My Mr. Artist

Chapter 15

Kiyah

Ugh, my head! It hurts so bad. Fuck, man—ooouch.

I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like the hardest task in the world. My whole body ached as if I'd been crushed under a car—no, a bus. My head felt like it was about to burst any second. Could someone please make that ringing stop?!

I reached blindly for my phone, but the moment my hand grabbed something, my body froze. The shape wasn't right. The more I tried to figure it out, the more wrong it felt—until it suddenly made a sound. My heart almost stopped.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed, forgetting all about my pain as I jumped up, ready to run for my life.

"Hey, what happened?"

That familiar voice made me pause mid-panic. I turned and saw Saira—my new friend... or maybe not—slowly sitting up, one hand pressed to her head as she struggled to open her eyes. She looked even worse than me, which instantly made me feel guilty.

I hurried to shut off my still-ringing phone. The time read 7:20 a.m. Sunday. No office. The relief was short-lived as nausea hit me. Flashes of last night's shenanigans made my stomach churn. Embarrassment settled in like a heavy blanket. I dropped into the nearest chair, trying to keep myself from spiraling.

A loud thud pulled me out of my daze. I turned to see Saira collapsing.

"Are you okay?" I rushed over, helping her back onto the bed.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," she muttered, clutching her head.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken you out drinking. I don't know what got into me." I fidgeted awkwardly, unable to meet her eyes.

"No, I didn't tell you on purpose. I wanted to try it. And now you're my friend, so like they say—no sorry, no thank you in friendship. Oh my god, it really hurts. Now I actually know what a hangover means."

Her rambling made me chuckle despite myself. I shook my head helplessly.

"You should rest a bit more. It's still early. I'll make you something to eat and find some medicine—you'll feel better after that." I tucked her in and pulled the blanket over her.

"Thank you."

I looked at her, and she quickly added with a smile, "Right, no sorry, no thank you."

She was really too cute.

_

A warm shower later, I finally felt human again. Just as I headed toward the kitchen, a sudden knock startled me. The clock read 8:36 a.m. Who could it be this early?

Opening the door, my embarrassment spiked to a new level.

Arnav.

Before yesterday, I'd seen only him in Ansh's photo albums and even spoken to him a couple of times—well, more like he'd teased him while on speakerphone. Honestly, I didn't have much of an impression of him.

"Saira?" Arnav asked, completely ignoring any greeting.

"She's still sleeping," I answered, stepping aside and opening the door wide to let him in.

"Ohh, so I'm welcome today," he scoffed, and I just looked back at him, confused.

"Just take this," he sighed, handing me a large paper bag. I opened it to find multiple containers of food, the aroma instantly lifting my mood. I looked at him and offered a grateful smile.

"It must've been hard on you. You can sit; I'll bring you tea, coffee, or Bournvita?" I asked, wanting to show my appreciation.

He scoffed again but sat on the couch, requesting a cup of coffee.