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Nathan also had his own white towel, but he didn’t use it right away. He set it down on his bed and trudged across his room to the closet. Tully wiped at the drips of water that slid from her hairline to her chin and watched him curiously while he dug through the clothes.
“I’m sure I have something here that will fit you,” he said, and rummaged through shirts on hangers before opening a drawer.
Tully’s eyes widened and her head shook frantically, sending droplets flinging from the ends of her soaked curls. “Please don’t. I’ve been humiliated enough today.”
He turned with two articles in his hands and held them out to her the same way he held the towel. She stared at it, but didn’t move to take them.
He noticed the hesitance and shook it again. “Come on. You’ll get sick if you stay in those.”
“Actually, that’s not true. You can’t get a cold from—”
“Just take them.” He took another step forward and thrust the clothes into her chest.
She studied the outfit, then him. Based on the hard set of his eye, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Tully sighed and gave in. “Fine.” She collected the clothing from his hands and inspected them. In one hand was a plain blue shirt, and in the other, a pair of purple gym shorts with ‘Richmond High School’ embroidered on the bottom of the leg. She wouldn’t be showing her face to anyone while she wore these.
He grabbed a few other things from the closet before closing it and snagging his towel off the bed. “You can change in here.” The sounds of the party outside seeped into the bedroom as he opened the door and Tully cringed. Without another word, Nathan gave her a quick look, then closed the door behind him as he disappeared into the hallway.
Shoulders slouching, Tully exhaled and felt the full weight of the mortification now that she was alone. She may have upset Joliet and gotten a bit of her anger out at Erik, but it didn’t change the fact that she was stuck in Nathan Rondeau’s bedroom looking like—
She glanced at his dark window and winced when she saw her reflection. Her makeup had streaked down her face, in pastel and black rivers over her cheeks. The curls she had tamed were soggy, stringy strands that left wet pools on the carpet. All the hard work she had put into everything tonight—all a waste.
Turning away from the window, Tully ran the towel under her eyes to get the makeup off her face as best as possible. For the most part, it was a success, leaving some dark residue on the towel and a presentable face. After that, she quickly wrapped the towel around her hair and got changed.
The t-shirt sagged on her gangly frame, but the shorts fit fine as she slid them on. The hem reached her lower thigh. Even if she looked like an idiot, it was a relief to be out of her soggy outfit and into something dry. The material felt wonderful against her pruney skin.
Wringing her hair through the towel, she walked over to the door and unlocked it to peek out.
Nathan stood there. His head snapped in her direction at the clicking of the door opening. He had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a dark blue polo shirt. His hair must have been combed, no longer falling into his face.
She widened the door just enough for him to enter, him shutting the door and locking it.
Once again, it was just the two of them in his bedroom.
Tully stepped away from Nathan and crossed her arms, rubbing her hands down her skin to comfort herself in this awkward situation.
“How is it?” He pointed at her ensemble of t-shirt and shorts.
“Perfect. If I was going to gym class,” she grumbled and pulled the edges of the shirt to emphasize how big it was on her. Nathan’s lips crescented up. “But I can’t go out there looking like this.”
“Then don’t. Stay here until it’s over, or at least until your clothes are dry.”
This is not at all how she expected the night to go. The plans of sexy dancing and seduction were out the window the moment she fell in that pool and now she was stuck here: standing with the boy she had planned on using, alone in his bedroom, looking anything but tempting. Baggy clothes, messy face, stringy hair. Based on the way he was dressed, he was planning on returning to his party while Tully stayed in his room and moped.
Tully nodded. “I’ll stay in here.” She couldn’t leave the room. At least his bed looked comfortable. Maybe he had a book or something she could read. She wished she had brought her notes to study and cheer her up.
“Make yourself at home then,” he said, and gestured dramatically at the room.
That wasn’t possible, but she did her best and tried to get comfortable in the unfamiliar setting by sitting onto the mattress of the soft bed. She sunk in immediately and adjusted to make up for the too-soft springs sucking her in. At least the bed was nicely made and—as far as she could tell—it was clean.
The only boy bedroom she had ever been to was her brother’s, and it was one place she tried her best to avoid even though he didn’t live there anymore. It was constantly a mess from the time they settled down in Richmond, and her parents’ aversion to cleanliness had rubbed off on her brother. That made Nathan’s bedroom even more of a surprise to her.
She took in the rest of the room in more detail, taking note of the dresser, the desk, and the tidy bedside tables. Now that she thought about it, everything in this room was tidy. She bet if she ran her finger over his window sill, it would come away clean.
In her sweep of the room, her attention stopped back on Nathan, who watched her as intensely as she had been examined his space.
She frowned, he smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.
