Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
Rory
The pounding in my head can’t be normal.
It pulses in time with my heartbeat. A groan rips out of my throat and I squish my eyes even tighter closed. Beneath the warmth of a blanket I do an assessment, wiggling my toes, my fingers, all appendages seem to be intact and functioning. I guess that’s good.
Open your eyes, Aurora .
Reluctantly, I crack my eyes open. It’s dark in the room, and I look over finding blackout curtains across the window.
Only I didn’t hang any blackout curtains in my dorm.
Oh my God.
My head swishes down and I find myself in my bra and panties. The guy beside me is lying on his stomach, hugging a pillow as he snores softly. Not even the smooth muscular contours of his back can calm my racing heart from what I may or may not have done last night.
Things come back in flashes.
Dancing with Cole.
Laughing with Kenna and Li.
Joining Cole’s friends.
More shots. Food. Dancing. Drinks. Laughter.
Somehow, I ended up coming back to Cole’s townhouse. We made out for a while, I remember rocking against him, and then … nothing.
“Fuck,” I curse, climbing out of the bed.
I stumble around his room, collecting my clothes, well Kenna’s clothes. Shuffling into the denim skirt, I search for the flannel but can’t find it anywhere. Instead, I swipe a shirt that must be Cole’s slipping it over my head. It’s big, hanging longer than the skirt.
Stumbling out of his room, I accidentally close the door a little too loud.
I seriously need to empty my bladder, but right now I just want to get out of here, wherever here is, and get back to my dorm.
“No more drinking for you, Rory.”
Blinking, I hold a hand to my pounding head. I cannot throw up all over the hardwood floors. That would be beyond embarrassing.
Inhale. Exhale.
That’s better.
I start down the hall just as a door flies open.
“Cole, that you?”
Smack.
I collide with wet, hard, male flesh.
Both of our hands shoot out, steadying us before we fall into a pile on the floor.
I stumble back, looking the guy in the face, and holy hell if I thought Cole was hot he has nothing on this guy. Angular face, full lips, sharp nose, slanted eyes. He’s an Adonis, carved from stone. Something so perfect he should be in a museum for all to admire. He’s also very, very close to naked. The thick charcoal towel tied around his waist is barely hanging on to his toned body. His brown hair is wet from a shower sticking to his scalp.
That’s when my eyes meet gray ones.
Horror fills me, bile rising up my throat.
I know him , my brain screams, at the same time I also think, It can’t be.
But it is.
Mascen Wade in the flesh. My childhood friend, the one I never got to say goodbye to. The son of a famous drummer. I’ve seen his face sprinkled in tabloids from time to time, and I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him straight away, but I’m blaming my hungover state.
I mouth his name but no actual sound comes out. Recognition flares in his eyes but as quickly as it’s there it’s gone. It’s like shutters close over his eyes, his brow furrowing in anger.
He says something but my ears aren’t working from the surprise of standing in front of him again after all these years.
I’m not quite sure I’m awake yet. Maybe I’m dreaming. I’ve had a few dreams about him over the years, but…
“Why are you wearing my shirt?”
I look down at the large cotton shirt. Aldridge Baseball printed on the front with the mascot, a wolf.
“Y-Your shirt?” I stutter. “I found it in Cole’s room?” I don’t know why it comes out as a question. He has me unhinged, plus I’m still dealing with the effects of what I drank while he’s perfectly sober.
“It’s mine.” He bites out through clenched teeth, eyes full of hate. “Take it off.”
“What?” My face squishes in disbelief. “No. I can’t find my shirt and?—”
His hands sit on his narrow waist, drawing my eyes to the low hanging towel and the one, two, three —eight pack he’s sporting. “It’s my fucking shirt and I don’t give my shit away to Cole’s hoes.”
I flinch. “I … I can’t walk out of here without a shirt.” It would be downright degrading to do the walk of shame without even a shirt. His eyes are dark, though, unmoving.
“Should’ve thought about that before you fucked him. Give me my goddamn shirt.” He opens and closes his hand, signaling me to hand it over.
I open my mouth to say his name, to beg, plead, or whatever, but promptly zip my lips. I won’t be degraded by some asshole even if he was my friend once upon a time. He’s expecting more of a fight, craving it, I can smell it in the air like a shark senses blood in the water. I remove the shirt, leaving me in just the lacy push-up bra. I won’t let him win.
“Here you go, asshole.” I thrust it out roughly, my hand practically punching his too hard stomach.
He lets out the smallest grunt of surprise, his big hands grabbing the shirt.
“I know you recognize me,” I seethe, leaning into him. His intoxicating scent of something citrus and woodsy threatens to make me dizzy. “You can pretend you don’t all you want, but I saw it in your eyes.”
His nostrils flare, his glower deepening.
“Nice seeing you again, Mascen,” I chirp, even though this is the furthest thing from nice, it’s downright humiliating.
And then, because I can’t fucking help myself since he wanted to humiliate me, I reach out as I pass him and yank the towel, letting it fall off his body.
I keep walking, not looking, and down the stairs I go.
When I reach the bottom I turn to see if he’s still there. Sure enough, he’s standing there in all his glory, naked as the day he was born, and I swallow thickly unable to take my eyes away from his half-hard impressive cock. I feel like I can barely breathe from this entire exchange.
“Eyes up here, Rory .”
I knew it .
I meet those gray eyes that always fascinated me so much as a child. “Only my friends call me Rory. You can call me Aurora.”
His smug ass smirk grows and he crosses muscular arms over his massive chest. He’s built , the kind of body that comes from only eating healthy things, never indulging in even a pizza, and lots of exercise.
