulder and lifted myself up by pushing on his arms.
I looked down at him, as was still on top of him. "That was interesting. And awkward."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Monica doesn't really understand boundaries."
"Because you don't set them for her." I countered.
"Not true." He said sitting up. I shifted underneath him and moved my legs, trying to get off of him.
He put his hand on my arm and stopped me. "Go on, elaborate."
"She wouldn't have come here unless you'd done this before. You came to her rescue and you were the shoulder she cried on."
He ran a hand through his hair, releasing my arm, and sighed laying his head back down. "Okay, I get your point. But she is my friend and I thought that's what you do for your friends right?"
I looked at him dumbfounded. He still didn't get it.
I shook my head slightly irritated. "I'm gonna just get off you now." I placed my one leg on the ground and threw my other leg over him to stand up.
He cleared his throat and fully sat up.
"I'm gonna go." I moved towards the desk and quickly stuffed my notebooks and pencil case inside my bag.
"Why? Is it because of Monica?"
I closed my laptop and placed it inside.
"No...I-uh...just need to go to the library to-um...look for a book for a history final." I fumbled with my words.
I hated lying but I didn't feel comfortable telling the truth.
I turned around and Will stood closer to me now, with a look of concern on his face.
"You're mad aren't you?" He reached out and touched my shoulder.
"No, I'm not mad," I said with slight annoyance.
He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Yes, you are."
"Am not." I sounded like a 3-year old right now but I wasn't gonna let him think he was right.
"I can see it on your face. You're clearly mad."
I groaned and smacked his arm.
He clutched it and looked at me surprised. "Ouch."
"Now I'm mad. You keep saying that I am and that's making me mad."
"Well, you're annoying."
A fake smile spread across my face. "Thanks."
He let go of his arm and looked at me seriously. "So we're good?"
"Yep." I pulled my bag closer to my chest. "Good luck at your game tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"See ya." I turned and headed towards the door.
"Hey, Cameron." He said stopping me in my tracks. I turned around and turned my head slightly.
"You promise to always be honest with me right?"
I nodded lightly.
"Ok." He said with a face of content.
I grabbed the sneakers that Casey left for me and headed out.
Thankfully no one was in the house, so I ran out unnoticed and heading towards the library.
Honesty.
How ironic was it that the one thing he wanted from me, I couldn't give him.
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