Chapter 7
seven
ELLIE
I wake up in a dark room and adjust to my surroundings.
A lot has happened in such a short amount of time, and I’m not sure where I am until I feel something warm against me. I look to see Milo tucked into me. The bed I’m on is huge, probably a king-size bed, yet this dog needs to be all up in my business.
Good thing I love him.
I rub the side of his stomach while he continues to sleep, and I lean up on an arm, rubbing my free hand over my face. I spot my phone on the nightstand next to me, plugged into a charger. I don’t remember doing that. I pick it up, bracing myself for the bright light from the screen, only to find that the brightness has been dimmed all the way down.
Interesting .
Two in the morning? I don’t know what time I fell asleep or how long I’ve been sleeping. I lift myself up more and look around the room.
Rowan’s room.
The wheels in my head start to turn. I met everyone at the brewery, spent time with Milo, and fell asleep on the couch. The next thing I remember was being in front of my parent's house in his car.
I was running on empty—wanting to cry from exhaustion—and I’m sure I told him to take me back to his house.
I look around and spot Rowan lying on an inflatable mattress. His bare back facing toward me, the muscles in his shoulder blades move with each breath he takes. I let my eyes trace the long tattoo that goes down his spine. A sword with a snake wrapped around it all in black. Both of his hands are tucked under the pillow, the blanket only up to his waist.
The crickets outside are chirping, but everything else is silent—except for the little snores Milo lets out every other minute. When my eyes adjust to the darkness that surrounds me, I spot Rowan’s dresser on the far wall across from the bed.
A few music posters hang in frames around his room. One poster displaying Vampire Weekend, the same poster he bought when we went to see them in concert. It hangs above his desk, where two large desktop screens sit. A complete setup.
I look down and see the clothes I’ve been wearing all day. No wonder I’m uncomfortable. This damn bra is digging into my ribcage. I need to change.
My eyes go back to Rowan, and I notice how close the air mattress is. Only inches away from the bed, placing himself in front of the door. He doesn’t move or make a sound; he looks peaceful.
I crawl over the bed, not wanting to disturb Rowan. I don’t know what I’m going to wear. I think my suitcase is still in my car. Shit. I’m going to have to borrow his clothes.
I don’t know where he keeps anything. Ugh. Cool. This is very cool.
Getting to the edge of the bed, I spot something on top of his dresser. Narrowing my gaze through the darkness while I carefully try not to make a sound, I see a pile of neatly stacked clothes with a piece of paper that looks like it was ripped out of a notebook.
El, I picked out some clothes for you to change into if you get uncomfortable. You went to sleep right away, and I didn’t want to bug you.
I stop reading the note and look at the clothes. A large shirt that looks extremely cozy, and he gave me a choice of basketball shorts or sweats. I continue to read the note.
I gave you shorts and sweatpants, I wasn't sure which one you would want. They both have drawstrings on them to tighten on your waist, but in case the sweats are too long for your short legs, I figured shorts would be the better choice.
Short legs? Rude.
I look back at Rowan as he sleeps and stick my tongue out at him. Just for that, I’m going to wear the sweatpants. I read the note again.
The sweatpants will probably be too long for you, and you might trip over them, so choose wisely. Sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning.
What great hospitality. He’s always one step ahead of me, like he knows I’m going to wake up from being uncomfortable in my restrictive clothes. Women who wear bras to bed? Godspeed.
I grab the clothes, walk into the master bathroom, and quickly change.
Much more comfortable.
Okay, so…maybe he was right, and I can’t see my feet. But I still stand by my choice. The fabric is warm and a bit fuzzy on the inside. The material is nice and breathable, a bit thin.
My legs and feet swim in his sweatpants. The fabric drags on the smooth wooden floors while I creep back into bed. One foot at a time, I’m almost there. Almost— thud.
Rowan shoots up in panic and looks at the bed. “What happened? Ellie? Are you okay? Milo, where’s Ellie?”
Milo lifts his head and spots me, and Rowan turns to where he’s looking. I’m on my back; my head turns in Rowan’s direction. I lift a hand in a lazy finger wave.
“Hello,” I say quietly in embarrassment and let my hand fall.
Rowan covers his head in his hands and rubs his palms up and down his face before looking back up at me and squinting.
“Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?” He pinches his eyebrows together and looks at my legs.
My eyes go back up to the ceiling while I let him figure that out on his own. A chuckle comes out of him; all I can do is close my eyes and accept my fate.
“I told you.”
Ignoring the comment, I get up and walk over to his bed. My knees press into the soft mattress as I crawl back into bed. Rowan continues his laughter at my pain.
It’s not until I’m situated back in my spot that I see his bare chest. Oh. Well. That’s nice.
Rowan notices where I’m looking and covers his nipples with his hands.
“Hey, this isn’t a free show, Thompson. Don’t ogle me.”
My eyes go up to his, and I raise my hands in defense. “I’m sorry if I made you feel comfortable. Can’t blame a girl for looking.”
Rowan smiles at me and shakes his head. I tuck myself in under the covers and lay down to face him. He does the same.
“Thanks for bringing me here. I appreciate it,” I tell him quietly.
“I figured you’d need a clear headspace before seeing your family.”
I rub my face out of pure exhaustion before holding my hand toward him, hoping he will take it. He doesn’t hesitate as I feel his thumb making circles along the top of my hand.
The sensation lulls me back to sleep while he continues.
I don’t remember dreaming before I woke up. But I have a feeling I will now.