24
Thump, thump, thump.
I imagine my brain, a dried-out, swollen grapefruit bashing against the walls of my skull.
The next thing I notice is the horrible taste in my dry, tacky mouth.
Lying face down in bed, I open my eyes expecting to see my purple pillow case, but instead, there’s a grey one.
Panic shoots through my body as my head jerks up, causing a sharp pain to pierce my temple.
I’m in an apartment, but it’s not mine. A soft snore rumbles from across the room, and I look towards the sound.
Brooks is asleep on the couch with only sweatpants on.
One of his legs is hanging off the side, and his arm is draped over his face.
I can’t believe it. I’m in Brooks’ bed.
Brooks’ apartment is a studio layout with the bedroom on a raised platform next to the living room.
There’s a small kitchen and a bathroom, all connected to the one open room.
The kitchen floor is washed concrete that matches an island that’s covered in empty liquor bottles.
The fixtures are all chrome, along with his fridge and dishwasher.
It’s as if someone came in and designed the coldest-looking kitchen known to man.
I roll over, looking up at the ceiling and bring my hand to my face.
Hair sticks to my forehead. I attempt to push it back, but there’s something matted in it, causing it to cling to my face.
I hesitate before bringing my hair to my nose.
The smell causes me to flinch. It’s vomit.
Looking down, I notice that I’m wearing a man’s t-shirt with a band’s name on it.
My hands slide down to my legs. My shorts and tights have been removed along with Luna’s boots, but I still have my panties on.
I groan in embarrassment and try to remember what happened last night.
Memories come back in bursts. There were drinks, dancing, shots, Luna and Gaia kissing, shots, peeing in the same stall as Luna, shots, and Amir talking to some guy and more shots.
Brooks wrapping his arm around me to help me into the car, and then, to my disgust, I remember the cold bathroom tiles on my knees.
Brooks holding my hair while rubbing my back, telling me that everything was going to be ok.
Me apologising as bile began to rise in my throat for what felt like the millionth time.
I am absolutely mortified. I have never been that drunk in my life, and the first time that it happens, I’m taken care of by the one person I’m trying to impress.
He’s never going to want to touch me again.
I let out another groan, smelling the stink on my breath and lurch forward in disgust, holding my fist to my mouth. Sliding my legs off the side of the bed, I let my body flop to the floor, nausea sloshing in my stomach and a burn in my throat.
I have to get out of here. I can’t let him see me like this.
I search around the room for my clothes.
Only spotting the boots by the foot of the bed.
I pull the boots back on, my feet aching in protest as I force them back into the heels.
I stand, steadying myself on the bedside table.
Brooks mumbles something in his sleep and rolls over to face the back of the couch.
I tiptoe towards the door and sneak out, quietly clicking it shut behind me.
Afraid that someone will see me in my disgusting morning dash across the courtyard, I pull Brooks’ t-shirt down as far as it will go and run with my head hung in shame.
When I reach for the apartment door, I find it locked and bang loudly.
“Please, Luna, let me in.”
I bang again, louder, still tugging at the t-shirt with my free hand, in a poor attempt to regain some modesty.
The door swings open to reveal Luna, sleepily standing in the doorway wearing her pink pyjamas with a picture of two donuts where her boobs are and the words donut disturb printed underneath.
She sees me, and her eyes open wider, instantly jerking her from her drowsy state.
“Holy shit, you look like a hooker,” she says, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. “And you smell like James Preston’s backpack after he got sick at camp and tried to hide it for two days.” She scrunches up her nose in disgust.
“It’s in my hair.” I begin to cry, my embarrassment consuming me. She slings a protective arm around me and leads me to the bathroom. She starts the water in the shower, sits me on the toilet and pulls her boots off my feet.
“Amir said you left with Brooks,” she says softly, testing the water of the shower with her hand. I lift Brooks’ t-shirt over my head and slide off my underwear.
“I did. He held my hair back, but not before I vomited in it.” I step under the water and let it run over my head and down my face and pray that it washes away the disgrace that was last night.
“Talk to me about something else,” I demand, lathering shampoo in my hair and scrubbing more forcefully than usual.
“What did you think of Gaia?” Luna asks sheepishly.
“I liked her. She was nice. But the question is, what do you think of Gaia?”
“I have, no shit, been infatuated with her from the minute I saw her. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.
I know you’ve been going through a rough time with Mark and Brooks, and I didn’t want to rub it in.
” A soft red warms her cheeks as she speaks, and it occurs to me that I’ve never seen her blush before.
“Don’t ever think that you can’t tell me anything. I’m happy for you, always.” I watch her, waiting for her to make eye contact.
She glances in my direction, smiles warmly and says, “Thank you.”
I rinse the shampoo from my hair and apply more, scrubbing just as hard as the first time.
After I’ve rinsed the bubbles from my hair, I vigorously scrub at my skin with a soapy loofah before letting the water run over my body.
I brush my teeth twice before stepping out, finally feeling a little more like myself.
“Better?”
“Much, thank you. Now, all I need is about three litres of water, and I think I’ll be as good as new.
” I laugh, and the sharp pain in my head instantly fills me with regret for making fun of myself.
I pad into my room, deciding to dress casually in high-waisted blue jeans and a black tank top.
I run my brush through my wet hair and take a bottle of water from the refrigerator and two ibuprofens from Luna’s purse before making my way across the courtyard.
When I reach Brooks’ apartment, I push the door open without knocking, just in case he’s still sleeping.
“Good morning, sunshine,” his voice booms from the kitchen island, causing a sharp ache to pulsate in my brain.
“Thank you so much for everything you did last night. I am humiliated that you saw me like that. I have never drunk so much in my life, I swear.”
