Ghost Of You | cth

23. Valentine

~Calum

The pounding of my head wakes me up earlier than I have to be awake. I'm quick to notice my surroundings, this is not my room.

I look to my right and see Vanessa in such a deep sleep that loud snores are coming through her mouth after the other repeatedly. It's not the volume of her snores that shock me into consciousness, but rather the person she is rooming with.

Turning my head to the left, I see Paige fast asleep with blonde messy hair in her face and soft, angelic breaths that she inhales and exhales through her mouth and nose. I stay laid down next to the girl, careful not to make any sudden movements that could wake her.

I realized that in the midst of still being awake and laid down next to her that my eyes never wandered from her face that is over taken by exhaustion and mascara stained cheeks.

A million questions begin swirling around in my head. One stands foremost; how did I end up sleeping next to Paige?

The most recent memory I have from over the past twenty four hours are none of my friends speaking to me which led to a build up of anxiety and having shots at the hotel bar.

Instant regret and embarrassment flow through my veins until I can feel the nervousness floating around in my stomach.

Another important question replaces the previous; what did I say last night that ended me in this position?

The fact that Paige is even letting me be this close to her says that I must have done something good last night. Either that or, she's just an overly kind person who would do anything for anyone no matter the circumstances.

I decide on going to the bathroom to wash my face and clear my head. There's no use in trying to fall asleep again now.

The mattress makes a few loud squeaky sounds as I carefully drag myself off the bed and plant my feet on the carpeted floor. My head hurts even worse with each step I take towards the bathroom, desperately needing to take a pain killer.

This is what I get for trying to drink my problems away.

I close the door behind me in order to suppress any noises I would make while I'm in here, and bend my upper body down to be closer towards the sink. I turn the water on and cup my palms to gather water and splash it onto my face.

The combination of fatigue and cold water feels amazing for what I can get right now. It's not enough to rid my headache entirely, but it feels so refreshing this early in the morning.

As I dry my face with a provided towel and take care of other morning necessities, it is only then that I realize I am still in yesterdays clothes and am in desperate need of a shower.

Its dark in the room and I have no idea of what time it is, but going back to my room to get a head start on the day wouldn't be such a bad idea.

I exit the bathroom and grab my phone from off the nightstand. Loud snores are still coming from Vanessa's side of the room while quiet breaths escape from Paige. It causes a light feeling in my chest to know that right now in this moment she's peaceful and not having to worry about anything. Something that rarely ever happens.

The time on my phone reads 8:30am and we don't have to be at the venue until the afternoon, leaving me enough time to take a shower and get rid of my intensifying headache.

I quietly slip out of their hotel room, closing the door behind myself and walk across the hall to my room. I mentally pat my past self on the back for keeping the room key in my pocket last night, before pulling it out and using it to unlock the door to Ashton and I's room.