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I wake up feeling groggy and exhausted. My head is pounding and I feel like I haven’t had a sip of water in years. I blink, completely disoriented, and then freeze when I see Carter lying beside me. He’s got his arm underneath his head, his long lashes fluttering slightly. My heart starts to pound right along with my head and I inhale sharply as I look around, trying to catch my bearings.
Why am I in Carter’s bedroom? I run my hands over my body and exhale in relief when I find myself still in the dress I wore last night. Last night’s events slowly run through my mind. Carter with Lisa, Kate disappearing on me, me forgetting to bring my access card and Carter taking me home with him. I vaguely remember saying something that I feel I shouldn’t have, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. Just how much did I drink? More than I ever have before, that’s for sure.
Carter moves slightly and sighs, still half asleep. He whispers my name so softly that I barely even hear it. His lashes tremble, as though he’s about to wake up. He reaches for me and pulls me close, his arms wrapping around me. Carter pushes his face into my hair and then shifts to get more comfortable, settling his lips against the most sensitive part of my neck. His free hand moves over my body, until he’s got my ass in his palm. He squeezes and I jump, surprised. Carter freezes and pulls away from me suddenly.
“Shit,” he says, breathing hard. He blinks, disoriented, and then closes his eyes and groans as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Emilia,” he murmurs, his voice groggy.
I bite back a smile and nod at him. Did he think me being here with him was a dream? That’s kinda cute.
Carter covers his face with his arm, and I turn onto my side to look at him. He seems so flustered now that I almost want to tease him even more. Before I have a chance, he clears his throat and looks at me, a serious expression on his face.
“How are you feeling? You got pretty damn drunk last night. You’re not used to drinking, so even a few drinks will hit you real quick all of a sudden.”
He’s got his serious face on, and I pout. “I know, Carter. I just…” I don’t even know how to explain. I don’t want to admit that I drank more than I planned to because I was upset to see him with Lisa. I have no right to be upset and I don’t want him to find out I still have feelings for him.
My conversation with him slowly comes back to me and my cheeks heat up. I close my eyes and groan. I can’t believe I asked him if he’s dating Lisa or if he loves her. That’s none of my damn business. What the hell was I thinking?
Carter sits up and crosses his arms. “I’m serious, Emilia. What would you have done if I hadn’t been there last night? You could barely stand straight.”
I sit up too and comb through my hair with my hands. The way he’s looking at me, as though I’m some sort of fuck up he needs to lecture, pisses me off. “I would’ve just found someone to spend the night with,” I say, my voice dripping with venom.
Carter’s eyes flash and for a second I’m sure I saw hurt in them. “Fine,” he says, his tone harsh. “I’ll just leave you alone next time, then. Seems like you’d have had no trouble finding someone to sleep with anyway.”
I sigh and close my eyes. Why did I have to say that? He and I both know I’d never go home with just anybody.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “Thank you for taking care of me last night.”
Carter shakes his head and falls back on his pillow. He puts his arms behind his head and stares up at the ceiling. I’ve never felt this awkward around Carter before. What am I supposed to do here? Do I just leave now?
I grab my phone and frown when I see dozens of texts from Kate. She wasn’t replying when I called and texted her last night. I check the time stamp and they’re all from the last hour or so.
Kate: Did you get home okay?
Kate: I’m at Asher’s, and I think Carter is home.
Kate: How am I supposed to sneak out of here without him noticing?
Kate: Asher is still asleep so he can’t even distract Carter
Kate: Pretty please, Milly, will you come save me?
Kate: I just need you to distract Carter for a bit.
Kate: Please, Milly!
I glance at Carter and sigh before texting her back.
Emilia: I can try, but no guarantees.
I put my phone back on his nightstand before finally taking in his bedroom. Most of his furniture is dark and masculine. His room looks far less messy than it did the first day I walked in here, so many weeks ago. It actually looks kind of stylish.
“I’m sorry, Carter,” I murmur.
He looks at me and smiles tightly. “I’m sorry too,” he says. “You’re old enough to make your own choices. I made plenty of dumb choices in my freshman year, so I can’t really expect you and Kate not to make any.”
I freeze. Somehow I don’t like being grouped with Kate. It makes me feel like he sees me like a sister.
“Um, yeah,” I murmur. “Can I take you for breakfast to thank you for last night? I was just a little irresponsible and you took great care of me. Besides, outside of tutoring we haven’t really hung out or anything. It might be nice to catch up,” I say carefully.
