Morgan
I wake up with a sense of something being strange. I'm comfy and sleepy and I feel so at ease I think I must be wrong. Then there's a soft breath.
Shit. I'm in JD's bed. I must have fallen asleep.
Carefully, and quietly, I shimmy away from him and feel the floor for my clothes. I find a t-shirt and my underwear. It's not my shirt, but I put it on, anyway. There's no way I'm leaving this room naked, and I can't stay here.
JD's soft breaths fill the room as I tiptoe to the door and slowly open it. The hallway has some light in it and I finally let out my breath as the door closes behind me. I have to stop falling asleep in his bed.
I straighten my back and turn for the stairs. And freeze. The light is coming from Wes' room. And he's standing in the doorway, grinning at me.
My eyes flicker to the door of the room I just left, then down to the t-shirt I'm wearing. Yeah, there's no way to explain that away. All I can do is glare at him as I head for the stairs and escape to Brick's room.
It's only four o'clock, so I get into the large bed and ignore how cold it feels and try to get some more sleep.
The next time I wake up, it's morning.
I take a luxurious shower in the private bathroom and get dressed. I leave JD's t-shirt on the bed and head to the living area to scrounge up some breakfast.
"Good morning," I say when I see Liam and Ethan.
Liam is sitting at the island with a bowl of cereal. Ethan is resting his head on his outstretched arm on the dining table, looking pale.
"Good morning, indeed," Liam says with a smile and I roll my eyes.
"Had fun tonight?" Ethan asks in a weak tone.
"What's wrong with you?" I ask and find myself a bowl.
"He's sick," Liam says. "Probably whatever Kat has. Can you tell him to go to his room and stop infecting us?"
"Go to your room, Ethan," I say. "Get some sleep and ride it out."
"But I want toast." He gives me puppy eyes and I sigh.
"Liam, make him toast before we get sick."
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Why doesn't he do it himself?"
"You really want him getting his germs all over the kitchen?"
Liam grumbles as I sit down by the island, but puts a couple of slices of bread in the toaster.
"And tea," Ethan says. "Or I'll cough all over the microwave."
Liam gives him a death stare but prepares the tea.
"So," Liam says as he pushes the food towards Ethan. "Wes tells us you got lost tonight. Did you forget where Brick's room was?"
"Shut up." I eat my cereal and ignore them.
"It's not like we didn't know," Ethan says. "You're pretty loud."
"And you made JD loud," Liam says and sits back down next to me.
"We just didn't know JD did sleepovers."
"It wasn't a sleepover," I say. "He's just a good fuck."
Ethan coughs. "I could be a good fuck. Do you want to try?"
"Not really." I study him over a spoonful.
"I'm insulted," he says and sips his tea.
"Morning, everyone," JD says as he comes down the stairs.
Staring into my cereal, I wonder how the fuck I'm supposed to act around him. All we've talked about is sex. And JD isn't the type to have relationships. Not that this is a relationship. We've just hooked up a few times. That's it.
I look up as JD moves around the island into the kitchen. Liam and Ethan are intently studying him and me. I furrow my brow at them to make them stop.
JD grabs an apple from a bowl.
"What?" he asks and looks between us.
"Ethan's sick," I say.
He looks over at him. "Don't come to practice," he says and takes a bite. "I have to get to class."
With that, he disappears, leaving me even less sure of how to act in public.
I finish my cereal and escape Liam's and Ethan's questions and innuendos and head to the dorm.
"How are you feeling?" I ask when Kat opens the door.
"Much better," she says. "Still not great, but the muscle ache is gone and I'm starting to get my appetite back."
"That's good." I turn to Brick. "So, any chance I could get my bed back?"
The poor man looks as if I've stomped on his favorite toy, but I'm not sure I can stay another night under the same roof as JD.
"You want me to go back to the hockey house?" Brick asks.
"Kinda," I say and grimace.
He nods. "That's fair enough. I really appreciate you letting me stay here."
"No problem." I smile and feel like crap for making him leave. "I still have some stuff there, but I can pick it up later today."
"I could bring it by tonight." Brick is eager again. "And some dinner for the both of you. I have practice, but after that."
"Sure," I say.
He gets up. "I have class. I'll see you later." He leans in and kisses Kat, and she smiles up at him.
