NOT THAT BAD

04: Half French, Half Toast

Sunday morning greeted me by blinding me with a flood of sunlight through a window on the far side of my room.

My eyes open groggily, and I blink a few times to try and get my bearings.

I don't recognize anything. This was the wrong blanket draped over my waist, the wrong window on the wrong side of the room, the wrong paint on the walls.

I try to rub my eyes to see if it's just the morning haze screwing up my vision, but I can't even move my arms. Tightly, my back is held against someone's chest, their short hair brushing the back of my neck and their hot breath fanning the ten sizes too large t-shirt draped on my frame.

By instinct, Kasen's name is on the tip of my tongue, about to tell him to stop using me as a teddy bear, but then I realize that my frequent sleepovers with my best friend had ended years ago, and this guy wasn't Kase, it was Spencer Mora.

Before I can turn around and get a better look at the guy holding me captive, his bedroom door swings open so fast, I thought it was going to fall off the hinges. Two girl come running in, one with her phone out, as I try to sit up in bed and Spencer groans, as he buries his face deeper into his pillow, already realizing it was his little sister.

"Get the fuck out, Lindsey," he mumbles into his pillow, but nonetheless, the girls run out, laughing and giggling.

He rolls back over, and I run a nervous hand through my hair. Yesterday was Homecoming, Kase had bailed on me after blackmailing me to go with him, and I had somehow ended up walking around the neighborhood until I finally ended up in this guy's house.

"Sorry about them," he sighs. I shrug. I needed to leave and go back home.

"I'll drive you," he offers.

"What?" I say immediately, and then run my hand through my hair again. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud, but I should probably get going or something. I think I've outstayed my welcome," I laugh awkwardly, as I swing my feet over the side of the bed, still sluggish from just waking up.

"You're welcome as long as you want to stay," he distractedly answers me.

I'm about to stand up until his hand grabs my wrist and pulls me back down onto the bed, until I'm trying to break my fall, one hand on each side of his chest, and one leg in between both of his.

"Whoa, Tayce, all you had to do was ask, babe," he chuckles.

"You brought this upon yourself, pretty boy," I rolled my eyes, before moving to get up off of him.

"So now I'm pretty boy, huh?" he says, with a smile consuming his features.

I don't acknowledge him. "Oh, and my name's not babe, just thought you should know" I say without turning around, before making my way to his bathroom and locking the door behind me.

As soon as I check the lock again, I let out the breath I hadn't even realized I was holding in, and stared at my disheveled reflection in the mirror. My hair was splayed and tangled around my face, probably from all the times I'd run my fingers through it.

I turn on the hot water in the sink and wash my face with some of the face cleanser I found lying on the counter, and wash all of last night off of me. Figuring that I'd just take a shower at my house when I got home, I unlocked the bathroom door.

"So, babe," he starts, trying to keep the smile out of his voice as I glare at him. I bend down to pick up my dress, folded messily in heap at the foot of his bed. "What are you doing later today?"

The tone of his voice changed completely and instead of the joking and playful smirk he had on a few seconds ago, he sounded casual, but I could hear the nervous edge to his words. I stay vague with my answer. "I'm just going to go and take a shower at home and I'll probably figure out something to do afterwards," I shrug.