Endless

The Morning After the Kiss | Aleria

The sun shone brightly into my room by the time I woke up again. I yawned and stretched, thinking back to last night's kiss. A blush burned my cheeks, but I didn't regret the way I'd acted with Ryan. Not really. No one could regret a kiss that good.

I sat up and took stock of my surroundings. It was quiet. Eerily so. Had Ryan left without waking me? Would I be okay alone?

Berating myself, I brushed my hand back over my hair, combing it a bit with my fingers. Of course I'd be fine. I didn't need Ryan to babysit me all the time. For heaven's sake, one little kiss didn't mean he had to let me know where he was going. I gripped my sheets for a few seconds longer. I could do this. I could face one day alone.

Damn it. It didn't feel right to be so scared all the time.

I got out of bed.

Manhattan stretched out beyond my picture window with what looked like thousands of skyscrapers. Millions of people went about their lives, but no sound of it came into my room.

A flash of movement startled me. I stopped and faced it, then scowled. A mirror. My reflection was a sight. My clothes were wrinkled from sleeping in them and to begin with, they'd never fit right. I resembled a beggar rather than Ryan's guest. Never mind. I didn't hear anyone in the apartment, so no one would know how I looked. I'd take a shower and figure out how to at least iron my clothes. After breakfast.

My stomach rumbled in agreement with my intention to eat. It would be nice to have something other than hospital food. Would I remember how to cook, though? Did I even know how before the crash? I shook my hands in an attempt to get rid of my nerves. Toast. I could handle toast. If I really couldn't remember anything else.

The carpet hugged my bare feet as I walked out of my room. The living area was quiet. The kitchen's tiled floor chilled my toes. Ryan hadn't said anything about helping myself, but he had to expect me to if he wanted me to stay here alone while he went to work. He wouldn't mind if I made myself something to eat.

I opened the fridge and inspected its contents. A surprising variety of food, for a guy. On the other hand, he was a doctor, so maybe he was more focused on maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Slowly, a sense of how I cooked trickled back into my memories. Lovely. At least I wouldn't be completely useless in the kitchen.

I heard someone pad up behind me and gasped. When I turned, I found Ryan standing there, pale and swaying slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking in his rumpled appearance. Apparently, he'd also gone to sleep in his clothes. At least I did it because the lost-and-found outfit I wore was the only one I had. What was his reason?

"Mm...fine..." He blinked and squinted as if trying to make his eyes focus. "Just—" His brows drew together and he rubbed his neck. My gaze followed the motion to a bruise on its side.

"What happened?" I went to him for a closer inspection. The bruise was more or less the same color as an eggplant. Close up, I could make out a puncture wound in his skin. "Who did this?"

"Nick," he said. His breath fanned my temple.

"Why?" I asked, taking a step back.

He followed, a lazy smile tugging the corners of his mouth. "You," he said.

My heart fluttered. "Me?"

"Mmm. You. You're...difficult to resist."

The fluttering increased. I cleared my throat and went to the fridge. "Oh?" Oh good. I managed to sound non-idiotic. I glanced his way in time to see his emphatic nod.