Overprotected

Chapter Eleven

I wake up in my bed at the Linston's, my head pounding.

I sit up momentarily before collapsing on my pillows, groaning.

I reach with my left hand to push back my hair and my eye catches a bandage on my left forearm.

"What the-" I stare at it dazedly, trying to think of what I did to cause a bandage.

I bite it with my teeth and pull it off, my eyes widening in shock.

There, in the middle of my inner forearm, is a tattoo.

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh!"

I hate tattoos, why would I- what did I do?

I gaze at the image permanently engraved into my skin; it's a tiny seahorse, only about an inch tall, and half an inch wide. It's not fully blocked in, just lines.

It's red and puffy, a little sore.

"I didn't even pick something sentimental!" I say to myself, aghast.

I throw my covers off and step out of bed, grimacing at the bolts of pain shooting through my head.

I march downstairs after throwing my hair in a bun.

I storm right through the kitchen, shooting a nasty look at Landon when he says, "She awakens!" He backs off immediately.

I don't pause, I barrel right down the steps to Noir's basement room.

I barge in and jerk his blankets off of him, he slept fully clothed, like me.

Noir snorts and sits up, rubbing his eyes. "Lexi? What-"

"What? Well why don't you tell me!" I snap. He rubs his head at my loud, high tone.

"Can you tone it down? I'm nursing a hangover."

"And I'm not? You let me get totally wasted! And explain to me sir, how I got this!" I jab my forearm out, showing him the seahorse.

"Huh. It's cute."

"Noir!" I shriek, and we both wince. "Noir!" I say more quietly. "I hate tattoos!"

"You said last night that you've always wanted one." Noir says.

       "No! I don't! I was-" I sigh, rub my forehead and sink down onto his bed. "I was drunk." I lean forward and put my head in my hands. "My life is ruined."

          Noir puts an arm around me and pulls me close. "Come on now, it's not ruined. You've only drunk a total of four bottles of beer in your life. That's not enough to ruin your life."

       "Even a little can do a lot of damage. How could I have been so stupid?" I say.

       He strokes my back and I jerk away. "Don't touch me! What makes you think that you can do that?"

      He whistles, "Do you not even remember that?"

        The blood drains out of my face. "Remember... What?"

        Noir rubs his face with his hands. "You said for one night, I could forget about Carson. We kissed... A lot, outside the bar."