Dakota Aniston
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My mouth was dry.
And everything hurt. Pulsing pain started in my scalp and continued all the way down to my toes. My eyes seemed to be beating against my still closed eyelids and my head was on fire, the powerful headache pounding against my temples.
Bright sunlight streamed from the open window, making me wince and cower more under the blankets. As I did that, I felt dry sand brush against my bare legs and dig into my skin.
Wait, why were my legs bare?
Opening my eyes, I gazed out the window, still monetarily confused. My tongue was thick as was my head, and I couldn’t move. I groaned, shutting my eyes against the deathly sunlight. Every muscle ached and I was cursing myself for drinking last night.
As I tried to move, I realized I couldn’t, for a heavy weight was holding me down. Rubbing some leftover sleep from my eyes, I turned over.
I froze.
My body rolled into Elijah’s chest; his bare chest. And the weight holding me down was his arm which was casually slung over my hips, his warm fingers pressed into the curve of my bottom. I gulped quietly and my heart rated altered.
My eyes slowly moved over the tanned, defined chest, the peaks, the abs, and oh help me God, I looked past his curve hips.
Elijah was naked. I was in my bed with a naked Elijah!
I did the only thing I could think of.
I screamed.
“What the hell?” Elijah roared. He turned against the impact of my voice, his hands instantly rising to cradle his head, which I could imagine felt exactly like mine. “Why are you screaming?” He hissed at me, rubbing the corners of his closed eyes.
My heart was tripled and I was pretty sure it was going to burst right out of my chest. “Why are you naked?” I wailed then slowly, I peeled back the covers to look at myself. Oh, God. My face paled and my heart dropped to my stomach. “Why am I naked?” I shirked even louder.
“What?” Elijah murmured. He held out a hand as if to silence my pleas. “Dakota, please be quiet. My head is killing me.”
Okay, now I was pissed. Sneering, I gripped the white sheets and pulled them against my body; my naked body! “Elijah, you intolerable excuse of a man!” I yelled and for good measure, slammed my fist into his bicep. “Wake the hell up!”
“What?” He screamed back. Opening his eyes, he gave me a lethal glare. He was upset with me? We’re naked in bed together! Did he not notice this?
He moans, rubbing his temples. His thick hair was tousled and I could only imagine as to why. “Blondie, I think it’s obvious why we’re naked.”
My stomach dropped again until I was on the verge of throwing up. My head went sluggish and I swayed on the bed, my head suddenly dizzy. This couldn’t be happening. “Oh, my God.” I whimpered and dropped my head to my hands. I peaked at Elijah through my fingers. His mystic eyes were piercing right at me. “Elijah, did we..?” I asked, letting my voice trail off, not even having the stomach to finish the question.
Elijah ran a hand through his hair, rubbing it over the back of his neck. He didn’t answer me, instead just stared. His eyes were glazed and they trailed slowly over my body, until I realized the sheet had slipped down, giving him a nice, clear view of my bare breasts.
Screaming again, I quickly thrashed the sheet against me. My skin flushed from my face all the way down to my chest. I think it’s safe to say I look like an overripe tomato. “Elijah, did we?” I repeated my words harsher now as my eyes slid into slits.
Elijah once again ignored my question. His thumb sneaked out and brushed against my collarbone. “I think I did that.” He said, and then moved his thumb above the flush of my breasts. My skin seared in heat and my heart pounded uncomfortably against my ribs. My heart couldn’t take this. “And that.” He finished.
Okay, what was he talking about? My eyebrows came down and I dropped my eyes to where his thumb was. He dropped it away and my eyes zeroed in on a big, purple hickey. There was one over my breast and another on my collarbone. Looking toward Elijah, he seemed kind of proud of himself. His eyebrows were arched impressively and he wore a stupid, ignorant smirk. How could he be so calm about this?
I screamed again.
His hand lashed out and slammed against my mouth. “Stop screaming,” He whispered low, cutting his eyes to the closed door before back to me. “They’re going to come in here.”
“How could you?” I demanded once I shoved his hand away from me. “How could you do this?” I wailed accusingly.
His eyes narrowed. “How could I what?”
“Take advantage of me!”
He rolled his eyes. “You were just as drunk as I was last night, Dakota. Don’t put all the blame on me.”
My heart was still beating at an irregular pace and I felt nauseous. I was going to be sick. “Elijah, we had sex!” I cried, almost too loudly. But, seriously, I was freaking out. Sweat coats over my skin and I fidget on the bed, sliding away from Elijah.
Elijah scowls as he examines me. I don’t like the way he’s looking at me. It made my skin crawl and it wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling. Oh, send me to hell. “You’re acting like it was your first time or something.” He snapped his words venomous. At my silence, his lips curved in mockery and his head dunk down toward me. My breath clogged in my throat. “You have done it before, haven’t you?”
“Of course I have!” I yelled. I have. But only once. I looked away to the side; feeling as though something was plunging straight through to my stomach. “This was only the second time.” I muttered.
