Right Here, Right Now

Chapter Nine

*Ella's pov*

It was a mixture of the sunlight coming through the window and the painful pounding in my head that woke me up. I sat up drowsily, my eyes roaming the room in an attempt to gather in my surroundings. The room looked identical to the one I had arrived to yesterday, yet something felt off. When I looked down and saw the Eagles t shirt draped loosely against my skin, pieces of last night began to come back to me. I was in Charlie's bed.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," My eyes darted towards the bathroom door, startled by Charlie's sudden appearance. He stood in the door frame brushing his teeth, freshly out of the shower with wet hair. The only thing he was wearing was a white hotel towel tied around his waist. "Taking in the view?" I quickly pulled my eyes away from his bare torso and back up to his face where he was smirking at me.

"Ughhhhhhh," I groaned and yanked the comforter back over my head. I heard Charlie close the bathroom door and a few minutes later return again to the side of my bed.

"Hey, sit up. I have water and aspirin for your headache, and Owen is in the kitchen making breakfast." Charlie gently tugged at my shoulder causing me to sit up. I smiled at the sight of him holding a glass of water in one hand and two tiny pills in the other. "El, are you okay?" He asked as he began spinning around me. In fact, the whole room began to spin. I could sense myself start to faint as I reached onto Charlie's bicep for stability, my arm too weak to hold my body up. Before I could fall backwards in unconsciousness, Charlie's arm wrapped tightly around mine keeping me in place.

"I don't feel too well," I nearly whispered. My stomach started to turn and I quickly jumped off of the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, collapsing on the ground next to the toilet. I heard Charlie walk in and felt him slowly tug my hair back as I began to throw up. We stayed like that for a while before I was done and I leaned up against the bathtub. "I'm really sorry," I looked up at Charlie with pity filled eyes. Fighting the urge to cry from the embarrassment.

"Don't be. You know how many times I've been in your position? Way too many. I'm glad I was here," He smiled at me before grabbing an extra tooth brush from his bag and handing it to me. "Guess you're not really in the mood for Owen's mini pancakes huh?" I laughed and shook my head. After I brushed my teeth I walked out into the living room to find Owen and Charlie. I froze in shock when I saw Jeremy, Carolynn, Tori and Kenny also standing in the living room.

"Cute shirt Ella," Jeremy smirked as Carolynn slapped him on the shoulder. I awkwardly fake laughed in an attempt to hide my embarrassment as I tugged Charlie's shirt further down my legs.

"Charlie is that your shirt?" Tori said from beside Charlie on the couch. My cheeks turned bright red and Charlie looked up at me apologetically. "Didn't know sleepovers got you new clothes," Tori glared at me and I felt my eyes brim with water.

Now they're all going to think you're a whore

I scoffed at myself in my head.

"Hey Ella we're about to go rent mopeds, let me walk you back to your room so you can get ready." Owen said quickly as he guided me out the front door of the suite. When we got outside I placed my face in my hands.

"That was mortifying. O, Charlie and I didn't-" I tried to defend myself before Owen cut me off, grabbing both of my shoulders.

"Ella, I know. No one thinks you did," Owen looked me in the eyes assuringly.

"Sure sounds like Tori thinks we did something," I glanced away from Owen and stared at the ground below me.

"Ignore Tori. She's just jealous of your new shirt," Owen laughed and tugged slightly on the sleeve of my gray shirt, causing me to smile up at him. I leaned in and hugged him before walking back to my room. "I'll stop by to get you in half an hour," I nodded as Owen walked away and back towards his suite. I quickly got into the shower, eager to wash the remnants of last night off of me. When I got out I changed into my orange bikini and some jean shorts and braided my hair into two Dutch braids. By the time I was finished getting ready, there was a knock at my door. I skipped happily and threw open the door, revealing Owen in his white Sunset Curve t shirt and red backwards hat.