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HOPE
Someone is banging from inside my skull. My head hurts like it has been sliced in two and waves of nausea add to my misery. I try to open my eyes but close them immediately as brightness blinds me, drawing a groan out of me. When something warm shifts behind me, I turn around to come face to face with Zach who lazily opens his eyes and smiles.
For a moment, my hazy brain is taken by his beauty and my heart skips a beat. I’ve never seen him this close. He has a day-old fine stubble, and I realize his gray irises aren’t clear as I always thought but stormy with white clouds.
They are sohim.
He has bed hair, which adds to his allure, and my hand impulsively lifts, and before I can stop it, I trace his lips with my fingers.
Zach’s smiling face morphs into something serious, and when he sucks in a breath, I’m brought back to my senses.
God, this isn’t a dream!
With my heart thrashing like my stand mixer running at full speed, I pull back and quickly turn away from him. But the sudden movement brings back the nausea and I rush to the bathroom and kneel beside the toilet.
Once it feels like everything that was in my stomach is out and I’m left with nothing but dry heaves, I wash my mouth, and while brushing my teeth, stare at my reflection in the mirror.
Bits and pieces of last night return, I was drinking the punch. Shit! Was there something in it? I remember I was tipsy and Zach carried me home. I said something to him.
What the hell did I say to him?
I rummage through my hazy, aching brain.
Did I ask him to kiss me?
I remember his face watching me sleep. Was it real or my imagination?
God, what the hell have I done?
I enter cautiously into the room after taking a shower. I try to avoid meeting Zach’s gaze and search for my phone. I need to make sure that Ray is fine.
“Hope,” Zach says as I’m moving things around on my nightstand.
I look up at him and his beautiful face stuns me as his eyes pin me with a mix of curiosity and hesitation. He opens his palm, bringing forward two white pills for me.
“Tylenol. It will help with the headache. You better take today lightly.”
I nod and my fingers lightly brush his palm, sending shivers through my whole body. My eyes search his as we simply stare at each other for a moment.
Zach finally places my phone on the bed, picking it up fromhisnightstand. “Don’t worry about Ray. He is safe and having fun. Kristy called, they are leaving for the amusement park soon.”
I nod and gulp the medicine with water.
“How are you?” he asks as I place the empty glass of water back on the nightstand.
“I feel like someone is banging my head.”
“Understandable, you were pretty wasted last night.” He cracks a smile and I’m sure my face is red with embarrassment.
“I don’t remember everything, but I think I wasn’t myself last night.”
“Uh-huh.” Mischief gleams in his eyes. “Or maybe you were?”
My breath catches at his crooked grin, but before I can make much of his words, he’s out of the bed, still dressed in the same black dress pants and white shirt from last evening. “Let’s have breakfast. I asked Will to prepare some hangover food for you.”
Without waiting for my response, he leaves the room and I follow him to the kitchen where Will is as always ready with coffee and breakfast.
“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Teager. I hear you had fun last night.”
