Shattered Asylum

Chapter 13

I have no idea where I am. My head feels like it's been split open, and my stomach churns like I've been on a roller coaster for hours. The last thing I remember is leaving with Kristina and Grayson. So, maybe I'm at Kristina's house?

I glance down at myself and realize I'm not wearing my clothes. Instead, I'm in an oversized black hoodie that falls to the middle of my thigh and a pair of boxer shorts. My stomach drops.

Where is my bra and underwear?

I feel my breath quicken as panic sets in. Someone must have changed me, which means they saw everything..my back, my chest. Every scar.

I take a shaky inhale, trying to calm down. The hoodie smells of amberwood and vanilla, Grayson's scent. My pulse picks up again, my mind spinning at the thought of him seeing me like that...or worse.

I sit up, scanning the room, and it hits me. This isn't Kristina's house. This is Grayson's room.

Shit. What did I get myself into?

A glass of water and two pills sit neatly on the nightstand beside me, along with a small note that reads, Take these. Grayson's handwriting. I swallow the pills with the water, my hands trembling slightly.

Just as I set the glass back down, I hear laughter from somewhere outside the room, followed by footsteps heading closer.

My palms start to sweat as panic surges again. What should I do? Pretend to still be asleep?

Before I can decide, the door creaks open, and I hear a voice. "I'm surprised you were even able to carry him."

Grayson appears in the doorway, smirking as his gaze locks on me. "Finally, you're awake."

I rub my eyes, trying to shake the lingering haze. "What time is it?"

"Almost one," he replies, stepping further into the room.

"One?" I slept that long? I haven't slept past five a.m. in... I don't even know how long.

My cheeks burn as I force myself to ask the question looming in my mind. "D-did we have...you know, do anything?"

Grayson's smirk deepens, and he runs a hand through his hair. "No. You threw up on your clothes, so Kristina changed you. I slept in the living room."

I exhale, relief washing over me, though the mortification lingers. "Why didn't you just put me in the guest bedroom?" I ask, remembering seeing one the last time I was here.

"My sister's using it," he says casually, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You have a sister?" The surprise is evident in my voice. How did I not know this?

"Yeah, she's in college.  She came for the week before heading to my parents' place."

"Oh." I glance at his face, noticing the rug burn from when he fell last night. "How's your face?"

"It's fine," he says with a chuckle. "You're stronger than you look."

"Yeah, sorry again."

"Don't worry about it," he says, waving me off "I've got an extra toothbrush, and your clothes are almost done drying. If you want to shower, you can use my bathroom."

I hesitate. A shower sounds heavenly, but it's so...personal. "Oh, uh, thanks."

He gets up and opens the bathroom door. Ah, so that's where it goes. Somehow, I'd imagined something absurd, like a red room or a secret lair.

I follow him into the bathroom, and my jaw nearly drops. It's as big as his bedroom. The walk-in shower could easily fit three people, and the Jacuzzi tub in the corner looks like something out of a luxury spa.