Blood Money (1) | The Inheritance Games

X. cruel summer

"I'm drunk in the back of the car. And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar"

I wake up the following morning with two arms wrapped around my waist. Delicate and gentle fingers brush my bare skin from where my vest had rose up from wriggling around in my sleep.

My brown hair is messed all over my pillow. It takes me a moment to blink back into consciousness and remember who it was that I slept with tonight. 

And when I remember who it is in my bed I sigh in relief, realizing it wasn't a hookup, it's Noah. He spent the night after we stayed up late studying yesterday. 

When I try to pry myself from his hold without waking him, he stirs in his sleep, effortlessly rolling my body on top of his and hugging me like a stuffed animal. 

I roll in his arms so i'm facing his chest now. His breaths match mine, his chest heaving up and down in sync with mine. 

His glasses are off, I notice them on my bedside cabinet. He looks weird without them. I like his glasses, they suit him really well.

From this close I notice things I never would have noticed before. Freckles across the bridge of his nose, a couple larger freckles on his jaw and dimples, stubble on his chin and above his lip.

The hair on his head is messier than ever, curls sprawled all over his face. It feels wrong to be this close. I need to get off. I need to wake him. But for this short moment, all I can do is watch him, hopeless to the feeling numbing down my heart.

"Noah?" I whisper softly, trying my best to not frighten him by how close I am. He hums something in response, holding me tighter.

"Umm.. We have school.. time to wake up." I tell him as carefully as possible.

His eyes finally pry open, blinking in the daylight creeping through the window. I smile kindly at him.

His eyes widen and a blush is quick to spread over his cheeks with mortification. "Shit.. sorry." He mutters, loosening the grip he has on my waist and letting me free.

"It's okay." I laugh gently, standing up and starting to get my clothes out.

"What time is it?" Noah asks carefully. "8:30." I answer, starting to brush my teeth in the bathroom. He gets his school bag up and starts riffling through until he finds a travel toothbrush and miniature toothpaste.

"Why do you carry that around with you?" I laugh through the toothpaste in my mouth. He starts brushing his teeth too, "I throw up a lot. It's good to have." He replies conversationally. 

I never knew that about him. We stare at each other intently through the mirror as we brush our teeth, neither of us breaking the glare when we notice the other is also looking.

"If you need a change of clothes then Xan will probably have stuff you can wear." I suggest.

"I can just wear yesterday's stuff." He insists. He was still wearing his uniform when he came over yesterday so it would make sense to just rewear it.

He throws his trousers on over his underwear, takes my shirt off and gives me it back before replacing it with the rest of his uniform. He runs his hands through his hair and fixes his glasses. 

Then Noah grabs his bag and informs me he'll go find Xander and leave me to get myself ready. 

When he's gone I finally let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding onto. I straighten my hair and do my usual makeup, getting my uniform on and spraying some perfume.