The Pinnacle

Ch4

Blaring rays of sunlight penetrated the curtains, and the heat on my cheeks woke me from my slumber. In my haze, I could see the LED digits on the face of my alarm clock read 8:37 AM. Lifting myself just slightly onto my elbows, I was immediately hit with the consequences of the night before. My head felt like it had been rolled over by an armored tank, scrubbed through a bed of spikes, and then run over again. As did my back. Hangovers sucked. How much did I actually end up drinking?

I laid back down slowly, resting my head back onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. Shit, everything came back to me. Ushiwaka.. we... I... fuck. I groaned, shutting my eyes in denial. I wasn't stressed that we had sex, I was stressed that I told him the truth, the whole truth. One that I had been suppressing for so long, even for myself.

The oxygen left my throat when I remembered that Ushiwaka didn't leave the night before. That's right, he got back in bed and went to sleep. My head snapped to my right at hyper speed. Ow. But there was no one there. Did he leave while I was still asleep? Really Ushiwaka, a hit and ditch? Was he gone for good now? No, it was better this way. I didn't want to have to face him anyway. I ought to have been happy that he left on his own.

Eventually, I made my way out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen per my usual morning routine. My eyes were still half closed. The pounding of my head was like deafening Taiko drums. Why did I torture myself like this? I knew I was a lightweight. Why drink? God, hangovers really sucked.

My body went through the motions on its own, reaching up to the overhead cabinet for a coffee mug and settling it on the counter. Then to the drawer for a spoon when suddenly, the silence was met with a "Morning." I jumped. Turning my head toward the direction of the intruder, I spotted Ushiwaka on the other side of the apartment, sitting on the couch nonchalantly with a book and cup in hand.

"Umm... morning." I stuttered out softly. So, he was still here.

"I helped myself to coffee."

"That's fine, " I turned my head down, continuing to work on my own cup.

He closed the book and placed it on my coffee table, then stood up from the couch and approached me. "Don't. Let's go out for breakfast."

Before I could even respond, he had swiftly continued his stride past me and gotten to the door, putting on his shoes. I stared at him dumbfounded. What? "Let's go," He repeated, with a sternness that came from the depths of his throat.

I followed him like the instinct of an animal to its mate, or its predator. With Ushiwaka, not only was his physical prowess overwhelming but his charisma was as well. He was the type of person who was so confident and astute in his words that you would just fall into his flow. I was still too hazy and dizzy anyway.

We ended up at a small cafe close by to eat. I welcomed the first, the second, and ultimately the third cup of coffee with eagerness and gratitude. With the relief of caffeine, however, came an unwelcome clarity of the situation I was sitting in. Ushiwaka and I were sitting together having breakfast two years on from when I had decided to separate myself from him. Not only that, we had sex the night before. And to add the cherry on top, I had told him how I truly left after all this time. Why did life need to put him in my path again? I was doing just fine up until now.

We continued to eat quietly as I stewed away with my own thoughts. I had no idea what I was supposed to say. There were no instructions, 'how to conduct conversation the morning after' wasn't a core college class. Besides, why did it have to be my responsibility? If Ushiwaka didn't feel like we needed to discuss anything, then neither did I. In the end, the only words exchanged were with our waiter. His stoic demeanor continued to throw me off. The chaos of questions from the night before was suppressed in the back of my mind by his straightforward disposition.