Till Death Do We Part

Chapter Nine

I woke up the next morning with my head pounding, and a heavy weight laying across my side. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, wincing at the sunlight as it filtered through the room. But this... this room didn't look familiar.

I blinked and rolled onto my back, taking in my surroundings. A large TV mounted on the wall across from me, a bookshelf of law and crime books and several awards scattered on top, certificates and intricate art hanging on the white wall...

This wasn't my bedroom. This wasn't my bed. This wasn't my apartment.

Feeling the panic rise up my throat, I try to sit up but feel the weight of Joseph's arm holding me in place, and I have to struggle to push it off. He stirs next to me and opens his startling blue-grey eyes, the irises instantly searching my face and concern masking his usually put-together, calm demeanor.

"Sienna? Hey, are you okay?"

I quickly pull the sheets up and wrap them around myself to cover up my naked body as Joseph places a gentle hand on my cheek and turns me to face him.

"What's wrong?" He asks, and there was no denying the sincerity in his voice.

"What the hell happened last night?" I ask him. "Did... did we... have sex?"

Joseph blinks slowly as the question registers in his brain and then he blushes, grinning sheepishly as he runs a hand through his unkempt hair. "Uh, yeah... Why? Did I do something wrong? I thought you enjoyed it."

I shook my head, tears threatening to fall. I found my bra and underwear lying on the floor next to my side of the bed and grabbed them, quickly tugging them onto my naked body. 

"Oh, God." Joseph cursed to himself and yanked on his boxers before rubbing his face. "Shit, Sienna, I'm sor--"

"Sorry? You're sorry?" I ask, feeling the anger threaten to boil over. "I can't even remember what happened!" 

I threw on my dress and made my way to the door, but Joseph stopped me, one hand on the bedroom door and the other on my forearm, holding me in place. 

"Joseph," I warned. I tried to keep my voice level despite the terror I felt, but as Joseph looked at me, his face full of hurt and confusion, I allowed myself to relax, if only for a moment. 

"I thought it was what you wanted to do," he repeats. "Last night, when we kissed on my couch, it got hot and heavy really fast. I asked if you were okay with it going further than that. You told me it was."

His voice got softer in the end, and I felt a pang of guilt. 

"But... I don't... I don't remember."

"Honestly, I don't remember much, either," Joseph admits. "We were both pretty wasted last night, both pretty out of it. But I do remember that what we did was consensual, and I swear if I had known you'd be this upset, I wouldn't have allowed it to go so far."

He hesitated, reading my face for a reaction, and when he was sure I wasn't going to storm off or hit him he placed both hands on either side of my face and pulled me in close, his eyes searching mine.

"I would never, never do anything to hurt you, Sienna," he murmurs. "I really care about you, and I could never forgive myself if I ever did hurt you. Please, Sienna. You've gotta believe me." 

My head was swimming with different thoughts and accusations. I knew it was a bad idea to drink so much, just as I knew I lost my inhibitions. But did that really explain that I forgot everything that happened after we kissed on the couch? After he pinned me down and ran his hand underneath my dress? Did I really want it, like he said? Or was there something else to it?