Of Lies & Love | weekly updates

5 | MIRA

I've always been wild and reckless. But I never thought I'd wreck myself so badly that I wouldn't remember leaving the bar with someone who wasn't Ron.

My eyes reflect the fear gripping my windpipe as I take in my unfamiliar surroundings. The menu on the bedside table tells me that I'm in a hotel room, which eases my nerves a little. It would have been awkward as hell to do the walk of shame from the stranger's house.

With the stealth of a cheetah, I slide out of bed and tiptoe to the far end of the room to retrieve my stilettos and sling bag. My body complains about the effort as pain shoots up from my head to my toe, adding to the terrible pounding in my head.

I make a dash for the door, but before I can unlock it, a voice reaches my ear, and I freeze, unsure of my next move.

If the stranger follows me to the lobby, it will be a recipe for disaster. But, considering we spent the night under the sheets, I've plenty of time to make it out of here while he gets ready. 

Unless, of course, the dude is crazy enough to run after me in his birthday suit.

I turn the handle of the door— once, twice— and bang my head against it when I realize it is locked. I slowly turn around and find the stranger staring at me. Much to my surprise, he is fully dressed, the creases on his blazer and pants indicating that he must have slept in them all night. It's only then that I look down at my clothes-clad body and frown.

"Did we not sleep together?" I ask, then mentally slap myself. I would know if we did anything.

He continues to gaze at me, and I swear I can hear my pulse beating at a rate I don't think is normal. I rub my sweaty palms against my dress and look around the fancy room once more, anything to avoid his eyes.

"No," he replies finally, confirming my thoughts.

Relief floods over me, but I'm still baffled. "Can you unlock the door?"

He runs his fingers through his hair and gets out of bed. With every step he takes in my direction, he feels familiar but I can't recall where I've seen him until he is standing a few inches away from me.

My heart is in my throat as I stare at him. He must have noticed the look of recognition on my face because he takes my hand and leads me to the leather couch. While he pours a glass of water for me, I try to make sense of the situation.

Of all the people at the bar, why did it have to be Rihan?

Then the bulb in my head lights up.

The bachelor's party.

I wish I had checked before going my merry way so I wouldn't be here.

He hands me the glass and settles next to me. I take slow sips of the water, my parched throat begging for more, but I'm trying to withhold the conversation for as long as possible. It's a struggle with his eyes piercing through me with every passing moment. If he could read my thoughts, he would know how much I despise being the centre of attention. I wipe my mouth with the back of my palm and set the empty glass on the table.

The silence is unnerving, and so is his intense stare. I consciously run my fingers through my hair to tame the wild strands, hoping I don't look half as bad as I'm feeling.

"What were you doing at the bar?"

The question sets me in a flurry of panic, but a quick glance at the sleeves covering my arms calms me down. "I, um, had my bachelorette party," I stutter out the words without thinking too much, but I fail to sound convincing, causing him to narrow his eyes at me.