Best-Case Scenario

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sunlight wakes me up and I close my eyes tightly. When I try to open them again, I press my hands over them and slowly peer through my fingers.

I'm faced directly at the window and when I attempt to roll over, it's almost onto another person. I hear them groan. I freeze and adjust myself until I'm turned away from the blinding light but not actually on top of someone.

When I look around again, I see the blonde hair of the person I almost rolled onto. At least I know where Finn is. I sit up and see people sleeping on the floor and a few vacant blankets from people who already left. So much for that promised bed.

Finn rolls over and sits up, bleary-eyed. "Hey," he says and attempts a smile that looks pained. "How are you feeling?"

I swallow. My throat is dry and I have a headache but it feels more from lack of water than anything else. "Thirsty," I say. "But alright. Why are we on the floor?"

I sit up and see a few other people laying on furniture and others on the floor behind the couch. None are familiar.

Finn smirks. "I tried to get us to a bed but you would not budge. I even tried carrying you but the furthest I got you was the floor. I wasn't sober and I didn't think you wanted to wake up with a bruise on your head from me dropping you."

"No. Thanks I guess." I stretch out my tight muscles and groan. "Can we leave?"

He presses a palm to his forehead. "We heard snowplows at like four this morning. The snow stopped before then so roads should be fine. Let me use the bathroom and get water then we can go."

I begin to walk around the sleeping bodies in the room. I mean to follow Finn to the kitchen but then I think about Kali and Carla last night.

My face gets warm all over again when I remember seeing them talking and what I admitted to Seth. I want to let it go, but I need to know if something happened. They're not down here which means they're probably in one of the rooms.

I stop my brain from processing the thought and picture about to form with it and creep up the stairs hoping Finn doesn't hear me. Most of the doors are open so I make my way down the line. I peer into the first one and see two forms. I can't make out who they are but one of them is definitely a shirtless guy. I move on.

The second one has a bed and once again, I can't tell who is in it, but I can see Imari, Finn, and Kali all on floor near the foot of the bed. Imari is curled up against the wall and Seth has his arm thrown over Kali's shoulder. I smile and feel a bit better. I don't see Carla anywhere but she's not in this room at least. I turn around and go back down the stairs.

Finn asks where I was and I give him a vague answer while taking gulps of water to deal with the headache. I promise myself I would take Tylenol as soon as I get home when we get into the car.

The roads are alright though Finn has to take it slow. When we finally arrive, my parents are still gone. Fair since it's eight AM. My mind is on my bed and all of the blankets. I glance at Finn, hoping he didn't have anything more in mind.

Finn looks at the house and then at me. "I would love to go in and do what we planned on doing last night," he starts and I have enough time to freeze before he finishes with "but I think we would fall asleep and your mom wouldn't be too happy to see us curled up in your bed."

I let out of a sigh of relief. "Sorry, but I'm exhausted. Thanks."

He smiles believing me and kisses me. "I love you Teagan. I'll text you after I get some more sleep."

"Love you too."

I stumble out of his car and into my warm bed to wrap myself in all of my comforters and immediately fall asleep.