Elijah let out a huff of surprise. Why was it so shocking to know I’ve only slept with one guy? Did he take me for a whore? Wondering if he thought of that about me sent me in a whirlwind of emotions. I didn’t want him to think that. Did he? “Oh.” Was all he said.
I snapped my head in his direction, glaring. “What? I’m not that big of a whore as you thought?”
His eyebrows arched up and he seemed taken aback by my outburst. He shook his head slowly. “I never thought that, Dakota. I was just saying, I heard boys talk.” He finished off lamely and realizing he did, clamped his mouth shut.
“Yeah, well boys lie!” I holler. And they do. I’ve heard rumors about me, boys saying they’ve slept with me, but they haven’t. The only boy I slept with was Dave. Sure, after him I might have hooked up with boys, but no one even came close to sleeping with me. Well, expect for Elijah, that is.
Elijah held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I’m sorry.”
I pulled my lip back at him and crossed my arms, making sure to keep a hold on the sheets. “Whatever.” I seethed. Then, seeming to come back to the matters at hand, I let out a breath of defeat and slumped against the headboard of the bed.
“Do you remember anything from last night?” Elijah asked me.
I closed my eyes for a minute, trying to find some meaning in my clouded brain. I couldn’t seem to remember anything past the point of running around in the ocean last night while I was intoxicated. Then, as if just to mock me, I was suddenly having a flashback.
Elijah on top of me, his eyebrow crinkled, biting into his lip, while I whimpered beneath him, my nails raking desperately down his back as I cried, pleaded for him. For more.
My eyes snap open and I flame red at the memory. And worried that Elijah could read my mind, and see that I was warm, I snarled at him. “This is your entire fault!” I bellowed. I tug on the ends of my hair. “Oh, my God! What if I get pregnant? Did we even use protection?”
He shook his head, annoyed. Pointing to something, he asked, “Does that answer your question?”
What? Confused once again, my eyes followed his finger. He was pointing to my shin, which in this case, had a used condom stuck to it. Weeping, I hesitantly peeled the plastic of my skin, holding it with the tip of my finger and meters away from my body. Scrunching my face in disgust, I flicked it far away from me as possible. “That’s disgusting!” I shrilled.
Elijah shrugged, leaning back in the bed. The blankets slipped down his body, wrapping around his waist. I wanted to die as my eyes betrayed me and grazed over his chest. I quickly broke the contact, bringing my eyes back to his. “You might not want to look in the trash then.” He said breezily.
Again, how was he so calm! And again, confused at what he intending, I leaned over him, aware of how the warm skin of his chest pressed into my shoulder and alert to his eyes glued on me. I gaze down at the mini black trash can that was in the corner of the wall, next to the bed.
I felt bile in my throat. The headache I had intensified. “How many times?” I whispered quietly, unsure of my own voice right at this moment.
He shrugged. “How should I know?” He runs a thoughtful hand over his jaw. “Maybe, four times?” His eyebrows quirked up.
Four times? Four times?! How drunk were we? I scream again, not caring anymore who heard. I launched at Elijah, clawing at him. “You jerk! You ass!” I began to repeatedly hit his chest, throwing my fists into it over and over.
“Stop that!” He growled and easily grabbed my wrists, pushing my body away from him. His mouth opened to say something but before he could, the door shoved open.
Ryan stood in the doorway. I squeaked and scrambled to grab the sheets which once again had fallen down. I curled into the bed, feeling him gape at us. Everything went silent, Elijah’s hand still hovering on my wrist.
Ryan now had a knowing smirk on his face. He raised his eyebrows at Elijah and they shared a look. What the hell? I wanted to murder both of them right now! My face burned in a fevering, ashamed blush. “Um, there is some food out here if you guys want to eat.” Then he nodded his head before slowly sliding out and clicking the door shut.
“Ugh.” I whimpered. “I hate you.”
“You hate me?” Elijah repeated, sounding amused.
“Yes.” I answered bluntly. Standing up, I clutched the sheets to myself. For, I was freaking naked! Screw Elijah! Then bitterly, I thought, seems you already did, four times! I rummaged around the floors, searching for my clothes. Spotting my jeans, I found them damp still from the water last night. I hastily picked up Elijah’s t-shirt. “Close your eyes.” I ordered Elijah.
He smirks, his hands propped behind his head causally. “Why? Nothing I haven’t seen.”
Jerk. My face flushed again. “Elijah,” My voice was clipped. “Close your eyes.”
He rolled his eyes before shutting them. Once I was positive he wasn’t looking, I let the sheets fall and quickly slipped on his t-shirt, the fabric falling above my knees. I also threw on my panties. His shirt was warm and soft against my skin and I relished in the feeling of it. Then, fighting with myself, I said, “You can look now.”
His mouth tipped up. “That’s my shirt.”
“And?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“You know what?” I held up my hands. “I can’t even talk to you anymore right now.” I shoot him one last hatred glare before prying open the door and storming out.
Stacey was grinning at me, picking at a muffin. “Fun night?” She taunted.
I grumbled, falling into the nearest chair.
Why did this party never end up good