My Ex - Crush

Episode 40

Arjun's POV:

"Why are you acting so weird, Arjun? Did I scare you?" Her voice was teasing, playful, but her eyes held something deeper as she stepped a little closer. "Or are you trying to make fun of me?"

Her wet hair clung to her skin, dripping with small droplets that traced a path down her face, her neck, and onto the thin robe she was wearing.

The robe hung loosely, revealing her delicate collarbones, and the small pendant she wore rested just below, teasing me with every small movement she made.

I couldn’t think straight. Everything about her was pulling me in, closer and closer.

"Why were you ignoring me?" Her voice was soft, almost pleading, and she leaned in so close that I could feel the warmth of her breath.

The floral scent of her fresh skin, her lips slightly parted, glistening with the remnants of water from the shower...

Without thinking, I lunged forward, capturing her lips with mine, needing her more than I could even comprehend. Her hands pressed against my chest, pushing me away in shock, and before I could register what was happening—a loud, resounding slap landed on my cheek.

I shot awake, gasping for air. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could still feel the phantom sting of the slap on my face.

Shit. That was a dream...

A really, really vivid dream.

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands. My head was pounding—likely from the dream, but mostly from the hangover I was battling. I glanced around the room, still groggy, my vision slightly blurry. I was sprawled on the floor, face down, like a complete mess.

Water. I need water.

I grabbed the glass from the nightstand and chugged it down. As my eyes landed on the clock, a jolt of panic shot through me.

8:45?!

"We’re supposed to be in the lobby by 9:00!" I scrambled up, my head spinning. Vinoth was on the bed, dead to the world, his arms wrapped around Rahul like they were a couple from a rom-com. I blinked at the sight, then snapped into action.

"Guys, wake up!" I shook Vinoth, who just groaned and turned over. "We’re late!!"

Still nothing. Unbelievable.

Desperate times called for desperate measures—I grabbed the water jug and splashed it on both of them. Rahul shot up, gasping like he’d just come out of a deep coma, and Vinoth nearly fell off the bed.

"W-what the hell, man?!" Vinoth wiped his face, dazed.

"We’re late! If Kiran Sir finds out, we’re dead!" I grabbed my toothbrush and bolted to the bathroom, freshening up as fast as humanly possible. In a blur of movements, Rahul dashed back to his own room, while Vinoth frantically started packing our bags like he was defusing a bomb.

Within minutes, we were running down to the dining area like lunatics. We grabbed whatever food we could find and threw it onto our plates, plopping down beside Sanjay and Manoj, who looked as hungover as we felt.

"My head feels like it’s going to explode," Manoj muttered, chugging juice like it was medicine.

"I would kill for a good, strong cup of coffee right now," I groaned, rubbing my temples.

"Same," Sanjay added, barely lifting his head.

"By the way, how did you catch Vishal last night?" Vinoth asked, his mouth full of toast.

Sanjay snorted, rubbing his face. "The idiot ran straight into an apartment complex like a maniac. The security guard there thought he was a thief and caught him for us. We had to literally drag him back here."