that summer

one step at a time

"Where are you going?" 

I thought he was asleep. But his eyes were open, half-lidded. The warm light next to the bed creates a beautiful view of his sculpted body hugging a pillow. For a second he looked kinda cute.

"I'm going back to my room." I said. 

He hummed into the sheets "Stay."

"I can't. I'll be in trouble if anyone finds out I'm not in my room tomorrow morning." I said "Don't you think?" Then I chuckled quietly.

"There you go again." he said.

I sighed.

He then sat on the bed and scratched the side of his head. "You're right. You should go. Be careful getting caught." he smiled.

I nodded, grabbing my stuff "I'll see you later."

"Later huh?"

"Yeah."

He grabbed his phone and gave it to me "Give me your number."

I took his phone, typed my number, and gave it back to him. Then I gave him one last look and walked out of the room, leaving him smirking.

In the end I made it into my bedroom without any trouble. My heart raced a little as I rushed through the long corridors of the inn. And the thoughts of what had just happened made my heart raced even faster. 

Did I feel guilty? No. Strangely no. I didn't.

That night I went to bed, thinking about everything that happened. Not only the fact that I just slept with Toji, but the words we exchanged. What he said. What I said. I was, again, trying to make out my mind. 

-

"Did you get back early last night?" my cousin asked as we ate breakfast.

The dinning hall was filled with hangover people. Seemed like almost everyone was drunk last night. Except for those who, like my cousin, have children to take care of. 

"Yeah." I said.

She took a sip of orange juice and said "Someone told me that they saw you hanging out with Toji at the party last night."

"Who told you?" I asked, feeling nervous.

"Someone." she said. 

I tried to form a smile "Well that someone might be drunk. Because I didn't hang out with Toji."

"Really?" 

I knew she didn't believe me. As I said, she could be a great actress. So she knows bad acting.

I nodded "I didn't hang out with him. He just sat next to me. So I greeted him. Then he left."

"Hmm." she hummed, taking another sip of orang juice. "Just remember what I told you about Toji, okay?"

I nodded again. I've been nodding a lot. 

Suddenly we heard the dinning room door opened. There was our grandfather, looking miserable, walking with his stick. People were walking next to him, crowding him like he could fall at any point. He was old and he did have a history of stroke. But he was still working very well for his age.

"I heard grandpa was looking bad this morning. But he seemed fine last night." my cousin whispered.

"He's probably hangover." I said.

"We all know he never drinks more than one glasses of wine since the stroke." she took a bite of her pancake "Besides, I walked him back to his room last night. He seemed fine like usual."