𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 || 𝘫𝘫 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬

𝐅 𝐈 𝐅 𝐓 𝐄 𝐄 𝐍

I open my eyes while sunlight peeps into the Chateau. I see JJ putting on his shirt and taking a glass of water from the counter. I quickly close my eyes again, pretending I'm still asleep. He walks over to me and looks at me.

I feel his lips on my head, and he whispers, "I'm sorry, Leena, but we can't do this." He takes his hat and walks out.

I open my eyes and lay my hand on my forehead.

Fuck.

I don't want to fully wake up, so I try to sleep a bit longer. After half an hour of watching every passing minute on the clock in the corner, I decide to get up.

My eyes trace down my body, and I see that I'm wearing JJ's t-shirt. But... I saw him putting his shirt on? He probably has plenty of shirts lying around here, considering he practically lives here.

I swing the blanket off my body and stand up. I put my curly hair behind my ear and look around the Chateau. The sun outside indicates it's early in the morning.

His shirt still carries his scent when I hold it between my fingertips, bringing it close to my nose. Tears start to well up in my eyes as I think about last night. It felt so good, almost too good. Yet, he probably just sees it as a random hookup.

How could I let this happen? Every time I see him now, I'll be reminded of this night.

I take off JJ's shirt and put on my own clothes. I need to get out of here before John B shows up. Suddenly, it starts pouring rain outside. Really hard. I groan to myself and grab the shirt I had thrown on the couch. When I step outside, I pull the door shut and start running in the rain.

Why does the weather always go from sunny to rainy?

Mid-sprint, I decide to just walk because I'm already soaked anyway. After walking for a while, Tannyhill comes into sight. I sprint to the door and knock.

Sarah comes downstairs and opens the door. "Aleena, you're at home here, okay? Just come inside without knocking or calling or ringing the bell, or whatever," she rattles enthusiastically. I notice that she's also drenched by the rain, just like I am.

I raise my eyebrows and grin. "Sarah, such enthusiasm. Love that," I wink at her.

I wipe my feet on the mat and walk past Sarah. But just as I walk past her, she gasps and grabs my wrist to pull me back.

"I'm not home for one night, and you already have a hickey on your neck?!" she exclaims a bit too loudly.

I'm taken aback by her words and realize that I hadn't checked my neck. Without thinking, I quickly cover my neck with my hand. "Shut your mouth, Sarah. Rafe walks in this house too."

Sarah takes my wrist again and pulls me upstairs. She looks around, checking if anyone's listening, and then takes me through the door of her room.

She sets me on her bed and crosses her arms over her chest. With a serious look, she stands in front of me. "It's not a hickey from who I think it is, is it?"

I shut my mouth wisely and look outside the window.

"Aleena? What happened?"

"Nothing! I mean... It doesn't matter anymore."

Sarah sits beside me, her expression a mix of shock and concern. "Just tell me what happened," she urges, peering at my neck. "Oh, oh, it's not just one hickey, there are like 4 or something! Is JJ a vampire?"

I let out a small laugh, despite the situation. "Look, Rafe and his squad took me to the OBX series, you know, since you asked-"

Sarah interrupts, looking puzzled. "What did I ask?"