Nothing, just a laundry emergency
“Going somewhere?”
I squint my eyes, still lying in bed, watching Maddy’s hand pause at my door knob. My voice comes groggy and full of sleep.
“Are you a ninja?” She turns back to me, whispering. “Go back to sleep.”
I rub my eyes with the back of my hand before answering, “I’m a light sleeper.” Then swing my legs over the side of my bed and stand up, paddling to Maddy. The hardwood floor is cold under my bare feet.
I snake my arms around her waist, pulling her back flushed against my chest. “You really just gonna leave like that?” I murmur into her ear.
She slowly turns to face me, eyes sleepy. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going back to my room.”
“Hm. Whatever.” I scoff, rolling my eyes dramatically at her sarcasm. “You could’ve at least waited for me to wake up properly. Say goodbye properly.”
“Okay.” She grins. “You’re up now. Goodbye.” She turns to the door again.
It’s not even sunrise yet. The house is dead quiet. Maybe DJ and Nate can be little fuckers and decide to lift early but I’ve seen them last night when we got back from late film session, they’re not up any time soon.
“Uh-uh. Not so fast.” I tighten my arms around her waist, not letting go. “Let’s…” I start, my foggy brain doesn’t give me much. “I just want more time with you this morning.” I frown.
She stares at me like I just asked her to jump off a cliff at five in the morning.
She raises her eyebrows at me. “Are you mad again?”
Fuck yes. “I’m just … a bit tired.” I scoff. “And a little grumpy.”
She wraps her warm arms around my bare waist, pressing her hip to mine and wiggle against my bulging sweatpants. “Okay. Got it. Just grumpy. Not mad.”
Damn right I am mad. I’m so tired of this sneaking around in our own house, of her leaving when I’m still asleep, sometimes even before her alarm vibrating under my pillow.
I know technically hook-ups mean you do the thing then somebody leaves. Except it has never worked like that with Maddy. Even the first time, we ended up wrapped around each other until morning.
I exhale a tired chuckle, resting my chin on top of Maddy’s head before tilting my face down and muffling by her hair. “M’not grumpy anymore, now that you’re hugging me.” I nuzzle my nose absentmindedly. “You smell so good.”
She melts into my chest, pressing her nose onto the crook of my neck. That sends a sharp chill straight down my spine. “You’re weirdly cuddly in the morning.”
“Hm.” My lips curls into a small, sleepy smile.
“I guess I can stay here a little longer. But I haven’t even brushed my teeth.”
“Who cares.” I lean back to look at Maddy properly and grin lazily.
"You know…” Maddy chuckles, turning her face slightly away. “Usually girls wake up first and put on makeup before the guys do.”
Again. Who the hell cares? I tilt my head to press a slow kiss to her forehead. “I like your face.”
She releases her arm around me and covers half of her face with her hand, her eyes narrow in suspicion. “You’ll like it better at breakfast.”
I immediately pull back, frowning again. “Okay. First, I see your face all the time. Second—” I pull her hand away from her face. “Does makeup seriously trump morning cuddles right now?”
“I do need to get ready.” She hesitates. “But I also don’t want to.” She presses her nose against mine. “You’re warm. Just don’t look at my face.”
“Alright,” I turn my head toward the wall. “I won’t look.”
I last about second before looking back at her anyway. Maddy immediately covers her face with her hands, her eyes curve into a half-moon. Defiant.
“Oh c’mon.” I pull her hands away from the face. “You’re acting like I’ve never seen you when you first wake up.”
“Uh-uh.” Maddy protests. “You wouldn’t have a clue.”
She’s probably right. I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to be noticing. Her skin is paler than usual and her hair looks like she lost a fight with my pillow, but otherwise she looks like Maddy.
Apparently staring while I work this out is another mistake.
Maddy gives me an annoyed Ugh before turning to the door again.
My hand reaches her wrist before she could make it to the knob. “Wait, wait,” I panic a little.
I can’t seem to get this girl to stay still in my room if the sun is threatening to rise.
Fine. Something specific. Something that already looks good without whatever makeup apparently does. Her lashes still look exactly the same. Long. Soft. Obviously safe.
“I like your lashes.” I blurt out, pulling her back against me before she gets another step.
Silence.
“They’re really long.” I add, saving the day. “So pretty.”
Maddy looks up at me, but she looks like she wants to murder me. “They’re extensions, you idiot.” She sighs. “Why am I even telling you this.”
I blink then look at them again. “But…” No other words come out of my dumbfounded mouth.
I’ve seen girls with eyelash extensions before. I know what extensions are. They’re thicker, darker and impossible to miss. Maddy’s eyelashes look feathered and curl around her eyes like they belong there.
