Everything with you

Part 50

Emma

A pounding headache drummed against my skull as I pried my eyes open. The dorm room was dim, the morning light filtering through the blinds just enough to make my vision swim. My mouth felt like sandpaper, and my stomach churned with the unmistakable aftereffects of too much alcohol.

I groaned, trying to sit up—only to freeze.

There was warmth beneath me. A body.

My heart stopped. My breath caught in my throat.

I turned my head slowly, dread coiling in my stomach. Lying there, tangled in my sheets, was a man.

Panic surged through me. Who the hell—?!

I scrambled away, my heart slamming in my chest, and in the process, I shoved him off the bed.

THUMP.

A deep groan followed.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, eyes wide. Oh my god.

"Ow... What the hell?" came a groggy voice from the floor.

My pulse skyrocketed. I knew that voice.

"Justin?" I whispered, my throat dry.

My eyes widened as I stared at Justin, my voice sharp with panic.

"Justin, what are you doing here?"

He groaned, rubbing his face as he sat up on the floor.

My stomach churned as I shook my head.

"I don't remember anything after the party."

Before Justin could respond, a muffled voice came from across the room.

"Ugh, Emma, stop freaking out," Hayley mumbled, half-asleep as she rolled onto her side.

"You wouldn't let him leave. You were all over him, kept saying he had to sleep with you, then passed out on top of him."

I felt my breath hitch as I turned back to Justin, who raised an eyebrow, looking just as surprised as I was.

I exhaled, running a hand through my tangled hair before glancing at Hayley, who was already burrowing deeper into her blankets. "Let's go outside," I muttered to him, nodding toward the door. "She actually wants to sleep."

He didn't argue, just got up and followed her out into the hall. The bright fluorescent lights made me groan as my headache flared up again. I leaned against the wall, squeezing my temples for a moment before finally taking a good look at him. Even half-asleep, hair messy from bed, and still slightly disoriented, he somehow looked ridiculously attractive. Of course he did. It wasn't fair. And apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

A few girls down the hall had slowed their steps, openly staring at him. One even whispered something to her friend, giggling as she glanced between them. I sighed, shaking my head before my gaze landed on something else—his face.

Faint bruises, some fading yellow and others still slightly visible, marked his cheekbone and near his jaw.

"Justin... What happened to your face?"

He stiffened slightly, his jaw tightening. "It's nothing," he muttered, looking away.

I frowned. "Nothing doesn't leave bruises like that."

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "It's old."

I folded her arms. "Old doesn't mean it's not something."

He hesitated, shifting on his feet before finally muttering, "I got into a fight a few weeks ago."

I blinked, taken aback. "A fight?"