Page 13 of Learning to Love

Come back.

I roll my eyes and reply. Who does Jake think he is?

No. Go have sex with one of those bimbos. Hell, why not both of them?!

We make it back to our dorm and I turn off my phone so Jake can't text me again. I don't want to ever to drink again as long as I live. I start a checklist in my head before I doze off.

1. Drinking=bad.

2. Football players=bad.

3. The Jake Ryan=Satan

4. Staying away from all of the above while in college=good

Chapter 7

The Morning After

I wake up on the floor of my bathroom. I must have moved closer to the toilet at some point during the night. I slowly get up and look in the mirror. My hair is a sweaty glob on top of my head and I look like I've just been through some things. Never again, I vow.

I text Sasha to see how she’s doing and jump in the shower while I wait for her reply. Hopefully, this will make me look better than I currently feel. When I finish, I quickly dress as Sasha starts knocking on my bedroom door. "Give me a sec," I yell.

Opening the door, I am stunned that it's Dallas and Jaxon standing there. Thank God I dressed before I opened the door otherwise three of us would’ve gotten the surprise of our lives. I give them what I expect is a welcoming smile. My head is still killing me. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Georgia." They say in unison.

"How can y'all be so bright-eyed and bushy tailed."

They laugh and Jaxon speaks first. "Okay, I have never heard that saying before. I like it, and I think I'll keep it."

Dallas hands me a cup of yellowish-brown liquid. "My Nana has the best morning-after cure for a hangover. We make a big batch the day before a party and warm it up the morning after. We thought you could both use some this morning." I smile and take the cup, motioning for them to follow me to our living area. Sasha is already sitting on our couch, sipping hers.

“This is very thoughtful of you two. Thank you." I quickly add. "I'm very sorry if I was rude last night. I'll text Jake later and tell him, also."

Jaxon looks at me seriously. "Don't text Jake. Let him come to you."

"I don't want him to come to me. I'm steering clear of alcohol, parties, and him from here on out."

They all smile at me, clearly not believing the words coming out of my mouth. I smile back, then stick my tongue out. I'll have to prove it then. I drink the broth-like liquid in my hand slowly. It's pretty good and it tastes like chicken broth but has a hint of nutmeg thrown in the mix. It sounds gross, but trust me, it's not terrible.

We turn on the tv and watch some popular reality shows. We laugh until we have tears. That kind of drama is hilarious. It's so fake but so great at the same time. I turn my phone on, and it instantly pings. I got a text and all three of them stare me down, trying to find out who it is by gauging my reaction. It’s Jake.

Hey Georgia. We need to talk. Are you up yet?

I leave the text on read and drop my phone back down beside me on the love seat. "Nosey much? And yes, it was Jake, and yes, I left it on read."

Another knock comes at the door, and the boys start laughing. I head towards my bedroom quickly. I don't know what was in that drink they gave me, but I need the recipe. I feel like I could run a marathon now. I put on a shirt over my tank top and head back down the hall. I'm going for a walk. I peer around the corner, relieved when I don't see Jake's tall frame. I grab my crossbody off the counter. "Hey guys, I'm going walking. Does anybody need anything?" I smile when I see the last member of the Fearless Five, the one I haven't met yet. He and Axel were the ones at the door. I wave at the new guy. "I'm Georgia or Dani."

He stands up and gives me a fist bump. "Yes, I've heard about you. Hector Rodriguez at your disposal, ma'am."

I laugh. Latin lover it is. "Nice to meet you. I'll see you later. Sasha, you good?"

I believe these guys won't hurt her, but I still ask because that's what you do. Us girls have to stick together. She nods her head and goes back to arguing with Dallas about something. I wink at Jaxon and wave bye to the other guys. How did our dorm turn into Fearless Five Central?

Before I walk out the door, Jaxon gets my attention. He takes his shirt off. "You can't be our good friend and still wear the UGA shirts on campus. Take mine and wear it proudly. Be sure to let Jake see you wear it."

"Jake will not care if I wear your shirt, but I'll wear it proudly. I can't say I won't ever wear this one again." I pull my UGA shirt off and lay it gently on the counter. I put Jaxon’s shirt on over my tank. Surprisingly, it's loose. I figured it would be more fitted to my body. "Thanks, friend!"