Chapter Nine Damien #2
I headed back down to my own room, a couple of floors below Ryan’s. I was tired after my long day and even though I had no regrets about sleeping in Kelsie’s room yesterday, I was looking forward to stretching out on my bed.
But all thoughts of going straight to bed fled my mind as I stepped out of the elevator on my floor and saw Kelsie walking down the hallway.
She was wearing a loose cover over her swimsuit, and her hair was damp from the water.
Her flip-flops slapped against the floor with each step.
She paused, looking back at me over her shoulder, and I could tell that she’d had quite a bit to drink tonight as well.
Her unfocused eyes blinked slowly, and she swayed a bit on her feet.
Hurrying forward, I started to put an arm around her waist to steady her, but Kelsie stiffened and took a step away. That simple deflection hit me in the gut.
“Hey, Kels. How was your party?”
She smiled as she resumed walking to her room, and I fell into step beside her.
“It was great. Jess brought penis-shaped hard candies, and we danced until my legs felt like they were going to fall off.”
There was a chance that she felt that way because of the drinks she had, but I didn’t say that. I was just glad that she was talking to me.
“What about Ryan’s party?” she asked.
“Well, there were no penis candies, but it was fun. Not the wild blow-up that some guys would want, but you know Ryan isn’t really into that wild shit.”
“And you weren’t disappointed? Didn’t want to see some women strip for you?”
There was something off about her voice as she asked that question, as if she was trying to sound casual but not quite pulling it off.
“No,” I said honestly. “I’ve never really been into the idea of a woman stripping because she wants to get paid. I prefer someone to take their clothes off for me because she wants to.”
Kelsie was looking straight ahead, but I still saw her flinch. I frowned, not sure why my words upset her. Wasn’t it better that I didn’t get off on watching strippers?
“And yet, you’re coming back to your room alone,” she said.
Technically, she was right, but it didn’t feel like I was ending the night in a lonely way. She was here, even if I was just walking her to her room.
“Jake picked up someone, but you know how he is. Always finds a woman to fall for his charms.”
We reached her room, and Kelsie pulled her key card out of her purse. But she hesitated before opening the door, turning to face me.
“You… you seem completely sober.”
There wasn’t a question in that statement, but she looked at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle and her drunk mind made it too difficult.
“I didn’t drink much.”
Kelsie nodded grimly, as if I’d just confirmed her thoughts, and it wasn’t a good thing.
“Of course, you didn’t. Wouldn’t want to make another mistake.”
Anger and sadness threaded through her voice, and I reeled back, shocked.
“What does that mean?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes and tried to turn to the door as if she was going to leave before this conversation could go any further.
But I needed answers about why she seemed so disappointed in me.
Because that was what it was, the tension and distance that had been hovering over us for days like a storm cloud.
I thought she was angry at me about what happened between us, but I could see now that she was disappointed.
That realization was a crushing weight that settled over me.
I grabbed her arm in a loose hold to stop her, using my other hand to cup her chin and compel her to look at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, meaning it with everything inside of me. “I shouldn’t have slept with you that night. I know that.”
And that had to be why she was disappointed in me. It was the only thing that made sense.
“What?” she asked, a furrow appearing on her forehead.
“I didn’t mean to take advantage of you when we were both drunk. Please… don’t let my selfishness ruin everything.”
I stroked a thumb over her cheekbone, and her breath hitched. But then, her features hardened.
“Stop making assumptions about how I feel,” she snapped, shoving my hands away. “Don’t assume that I regret that night just because you do.”
I blinked once. Twice. I tried to process what she was saying.
“Uh… what? I thought you were upset with me because I slept with you when you’d been drinking.”
Kelsie’s shoulders slumped and her face twisted in pain. She looked devastated. “No. You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not mad. I’m crushed.”
I stared at her as my body locked up tight and my heart thudded painfully against my ribs. My mind screamed at me to say something, anything.
But her words seemed to have ripped the air from my lungs. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Even as I watched regret take hold of her, straightening her spine and lighting a fire in her eyes, I couldn’t seem to speak.
“Forget I said that,” she said, voice suddenly cold. “Just forget everything.”
With that, she finally used her keycard to open her door, stepping inside and slamming it behind her before I could object. I immediately tried to open it, but it was locked, of course.
I knocked, but I already knew she wouldn’t answer.
I was right. She didn’t even call out for me to go away. There was only silence on the other side of the door. And on this side? I felt more lost than ever before.
Forget everything.
That was what she said. As if there was any way in hell I could do that now.