𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

forty three

Delphine

The sunlight streaming through the blinds felt like an assault on my eyes, and I groaned, squeezing them shut as my head throbbed.

I lay there for a second, too afraid to fully open my eyes as a whirlwind of blurry memories from the night before began to resurface.

I could remember the party, the drinks, and... Kaiden.

My heart sank.

I blinked, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, feeling a growing sense of panic. The realization hit me like ice down my spine—I wasn't in my bed.

I wasn't even in my dorm. I glanced to my side and saw Kaiden sprawled across the mattress on his stomach, his face turned away.

His dark hair was tousled, half-hidden by the pillow, and he wasn't wearing a shirt.

The sight sent a rush of heat to my cheeks, and I quickly looked away, my heart hammering.

The memories started piecing themselves together, bit by bit.

His hands on my waist, his breath warm against my skin, the feel of his lips brushing mine.

A knot tightened in my chest, a mix of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite name. I hadn't planned on any of this. I wasn't the type to get swept up like that, especially with someone like him.

And yet, here I was, tiptoeing around his room in a desperate attempt to escape before he woke up.

I spotted my dress hanging over the back of his chair, slightly wrinkled, but thankfully intact.

As quietly as I could, I slid out from under the covers, the cool air making me shiver as I hurried to retrieve my things. My shoes were by the door, and I cringed at the sight of them, their heels crooked from where I must've kicked them off last night.

I glanced back at Kaiden. He was still sound asleep, his arm draped over the pillow in a way that made my heart skip a beat. For a moment, I just stood there, looking at him, wondering if he'd remember the night as vividly as I did.

My hands were shaking as I slipped into my dress, the zipper snagging slightly in my haste. Once I was dressed, I tiptoed toward the door, trying to keep my breathing steady as I reached for the handle. Almost there. Just a few more steps, and I'd be in the clear. But as soon as I opened the door, I froze, coming face-to-face with Eliza and Ethan in the kitchen.

Eliza turned at the sound, her eyes widening as she took in my appearance—last night's dress, makeup smudged, hair slightly messy. Her mouth twitched as she fought to hold back a grin, and Ethan glanced over, a smirk already forming.

"Well, well, look who decided to join us this morning," Ethan said, leaning casually against the counter with a teasing look in his eyes.

I felt my face flush. "I was just... heading out," I stammered, suddenly hyper-aware of how ridiculous I must have looked.

Eliza's grin widened as she crossed her arms, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Mhm, sure you were. Heading out. After spending the entire night in Kaiden's room, no less."

My mouth opened to protest, but no words came out. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I tried to formulate an excuse, something, anything that would make this situation less mortifying. But even as I thought about it, the memories of the night before lingered, undeniable.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. "Didn't peg you as the type to, you know, have a little slumber party," he teased.

"It wasn't... I didn't... It's not like that," I managed to mumble, my voice barely audible. "It was just... an accident."

Eliza laughed, clearly enjoying my embarrassment. "An accident, huh? Just stumbled into his room and accidentally stayed the night?" She looked me up and down, her grin only growing. "You're seriously going to tell us that?"

I tried to glare at her, but it was hard to be intimidating with a head still pounding from the night before. "Can we not make a big deal out of this?" I whispered, looking around as if the walls themselves were judging me.

Ethan shrugged, chuckling. "Alright, alright. But you might want to get used to it. People are going to talk." He exchanged a glance with Eliza, and she gave a dramatic sigh, patting me on the shoulder as if I were some lost soul who needed comforting.

"Well, congrats," she said, her tone mock-sincere. "It's not every day someone gets to make an exit like that."

With that, they both laughed, leaving me with no choice but to slip out as gracefully as possible. But as I reached the door, I stole one last glance down the hall, back toward Kaiden's room. My stomach twisted as I remembered the way he'd looked last night, his smile, the feeling of his hand steadying me.