I lean closer automatically.
Maddy immediately plants a palm on my face and turns towards the door again.
Oh for fuck’s sake. I tighten my arms around her.
She looks down at them, then up at me. “Are you sulking right now?”
No I am not.
“Oh my God.” Her eyes beam with mischief. “You are. Why are you so sulky and mad at me while demanding me to stay?”
I shift my weight and exhale through my nose.
“I’m not mad at you for leaving. I mean, I am, but not because you’re leaving.
It’s just—” Fuck. “I didn’t even get morning cuddles yet, and now you keep heading to the door like some stranger.
So yeah, maybe that makes me sulky or mad or whatever. ” I exhale through my nose.
What has gotten into my sleepy head this morning?
Maddy’s eyes get wider with every sentence. By the end, she's pressing her lips together so hard I know she's trying not to laugh.
I scramble my mind to backtrack, but when Maddy snakes her hands around me again, all thoughts turn useless and I just melt into her touch.
“You want morning cuddles this morning?” She rubs her cheek against my chest. “Fine. Let’s do morning cuddles.”
“Yeah. I do.” I rest my face on the crown of her head.
“This is not cuddles though.” She wiggles in my tight arms. “This is a hostage situation.”
I bark out a laugh, tightening my arms anyway. “Hostage situation my ass. You’re not exactly fighting for freedom.”
“I still should go soon.”
“Five more.” I bargain. “That’s all I’m asking.”
That is a fucking mistake. She bolts from my room exactly five minutes later and my arms immediately miss her.
“Laundry emergency.” I hear Maddy’s calm voice outside of my door.
“Okay.” Comes DJ’s voice.
Oh. DJ’s up early, I guess. Maddy has left my room with no shorts on. They’re still on my chair. My sweatshirt hangs off her shoulder.
He spends breakfast calmly asking what qualifies as a laundry emergency, with Nate enthusiastically assisting, until Maddy finally drops the word period. Every man at the table loses their interest immediately.
I rub my nose bridge, sipping my coffee like I have no idea what they’re all talking about.
She doesn’t even have her period. That was last week.
Why do I need the girl I’m sleeping with to pull out the period gun to stop any suspicious questioning?
In all honesty, our little secret was fun at the start. Now it just gives us lies.
When it was just a quickie, as Maddy insists on calling it repeatedly, five minutes turned twenty, turned I don’t want to shower because I want to smell like you all day fucking whispered directly into my ear.
Then twenty minutes somehow turns into an hour because Maddy has a reel she needs to show me, or an essay to finish on my bed. Her lip balms are all over my desk. I found two of her bralettes under my covers last night and didn't return either one.
What I do instead is finding her as soon as something funny pops up in my head. She’ll laugh so hard I feel absurdly proud of my own humour.
So obviously I’ve started trying to beat my previous record.
Yep. I am now in competition with myself over how hard I can make one girl laugh. I win every time.
The problem is, sometimes I can’t just find her as easily as I imagine it in my head. She bolts mid conversation because someone has entered the room, or her phone has required her attention instead of me.
Last night, I had a bad game. We won but it could have been better so I immediately texted Maddy for ice cream. I’d turned into the kind of guys who needed sugar for emotional support. Specifically cookie and cream ice cream. Specifically with Maddy.
But she was watching another of those sad black-and-white Nate's movies with the house in our living room. Lizzie’s on the other end of the couch, passing a beer back and forth with Maddy while Nate was cozying up on the chaise.
I couldn’t just march over and wrap my arm around her shoulder, swooping her closer. So I settled on the armchair at the corner of the room like a good little boy I apparently am.
This morning, she emerges from the bathroom wearing tiny sleep shorts and another of those oversized T-shirts. Her hair is wet, her skin still warm and pink from the shower.
My hand moves before I remember Lizzie is standing behind the island.
I want to grab her ass, or pull her against me and kiss her until she forgets whatever sentence she has begun shouting down the hallway.
Instead, I open the fridge.
There are only so many times a man can aggressively examine eggs.
Somewhere around the fourth aggressive inspection of a household item, this stopped feeling like a private joke.
Then, as a joke, Lizzie decides to make brunch at home.
We don’t have class until midday, and the three of us already lifted in the backyard, so somehow we all end up around the table pretending this is a completely normal breakfast.
Normal is the furthest word from the truth.
Maddy sits across from me and slides her bare foot slowly up the inside of my calf towards my groin. Little gremlin.
Fine.
If Maddy is determined to fuck with me, I may as well return the favour.