I glance over at the bed. He’s already changed the sheets.
Brooks waives his hand at me dismissively and stands, walking over to the cupboard.
He lifts a mug in the air, eyebrows raised, questioning if I want a coffee.
It’s the last thing my stomach needs right now.
The thought alone makes me want to throw up.
But that’s what Luna does. She drinks coffee to sober up or to cure a hangover, and she looks cool doing it.
“Yes, please.” I force a smile and walk to the kitchen, taking a seat on the stool next to the one he was sitting on. “Can I ask how I ended up here?”
“Well, I struggled to wake you, so I carried you to your door, but couldn’t find the keys in your purse, so I brought you back here.
That’s when you said you didn’t feel well.
” I shake my head in horror as he continues, “I tried to get you to the bathroom before you started, but I was too late. It went a little on your clothes. I rinsed them, they’re hanging in the shower. ”
“I am so sorry,” I interrupt, bringing my hand to my face in an attempt to hide my embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about it, we’ve all been there. I promise I didn’t look, by the way,” he replies, with a cheeky smile lighting his eyes.
“Didn’t look at what?”
“I helped you undress and put you in one of my t-shirts.” I look down at the t-shirt in my hand, the one I brought back to return, but had forgotten I was holding.
“Thank you,” I whisper, still trying to regain what little confidence I had before hearing that he had to undress me and put me to bed like a toddler. I place his t-shirt on the bench, feeling a little sad to return it.
“It looked better on you.” He places the mug in front of me.
“And you slept on the couch?”
“I didn’t want to be the only one who remembered the first time we slept in a bed together.” He shrugs, taking his seat beside me.
“You are beyond perfect.” My heart starts to pound so hard that it begins to hurt my chest.
“It was nothing. I’m glad Amir called me.
When you told me yesterday that you were going out with him, was there a reason why you didn’t tell me he was gay?
” Brooks questions, his right eyebrow slightly raised.
I hesitate. I didn’t tell him because he was the jealous one for a change, and truth be told, I liked the way that felt.
“I told you I wasn’t his type.” I shrug dismissively and wait for his reaction, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.
“Touché,” he says with a chuckle. “You must be hungry. How about we head to the diner? Get something dripping in grease to fill that stomach.” His eyes slide down from my face to my tight tank top, and his gaze lingers on my chest. I look down, wondering what has him mesmerised, when I notice my cleavage spilling out of the low neckline.
“Is it ok if I wear this?” I ask, bringing my hands to cover my chest.
“I’d prefer it if you did.” He takes a step closer. I can’t contain my smile as he holds the door open for me, catching my hand as I walk past. His fingers lace through mine as we walk through the courtyard.
“I could get used to all this affection,” I say, looking down at our hands.
“Me too.” He slows his pace until we come to a complete stop. He puts his other hand to my chin and pulls my face closer to his. He pauses, grazing his lips against mine. “You brushed your teeth, right?”
“Twice,” I whisper. He smiles, pushing his mouth against mine.
I drop his hand and turn my body towards his, bringing my hands under his t-shirt and gripping his bare back.
One of his hands is still holding my chin while the other rests on the exposed skin above my hip bone.
His fingers tease the waistband of my jeans as he gently brushes my skin with the tips of his fingers.
His touch causes electric tingles to shoot from my hip down into my thighs.
I pull him closer with a deep, burning need to feel his entire body against mine.
“Fuck,” he whispers, pulling away from my lips slightly before we crash back together. Moving his hand from my chin to the back of my head, he grips my hair in his fist, pushing his mouth harder onto mine.
I don’t register that we’re standing in the middle of the courtyard or what’s happening around us.
For all I know, every neighbour has come out to watch.
All I see, feel, and taste is him as he holds me close, filling my body with pleasure-filled tingles.
I smile, my lips brushing his, breaking our kiss.
I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
To my relief, Brooks smiles back. He places a soft kiss on my forehead as I close my eyes and lean into him.
“Come on, let’s get some food into you.” He takes my hand in his again.
My skin aches, begging to be touched again, and I can’t help but let out a longing sigh.
We walk to the diner, not saying a word, both of us unable to wipe the smiles from our faces.
I never want this state of euphoria to end.
It’s addictive. He’s addictive. I wiggle my hand away from his and reach around his waist, pulling him closer and resting my head on the edge of his chest. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head.
“Good morning, lovebirds,” Helen booms from across the diner as we enter. I smile, burying my face into Brooks’ chest in an attempt to hide my blushing cheeks. We take a seat in the same booth as last time, and Brooks orders for me.
“Oh, before I forget–here.” Brooks shifts his weight, retrieving my pink phone from his back pocket. “I charged it for you.” I reach across the table, letting my fingers brush his as I take the phone.
“Thank you.” I flip the phone over in my hands and tap on the screen, revealing multiple missed calls and messages. I scroll through them.
I am shocked to read the message from Mark.
I’ve been so wrapped up in my infatuation with Brooks that Mark’s existence had completely disappeared from my thoughts.
It’s a weird thing to admit to myself, considering that we never went a day without talking on the phone or seeing one another for the entire length of our relationship.
And now I can’t even remember the last time I heard his voice.
I respond to Amir, letting him know I’m ok and that I’ll call him later.
“You’re popular,” Brooks says, breaking the silence and tearing my attention from my phone. I hadn’t realised he was watching me. Our eyes meet, and I do my best not to sigh in adoration like a doe-eyed groupie. I could spend the rest of my life looking into those eyes. “Who’s messaging you?”
“Just Amir and Luna checking in from last night. And my mum, but I’ll call her later,” I reply, leaving out the message from Mark.