When we're alone, I turn to Kat.
"Thanks for letting him stay," Kat says.
"I slept with JD. Again." I bite my lip.
"Is that why you want to move back?" She sits up and I feel all of her focus shift to me. "Did he do something?"
"Nothing bad. In fact, he did some very good things. But now it's all awkward."
"Why?"
I sit down on my bed. "It's just... I don't know."
"So, are you dating now?"
"No." I shake my head. "No, we're not dating. But Wes caught me coming out of his room in the middle of the night, so I think it's pretty much public knowledge that we had sex."
"But what does it mean?"
I shrug. "I guess it means that occasionally we sleep together."
"Nothing more?" Kat is picking at her blanket.
"No. I'm still not sure I like him."
But as the words leave my mouth, I realize that's not completely true. I don't hate him anymore. And I think I might actually be starting to... enjoy being with him.
Kat frowns.
"What?" I ask
"Nothing." She takes a breath. "It's just that I'm not sure if JD ever really had a girlfriend? Maybe when we were younger. But not lately."
"I'm not looking to be his girlfriend," I assure her. "It's just casual sex. If it happens again, it does. If not..." I shrug as if to show her it's no big deal, but the thought hurts a little.
All day, I keep thinking about the fucking best sex I've ever had, sneaking out of his room, and how he barely spoke to me in the morning.
I'm not the type of person that needs a relationship to have sex, but...
Helping JD with his test has left me slightly behind on my own work, so I spend the afternoon and evening catching up. Kat is still sleeping loads and taking it easy, but it's nice to be back in my room.
Towards dinnertime, I'm starving when Kat finally wakes up enough to let me know Brick texted her and is on his way over. When he knocks on the door, I eagerly get up to open it.
"Hey, Morgan," Brick says and comes inside.
I'm about to close the door when I spot JD. He's carrying a bag. My bag.
"Hi," I say and curse the thing in my stomach that's stealing my breath. "You walked over together?" I glance between the two men. "Without killing each other?"
JD, still standing by the door, clears his throat. "I'm not thrilled about it, but if Kat loves him, then I guess I can try to accept that."
I hide the smile by showing him in.
Kat fell right back asleep, so Brick kneels next to her bed and strokes her hair. He leans in and kisses her forehead to gently wake her up.
"See," I whisper to JD. "He's whipped."
Kat wakes up and smiles happily at him.
"I brought you spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread," Brick says.
"My favorite," Kat sits up.
"Whipped," I whisper again and glance up at JD. He has murder in his eyes and is clenching a fist around the strap of my bag. But he doesn't say anything.
"I'm not sure I'm hungry enough to eat a lot." Kat takes the box he's offering her.
"I'll make it again for you whenever you want."
I raise my eyebrow at JD, and he gestures for me to follow him out into the hallway. I do.
"You know, he hates garlic," JD says. His eyes are distant.
"Kat likes garlic."
"I know. He had that bolognese cooking all day and threatened death to anyone messing with it."
"He loves her."
Brick is unpacking his bag and bringing out cutlery and iced tea. I watch as Kat gestures for him to put another container of food on my desk.
"So, is that my stuff?" I point to my bag that JD still is holding.
"Yeah," he hands it over and our fingers touch, causing my brain to spark. He leans in close enough that I can sense his heat. "I even put in the t-shirt you stole from me."
"I didn't steal it. Just borrowed." My face is turning red.
"Are you coming to the game on Friday?"
He sounds as if it's no big deal, but he's holding his breath.
I shake my head. "I made plans to go see the Rivers play."
He nods. "They're going to lose."
"They usually do. But my friend is on the team, so I want to be supportive."
"Will you be wearing a jersey?"
His tone is clipped enough that I look up at him. He's staring at Brick and Kat.
"No. I used to wear my friend's number, but when he got a boyfriend, I stopped."
JD nods sagely. "Good."
"I should go eat while the food is hot."
"See you around." He doesn't even say goodbye to Kat, just spins on his heel and leaves.
I furrow my brow and stare after him. He could have asked me out. Some small part of me had thought that maybe it was more than sex. Maybe he would want to date me. But everyone knows, JD doesn't date.
I take my bag and head inside. He gave me his t-shirt.