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Groaning, I sink back against the wall. My entire body aches, and my headache is excruciating.
I honestly can’t believe he left me here alone all night. Didn’t he care about how I felt? He didn’t even bother to check on me. That isn’t the Eli I know.
Grumbling, I stand and make my way over to the sink, then rinse my mouth out with water. Digging around in the medicine cabinet, I locate the Tylenol and wash two caplets down with a handful of water from the faucet. It’s probably a bold move with nothing on my stomach, but this headache is going to take me down if I don’t deal with it now.
Glancing at myself in the mirror, I swallow hard. My makeup is all smudged, my hair is a disaster, and I’m eerily green.
And now I have to do the walk of shame out of this place looking like hot garbage.
I attempt to fix the damage as much as possible before tiptoeing downstairs, but it’s a lost cause. Since it’s barely after 9:00, I’m hoping his housemates will still be passed out or asleep.
Though I really have to find Eli and talk to him. I need to figure out if I was just overreacting to his strange mood after we’d had sex, or if something else is going on.
My stomach clenches when I think about how weird things got between us. It’s not like I declared my love for him or anything. Oh god, I didn’t, did I? I don’t remember saying anything like that.
Creeping downstairs, I glance over the banister toward the living room. The place is a disaster area, and people are passed out on the couches as well as the floor. A few I recognize as his roommates, but I don’t know any of the others. I walk silently through the lower level of the house looking for Eli, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Shit. Where the hell could he be at 9:00 am? Fear snakes around my heart as I grab my waterfall cardigan from the edge of the couch.
Okay, I need to stop. I can’t jump to conclusions. Not yet, anyway.
After locating my jacket, I shrug it on and head outside. It snowed pretty good last night, but the walkway’s been shoveled, and I can’t help but think that was courtesy of one Eli Donnelley.
As I walk back to my dorm, the blustery cold wind makes my nose run and stings my cheeks, but at least it’s sliced through my hangover haze.
Once I arrive at my building, I pray that Mandi’s not home. An onslaught of questions right now would not be welcome. I open the door and peek into the room, sighing with relief when I realize she’s not here.
Exhausted, I sink down onto the bed and peel off my clothes, then change into my PJs. My headache is still thumping away, so I chug a bottle of water and climb under the covers.
I grab my phone from the nightstand, take a deep breath, then fire off a quick text to Eli. I can’t shake the feeling that things are about to go sideways when it comes to our relationship, but I really hope that I’m wrong.
Holland: Hey, I didn’t see you after you went back down to the party, or this morning when I left. (I crashed in your room last night) Is everything okay?
Though I have a million more questions to ask, I figure keeping it simple is best.
“The ball is in your court,” I mutter aloud. Now I just have to wait and see if he does something about it.
* * *
When I wake up from my nap, it’s almost 3:00 pm. Mandi is still nowhere to be found, which is just as well. I check my phone, but there’s no message from Eli. However, I can tell that he’s seen it thanks to the read receipt.
Fuck, why hasn’t he answered? I get that things might be awkward, but it’s not the end of the world.
I gather up another bit of courage, then send the text I should have sent the first time.
Holland: Areweokay?
Biting down on my lip, I set my phone on the nightstand, anxiety flooding through me at an alarming rate. My stomach is clenched from nerves, and my chest feels tight and prickly.
Okay, I’m not doing this. Sitting here by my phone isn’t going to solve anything, and I desperately need to shower.
I head to the bathroom to wash away the remnants of last night, then spend a few minutes brushing my teeth before taking a quick shower.
Contrary to my normal routine of wash and wear hair, I spend a little time blow drying it today, then slide in a headband. Afterward, I slick some balm on my lips.
I definitely look a hell of a lot better than I did this morning, and at least my skin no longer has that greenish tinge.
After making my bed, I dress quickly in jeans, a sweatshirt, and my white Converse.