I turn to let myself out, already bringing up Uber on my phone. I’m not looking forward to riding with a stranger in my bra and a short skirt, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
“See you later then, Princess,” I hear Mascen call from the top of the stairs.
I shake my head, ignoring the catch in my breath.
Out of every school in the United States of course I’d choose the one Mascen Wade attends. I haven’t paid enough attention to his name on the online gossip sites or I probably would’ve known it. I wish I would’ve, so I could’ve been prepared. Though, even if I’d known it’s not like I’d have been expecting this encounter.
None of it matters now anyway. I’ll be attending school with my old friend, who now looks at me like I’m an enemy and there’s nothing else to it. I’ve endured worse. I won’t let this unexpected hiccup ruin my newfound independence.
“Rough night?” Kenna asks when I walk in, sitting up on the couch and tossing her tabloid on the coffee table. She looks surprisingly well-rested and not at all hungover like me.
“I don’t even remember it,” I grumble, locking the door behind me. “I’m going to shower.” And to brush my teeth ten times .
I keep replaying my short conversation with Mascen over and over, getting angrier each time, especially over him forcing me to give the shirt back. What kind of dick head asshole does that?
Him, obviously.
The look in his eyes—the anger—was nothing like my old friend. I haven’t seen him in a decade, a lot happens in that time, but maybe it’s selfish of me to think I’m the one that should be angry. My whole life imploded and he’s been nothing but spoiled by his rich parents, wanting for nothing. He’s never had to work a day in his life, but he looked at me like I stole something from him.
“Ugh,” I groan out loud, grabbing clothes from my dresser.
Locking myself in the bathroom I shower quickly, washing away the smell of the bar and alcohol from my skin. After drying my hair I quickly braid it and change into my shorts, black t-shirt, and black combat boots.
Stumbling out of the bathroom, I look at Kenna still sitting on the couch.
“Where’s Li?” I ask.
“She went to get coffee. We’ll meet her for orientation.”
“Orientation,” I mutter, silently cursing myself since I’d forgotten. I press a hand to my forehead that’s still throbbing with the residue of last night’s antics. “When do we need to go?”
“Uh…” She picks up her phone, eyeing it. “We should leave in the next ten minutes.”
I nod, turning back to the bathroom and grabbing the Ibuprofen bottle. I shake two of the teal colored liquid gels into my palm and swipe water from the fridge, gulping down the pills. I know I need to get something into my stomach so I pop a piece of bread into the toaster and butter it when it’s done.
“Let’s go,” I say, leaving a trail of crumbs behind me to clean up later as I munch on the toast.
Kenna hops up from the couch, following me out and down the hall. Instead of taking the elevator I opt for the stairs. Kenna groans about that, but doesn’t stop to wait for it either.
After having to ask a random student for directions, Kenna and I finally find where we need to go and spot Li waiting outside the building, a coffee cup cradled in her hand as she waves us over.
Orientation takes forever, and afterwards we’re shuffled off to have pictures taken for student IDs, receiving the laminated cards moments later.
“I can’t believe classes start in two more days.” Li looks mildly terrified by her own words. It’s Friday now with school starting Monday. I have to agree with her. I think a part of me hasn’t accepted yet that I’m really and truly here. I might need to pinch myself just to check that this is real and not a dream.
“What did you think you were here for?” Kenna asks, looping her arm through Li’s.
I do the same with her other arm.
We met less than twenty-four hours ago, but we’ve clicked easily. It’s more than I could’ve hoped for.
The three of us stop at a place on campus for breakfast before heading separate ways.
I spend the day exploring campus, familiarizing myself with the various buildings I’ll need to go to for class.
I’m on my way back to the dorm when I hear my name yelled at me.
Pausing, my head swings from side to side, looking for the source.
I spot Cole’s tall form striding across the sidewalk toward me.
In no time, thanks to his long legs, he’s standing in front of me. I didn’t realize it last night but the guy is a giant, probably six-foot-six, maybe more.
“I didn’t see you this morning.”
“Oh, yeah.” I bite my lip, blushing. “I had to … um … go.”
“I felt bad I didn’t get to say goodbye.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Again, I’m struck by the unique hue of his amber eyes. “I was having lunch with my friend,” he motions over his shoulder and I see Mascen glaring at us from next to a building, a cigarette dangling loosely from his lips, “and saw you.”
Tucking an errant hair behind my ear that escaped my braid, I squint up at him, the sun blinding me. “Last night was … fun. Well, I don’t actually remember it, but?—”
“That’s the real reason I wanted to see you.” His voice deepens and he touches my arm gently, eyes soft. “I thought you might’ve run out because you were embarrassed or thought something more happened than it did.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks and I have no doubt I’m bright red.
Clearing his throat he says, “I just wanted you to know we didn’t have sex. We were both super drunk and I’m not one of those guys to take advantage of that. We made out for a while, but nothing else happened.”
“Oh, thank God,” I blurt. “Wait, I didn’t mean that like that , just…”
“I know.” He smiles at me.
“Cole!” Mascen yells and he looks over his shoulder, holding up a finger to tell him to wait a minute.
“I hope I see you around again, Rory.” He wets his lips, his eyes sliding over me, not in a skeevy way but one that makes my whole body warm like there’s a flame beneath me.
“Cole!”
“I gotta go,” he tells me.
I stand there, watching him jog across the quad to Mascen. He says something to his friend, but Mascen isn’t looking at him. His eyes are on me, and if looks could kill I’d be six feet under.