Living In The Shallows (UK Crush #1)

Chapter Twenty-One

I woke up to sunlight streaming in through the window next to the bed. I had slept so heavily that for a moment I had no memory of where I was. I started to turn my head but felt an intense pain in my jaw, and the entire previous evening came flooding back.

I slowly moved my head. All the interconnecting doors were open, and I could see all the way to Ronan's room, where his white blond hair was visible on his pillow. In the next room, Matty lay curled up on his bed. The next room, which was Teddy's, was empty. This was explained when I heard a sigh next to me, startling me. Teddy was sleeping, curled on the very edge of Gethin's bed. He couldn't have been comfortable. He looked touchingly young, and so defenseless, his hand curled next to his head. I slowly turned my head the other way, and saw Gethin sleeping in my room.

I heard another noise, turned, and saw Teddy sitting up, rubbing his eyes. By the light of day his eye looked terrible. Matty had one hell of a left hook. There was a deep cut under his eye I hadn't noticed the night before that looked pretty painful, too.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked softly, sitting up, smoothing the hair off my forehead and kissing it, an intimate gesture, looking closely at my face. "Do you need anything? Water? You need to go to the toilet ? I can help you..."

I nodded. He came around to my side of the bed as I sat up. I tried to stand, but I was a bit wobbly, so he just picked me up, deposited me in front of the toilet, and left, shutting the door behind him. When he heard the flush, he knocked and came in. He made as if to pick me up again, but I waved him off, and he just put his arm around me and helped me back into bed.

As he was pulling the blanket over me Gethin entered the room, shirtless, red hair sticking up every which way, looking every bit the gorgeous rock star. "What are you doing here?" he asked Teddy, tone carefully neutral.

"Just helping her to the toilet ," Teddy responded, keeping his tone as neutral as Gethin's.

Their voices must have woken the other two, because Ronan and Matty rolled out of bed and appeared in the doorway a few seconds later, again, shirtless and crazy haired. I couldn't believe there was no poster out there of these four in this state. It was way sexier than any posed photo could ever be.

Matty and Ronan saw Teddy at the foot of the bed and glowered. Apparently no one knew Teddy had spent the night in the same bed as me. Ronan immediately put an arm around Matty's shoulder in what looked like a friendly gesture, but anyone could see his fingers digging into Matty's flesh.

"Steady on, Matthew," Ronan soothed.

To Teddy Ronan said, "Maybe you should go back to your room for a bit, mate, just until things get a little more settled."

Teddy looked at Gethin, wordlessly asking his opinion. "I think we should get Tink sorted out first," Gethin said. He looked at Teddy. "You want to be here for that? You think you can handle it?" Teddy looked at the ground and nodded. Matty looked like he was going to object, but Ronan dug his fingers into his shoulder, and Matty held his tongue.

Gethin looked at me, at my nose and cheek. "Tink, do you remember what happened last night?" I nodded. "Do you think you can talk, love?" he asked gently.

"I think so." I winced, but I could. There was pain in the left side of my jaw when I spoke. I reached up to touch my face, but Gethin intercepted my hand and put it back in my lap.

"No, don't do that, little one, not yet."

"I fell, right?" I asked. "Teddy came in, he was drunk, he said—he said some things, you got mad at him—" I looked up at Gethin, "Matty hit him, then I ran over to them and tripped and hit my head on the edge of the table."