You Look Lonely - F1

VIII

I groaned, my head pounding like never before. The sun pierced through the blinds, warming my cheeks uncomfortably. I tried to shift under the sheets, but my stomach groaned and churned dangerously.

Oh no

I scrambled out of bed, barely making it to the bathroom before vomiting up all the alcohol from the night before. My entire body ached as I coughed and heaved, and a pair of hands appeared out of nowhere to hold my hair back in a ponytail.

"It's all good, I'm here for you. Just let it all out" a warm voice said. I couldn't make out who it was, but I kept going until there was nothing more left. The room spun fast and a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

The throbbing in my head was violent, a reminder of the too much alcohol I had consumed. The single thought of it made me shiver.

"I am never drinking again" I mumbled, letting myself lean back against a pair of legs.

"Everyone says that," the voice replied with a gentle chuckle. "Let's get you back to bed. We have a few hours before we need to be out in the desert. I'll get you some water." As my eyes adjusted to the bright morning light, I saw a face with kind, concerned hazel eyes looking down at me.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?" I exclaimed, standing up too quickly and immediately regretting it as my stomach protested.

I doubled over, vomiting again. "Well," Daniel began, "I live here." He chuckled softly, proceeding to hold my hair out of my face once again.

"You live here?" I muttered a little, still confused as I tried to stand up.

"Take it slow," he said, helping me. I leaned on the sink and splashed my face with ice-cold water. My reflection in the mirror was a disaster—hair everywhere, smudged makeup, and my skin was as pale as a ghost.

"I brought you here," Daniel explained. "Jane went back to your room with a guy, and you couldn't go back."

"I'm at your house? You have a place in Dubai?" I asked, surprised about my amnesia at getting here.

He nodded and handed me a glass of water, which I gulped down without thinking twice. The taste was disgusting, making me shiver and cough.

"Ginger tea. It should help," he said, trying to hold back a laugh at my disgust.

I forced myself to drink the cool tea and then set the glass on the counter, retracing my steps back to bed. As soon as I lay down, the fatigue hit me even harder, and I sighed, closing my eyes. My headache was beginning to fade out but, still, it was there.

The mattress shifted beside me, and I peeked out to see a tired Daniel looking out the window, yawning. I noticed the bed next to me was still made. "Where did you sleep?" I asked, curious. The room was huge, and the sheets smelled like him.

"I have a few other rooms. I just stayed in one of them. Hope you slept well, despite being wasted" he chuckled. He covered his eyes with a tattooed forearm, and I couldn't help but feel curious. I've thought about it for a long time since I've never heard him talk openly about them.

"I know I'm beautiful, but you can't keep staring at me like that," he teased, making my cheeks blush violently.

"Sorry, I'm just curious about..." "My tattoos?" he finished for me, moving his forearm from his face. He sat up and crossed his legs. "I've noticed you looking at them a few times. I was wondering when you'd ask," he said, waiting for me to speak.

I sat up too, fiddling with the hem of my t-shirt. Wait, my t-shirt?

I looked down and realized I was wearing an Enchanté white t-shirt that smelled like him, along with a huge pair of shorts.