CHAPTER FIFTY
- 01:43 ━━━━●───── 03:50 ⇆ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ↻ ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮
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JUDE'S POV
˖⁺‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺˖✮-------------------✮˖ I BLINKED AWAKE, SUNLIGHT STREAMING, through the curtains, and for a moment, I felt a warm glow of contentment. But then it hit me—Kenza wasn't next to me. My heart sank. I had expected her to be there, her presence a comforting weight. Instead, I was alone, wrapped in a fog of confusion and regret from last night.
"Great," I muttered to myself, rubbing my face. My head throbbed, a constant reminder of how much I'd celebrated. I tried to recall the events of the night, but all I could picture was her smile, the way she laughed at my antics. That felt like a cruel joke now.
Just as I was wrestling with my thoughts, there was a knock at the door. "Jude? You good in there?" It was Demi's voice, bright and cheerful.
"Uh, yeah! Just... give me a sec!" I called back, hoping I sounded more composed than I felt. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, a wave of nausea washing over me. I stood up too quickly, the room spinning slightly. I stumbled toward the bathroom, but my stomach had other plans.
I barely made it to the sink before I was throwing up. It was as if my body had decided to remind me of every drink I'd had the night before.
"Jude?" Demi's voice was closer now. I could hear her knocking on the door again, concern lacing her tone. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just... great!" I tried to sound nonchalant, but it came out more like a croak. I rinsed my mouth out, wincing at the taste.
The door creaked open, and there stood Demi, wide-eyed. "Oh, Jude! You really don't look good."
"Thanks for the compliment," I replied weakly, leaning against the counter. I could feel my cheeks burning in embarrassment. The last thing I wanted was to have someone see me like this, especially after the chaos of last night. "I'm okay. Just a rough morning, you know?"
She moved closer, her expression softening. "Here, let me help." Demi filled a glass of water and handed it to me.
"Thanks." I gulped it down, feeling a bit better. But then it hit me again—Kenza wasn't here. "Did you see Kenza?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Demi's brow furrowed. "No, I think she went to her room after you passed out."
Right. She probably didn't want to deal with the aftermath of my drunken mess. I felt a pang of disappointment, mixed with embarrassment. "I, uh, kind of thought she might stick around," I admitted, scratching the back of my neck.
"Don't worry. She's probably just sleeping it off too," Demi reassured me with a light pat on the back. "Come on, let's go see what everyone's having for breakfast."
With a deep breath, I followed her out of the room, trying to shake off the lingering sadness. As we walked into the dining area, the sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air. It felt warm, familiar, but all I could think about was how I wanted to see Kenza, to apologize for being such an idiot.
As we made our way to the table, I caught snippets of conversation, but my mind was elsewhere, still replaying last night's chaos and the moments I'd shared with her. What if she was disappointed in me? What if she didn't want anything to do with me after this?
