I woke up to the familiar sensation of bedsheets draped over me, Spencer's arm casually slung across my waist. It was like déjà vu from the first time this happened. "My head is absolutely pounding," I groaned, rubbing my temples as I tried to shake off the remnants of last night's festivities.
"Unlucky," Spencer replied with a smirk, his lips pressing gently against my forehead before he settled back into his pillow.
"I'm gonna have a shower, I need a detox," I announced, pushing myself up from the bed with a wince. The events of last night were a blurry haze, but the throbbing in my head was a stark reminder.
As I made my way to the bathroom, I bumped into Harper in the hallway. "Heading to the bathroom?" she asked, and I nodded in response. We ended up sitting together in the bathroom, taking turns showering while the other kept company.
While I was in the shower, Harper broached the topic of Spencer. "So, what's up with you and Spence?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
I shrugged, the hot water soothing my aching muscles. "I don't know. What about you and Dusty?" I replied honestly, knowing that Harper deserved the same level of transparency.
Harper mirrored my uncertainty. "I don't know," she admitted with a sigh, the sound echoing off the tiled walls of the bathroom.
Once I finished my shower, Harper took her turn, and I settled on the floor, waiting for her to finish. As she washed off, she brought up another topic of conversation. "You know Amerie had a go at me?" she said, her voice tinged with frustration.
I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What? When and why?" I asked, genuinely surprised by this revelation.
Harper chuckled wryly. "You were dancing with Ant, she got mad about me and Dusty hooking up," she explained, her tone heavy with resignation.
"Oh," was all I could manage to say, the pieces of the puzzle slowly clicking into place.
Harper sighed, clearly feeling the weight of the situation. "Look, I know it's against girl code, but I didn't plan it," she confessed, her gaze searching mine for understanding.
I nodded in agreement, empathizing with her predicament. "Yeah," I replied softly, silently acknowledging the complexities of friendship and attraction.
When Harper finished her shower, we both emerged from the bathroom, the steam dissipating into the air around us.
As the aroma of sizzling pans and the tantalizing scent of breakfast wafted through the air, Harper and I exchanged curious glances. I was clad in one of Spencer's oversized t-shirts and my underwear, my hair still dripping wet down my back from the shower. With a shared sense of intrigue, we made our way down to Dusty's kitchen.
"This is cute," I remarked, moving to hug Spencer from behind as he tended to the frying pan.
"You look cute in my top," Spencer chuckled, turning to press a quick kiss to my cheek.
We all settled down to eat breakfast together, the hearty meal doing wonders to ease the remnants of my headache. Laughter filled the air as we reminisced about the events of last night, the shared memories bringing a sense of joy to the room.
Just as I was starting to relax into the easy rhythm of the morning, my phone lit up with a message
from Dad: "I will be home at 5 pumpkin!"
Anxiety gnawed at my insides as I read the message, reminding me of the looming presence of my father and the unpredictable mood swings that often accompanied his return home.
"Right, I've gotta head home" saying bye to Spider and the others before making the short walk back to my house, which was just a stone's throw away.
As I walked, the weight of anticipation settled over me, a mixture of dread and apprehension swirling in the pit of my stomach
