Always Alone | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Five

"GENNY," DEVIN WHISPERS into the crook of my neck. "Baby, wake up."

"No," I say sleepily, my lids too heavy to open.

I feel my shirt raise midriff and a stubbled mouth on my bellybutton. He intakes a sharp breath and applies pressure to my stomach with his lips. A ripple of farting noises echo around the room and my eyes spring wide at the unexpected sensation of bubbles popping in my tummy. I twitch and squirm in place, trying my hardest to get his face off my belly, but he keeps blowing raspberries.

"Dev—" I erupt into uncontrollable giggles. Shifting and kicking in place, my ankles tangle with the cotton sheets until I'm wide awake and fatigued.

He finally stops and topples over me with a fun smile on his lips. "Good morning."

Catching my breath, I say, "Good morning."

His head dips so his forehead rests on mine. His green eyes hide behind their lids as he sketches my cheek with his nose. His lips barely brush against mine as he continues to tickle my face with the tip of his nose.

Tilting my chin up in want, our mouths touch for the second time today. Soft and gently he kisses me with such precaution as if asking if this is okay. How can it not be? His kisses are what I picture heaven to be. Blissful perfection.

He pulls apart slightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." My eyes shift around the room, squinting at the blazing afternoon sun peeking through the curtains. "What time is it?"

"Almost three." Devin pushes himself off the bed and sits next to me. "Everyone works early tomorrow, so they all went home. Mason and Ava left me the keys to lock the house."

Except from getting out of this house and into a yellow cab, I don't remember anything else that happened last night. Oh, my God. I pull the comforter to my face, hiding the shame tainting my cheeks.

The fact that I don't remember anything makes me feel like I did something extremely embarrassing. Is that why they all left without saying goodbye? Did I offend someone without meaning to?

I've heard of the dangers of drinking and driving, but never of drinking and drinking. I guess I always thought that The Hangover was just an overexaggerated movie about bachelor's partying way too hard.

Not anymore.

For the life of me, I can't remember one thing and the pounding inside my head is tripling the size of my headache.

"Hey." Devin pulls the covers off my face, catching my chin so that my eyes are to his. "Don't be embarrassed. We've all been drunk before. There's nothing to feel bad about." His thumb traces my cheek, wiping a stubborn tear. "Just answer me this, did you have fun?"

"I don't really remember..."

"Close your eyes and think of last night." I do as he says and close my once heavy lids, trying my best to bring memories of last night into the present.

Strobe lights. Loud music. Alexa asking questions. Devin getting mad. Smoke. Men asking me to dance, to buy me a drink. The empowerment that ran through my blood as I turned each one down. Vodka. Dancing. Ava and Alexa grinding on each other. Laughing. Shots. Chloe and I dancing.

The small club shaking with the intense sound igniting from the talented hands of the DJ.

Alexa showing me how Cubans dance reggaetón. Laughing. The bartender calling us a cab. And then, my brain shuts down before I come to a conclusion. I must've had fun with all the laughing I remember. Gnawing my bottom lip, I nod in answer to his question.