Unprofessional (Under editing)

Chapter 31: Cassie

Rowan's POV

I wake to a dull ache pulsing through my skull, my body a sore, tangled mess beneath the sheets. A soft groan escapes my lips as I push myself upright, my muscles protesting the movement. Blinking against the darknelbow, I glance toward the window—no sign of morning yet. I have no idea what time it is, but the weight of exhaustion still sits heavy on my limbs.

As I shift, fabric bunches around me, warm and unfamiliar. I look down, and surprise flickers through me. Isaac's sweater drapes around me, the fabric is oversized, swallowing my frame in its warmth, the sleeves slipping past my wrists. My fingers instinctively tug at the hem pulling back the loose sleeve resting above my elbow as I take in another detail—I'm clean. Though sore my skin no longer feels sticky with sweat or dried fluids. I press my nose against my forearm. A familiar scent clings to me, crisp and fresh.

Citrus.

I looked over at a sleeping Isaac and my chest swelled. lying peacefully beside me, his breathing slow and steady. The sight of him—his face relaxed in sleep, his broad chest rising and falling beneath the sheets—stirs something deep in my chest. A warmth, a quiet kind of comfort.

But it's fleeting.

A sigh escaped my lips.

I have to leave...but for now I would stay and sleep

But for now, just for a little while longer, I let my body sink back into the mattress, the warmth of the sweater and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulling me back to sleep.

___

Isaac's POV

6:45 AM

I wake up feeling refreshed, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Rolling onto my side, I see her. The golden sunlight filtering through the window makes her glow, her soft, curly brown hair framing her pretty, sleeping face.

She looks peaceful. Beautiful.

I could stay here forever, watching her, memorizing the way she breathes, the way her lips part slightly in sleep. But I know I can't stay in bed all morning. I press a gentle kiss to Rowan's forehead before slipping out from under the covers, careful not to wake her.

___

Later

The steady rhythm of my feet pounding against the treadmill is soothing, a way to clear my mind. Then my phone buzzes in my pocket. Still jogging, I pull it out and glance at the screen.

Nolan.

I slow the treadmill to a walk before answering. "Hello."

"Hey, man. I heard you left the party early."

I exhale through my nose. "Sabrina showed up." My voice flat, but the anger beneath simmers.

"What?! Shit, I'm sorry, man. You still haven't told your parents about what happened, huh?"

I rub the back of my neck. "I want to say that I just haven't got around to it, but I just can't. It would break their hearts."

Nolan scoffs. "Since when have you been afraid of breaking hearts?"

I smirk humourlessly. "Nobody wants to admit that kind of thing."

A beat of silence fell on us before Nolan spoke, "Listen, if you need anything, I'm here."

"Thanks, man," I say, my voice quieter than before.

"Of course."

We hang up, and I let out a deep sigh, dragging a hand down my face. Hopefully, I'll never have to relive that, or face my parents and tell them what really happened with me and Sabriena.