⤜---⤛ 𝔽𝕀𝕊𝕊𝕌ℝ𝔼 ⤜---⤛ ▬▬ 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤 ∗ 𝕛𝕛 ▬▬

⤛ 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 ⤜

Talia's head pounded as she slowly opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the light in the room. Her heart sank as she remembered and as she tried to sit up, she froze, realising she was no longer in the bar. Instead, she found herself in an unfamiliar place — it looked like bougie hotel room. Panic set in as she tried to piece together the events of the previous night. She vaguely remembered texting someone, but her mind was still groggy.

Spotting her phone on the bedside table, she reached for it, but as she did, the doorknob turned slowly, creaking open. A tall, muscular figure appeared in the doorway. Noa.

"Hey," Noa said softly, his voice laced with concern. "How are you feeling?"

As if the question triggered something, a wave of nausea washed over Talia. She tried to stifle a groan, and Noa quickly handed her a glass of water, which she gulped down as if she had been lost in the desert for weeks. Her attention shifted to Noa, who was now standing at the foot of the bed, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"I'm okay," she said, her voice hoarse. "What happened?"

Noa leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I found you on the floor of a bar out on the pier," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment, like a concerned parent scolding a child. "You were pretty out of it, and... I didn't know where you lived, so..." He trailed off, looking awkward.

Talia had a worrying thought and she quickly glanced down at her clothes, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she realised they were the same she had on the night before. Then, as grateful as she was that she wasn't still on the floor of the bar, she felt a pang of guilt, quickly followed by another wave of embarrassment. She thought her cheeks couldn't get any redder.

"Sorry" Noa said, shifting uncomfortably and avoiding her gaze.

Talia opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a loud growling sound coming from her stomach. She winced in pain and wondered what time it was. She had barely eaten anything yesterday, which had only made the effects of the alcohol worse. "Shit, no," she said. "That's my bad. I shouldn't have... I mean, I just didn't want to be stranded there alone after..." She trailed off, feeling foolish for even bringing it up.

Noa shook his head. "You don't have to tell me what happened. I'm just glad you're okay." He eyed her for a moment, scratching the back of his neck before asking, "Are you hungry?"

Talia's stomach growled again in response, but the words came out on their own. "No, I'm okay." Dumbass.

He looked at her, his expression mixed. "Well, if you change your mind, there's some breakfast downstairs. Help yourself to whatever. You can stay as long as you need." Noa nodded toward the ensuite and then left down the hall.

If someone had told her this is how she'd be spending her Sunday morning, she would've laughed in their face. So much had happened in the last few days, it was difficult to get her head around it all.

"Thanks!" she called out, somewhat unsurely.

Okay, get yourself together. Food first. She glanced at the bathroom door and then down at her sticky shirt and dirty shorts. Sliding out of bed, she looked back at the clean sheets with a grimace. Oops. Maybe a shower first.

In the bathroom, Talia noticed a folded pile of oversized clothes: a t-shirt and sweatpants seemingly belonging to Noa and left out by him. She took advantage of the free hot water and indulged in a long shower, grateful for the chance to wash away the grime and sweat of the night before.

As Talia made her way out of the shower, she immediately felt much better. She dried off and dressed quickly in Noa's clothes, which swallowed her small frame. She couldn't help but feel a little silly in them, but it was a better alternative to wearing her dirty clothes from the night before. As she finished getting ready, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was still wet and messy, so she threw it up in a bun with a hair-tie from her wrist.