The Only Exception

Fourteen

~Lainey~

Do you know when you have one of those kind of sleeps that are so good, so deep that you just- don't have a clue what's going on when you wake up? 

That was how I woke up this morning. Dazed and confused and wrapped up in someone's arms with my phone blaring out Chelsea's ringtone. I'd leaned over to grab it without moving or opening my eyes. Whoever I was laid with right now was warm, comfortable and I swear to god I have never felt that comfortable laying on someone's bicep with my face smushed into their chest. 

"Hello?" I grumbled into the phone, letting the guy wrap his arms around me a little tighter. 

"Do not tell me you're still in bed. Lainey, we have class in like 40 minutes and it's an exam for half your grade." 

"Shit." My eyes opened. "Shit. Shit, shit." I leaned up, kissing the sleeping guy quickly so he didn't feel like I was abandoning him after what must have been a mad night. Until I work out who he is, I don't know what my plan to sort this is. I don't know if he was a one night stand or someone I wanted to keep around for a few weeks or what. Better to leave it on a sweet note right? Barely a second and I was scrambling with blurry sight to get myself down the hall. 

40 minutes. I had 40 minutes to do an hours worth of getting ready and get myself to class. Luckily, I showered last night and my hair had dried straight. I brushed my teeth, tossing my phone to the bed whilst I quickly changed. Pulling on one of my staple outfits and tossing the most basic of makeup onto my face, dashing for the door a grand total of 15 minutes later. 

"Morn-" Spencer stood in the doorway to the home theater, scratching his neck. 

"My alarm didn't go off. I'm running late." I grabbed my pre packed bag from the floor by the front door pulling it over my shoulder and opening the door so quickly it slammed into the wall behind it but I didn't have time to even check I didn't cause damage. 

Luckily, Chels had sent the elevator up from reception so it was there, waiting. I stepped in, looking at myself in the mirror and smirking. Not too bad. I mean, I could look better. But I don't look like I was passed out 15 minutes ago that's for sure. 

That was such a good sleep. Even for being curled up- realisation hits me like a piano falling on the head of a passerby in a cartoon and I'm being hammered into the floor. 

I kissed Spencer. 

It wasn't a one night stand. Wasn't some guy I met in a club or someone from a late night run to the supermarket like it normally is. I wasn't living home alone anymore. I stayed in all night with Spencer, laughing and talking and reenacting my favourite film word for word because of course he still knew every single word, action and accent to Emperors New Groove. I made him watch it so many times as a kid. 

It was his arms I must have fallen asleep in. It was his bicep I'd used as a pillow. His arms pulling me into him. His after shave that was clinging to me even now. His lips I'd leaned up and subconsciously kissed.  

Oh GOD. 

"Lainey? Hello? Jesus Christ woman." Chelsea grabbed my hand, pulling me out the lift and through reception and I blacked back out. I could feel my body moving and hear her talking but what she was saying was in another dimension. She pulled me down into a cab, shoving something hot into my hand and I looked down, back to her. "Are you still asleep or something?" 

That has to be it! I'm having a nightmare. Because there is no where, in any world where I am sane, alive, or awake where I'd have kissed Spencer. He's - He's- No. No. I'm having a nightmare. That's all. One class act nightmare. I pinch the skin on my arms, sucking in a sharp breath through my teeth when it hurts. Nope. Not dreaming. Shit. 

"Nope. Unfortunately I am not having a nightmare and this is, indeed, real life." Chels lifts an eyebrow. This is so fucked up. He's Noah's best friend. Him and Noah stopped being friends because of me and now they're friends again and I- I just kiss him like he's someone that's not FUCKING SPENCER CRAWFORD?! 

"What is with you today?" Chelsea helps me out of the cab, holding what I have now deduced was a boiling hot black coffee she must have got when she realised she'd woken me up. We started walking to class at a quicker pace than normal and I was trying to find a way to shove this to the back of my mind and not think about it. This exam was huge. I could not fail it because of this. I need to focus. Put my head back on my shoulders and focus on the exam. I can work out how we're gonna handle - this- after. 

"Uh- Just one of those - one of those mornings. You  know?" 

"You slept with someone last night didn't you?" 

"What? No!" 

"Mhm. You've got that look on your face where you're not 100% sure what happened. I know you too well. Did you dip out when Spencer was asleep again? Oh my god, did you leave the guy there? Spencer's gonna kill him." 

"Ahe- yeah. Uh. Not my- not my problem. Right?" Chelsea laughed, pushing the door to the classroom open and we just made it with literal seconds to spare. 

Focusing on this exam was essential but I could feel Spencer literally everywhere. I know other people couldn't smell his aftershave but I could. I could feel each of his inhales, his body pressed against mine. I could feel his- oh god he had a fucking boner. It was pressing into me and he, he just pulled me closer. 

How the fuck do I handle this? 

Do I just- just ignore it? Pretend it didn't happen? I mean I was out of it. He could have imagined it right? He was still asleep. If I tell him it never happened he couldn't-

"Miss Bishop. The exams over." I looked up at my tutor, the paper that I'd only half filled out being pulled from under my hold and walking away. 

And now I've failed an exam worth 50% of my grade. 

Happy fucking Monday.