A Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 17 - An Illusion?

 My eyes gently fluttered open to realise I was back in my room, enveloped in a warm blanket and atop my fluffy bed. The sun shone into my eyes, causing it to water. I held out my hand to block its blasting rays of light.

"What the hell happened?" I uttered meekly, still groggy from last night. 

Swiftly rolling the covers off, I caught a glimpse of new material clinging to my skin. It was a dark blue shirt, the bottom part rolled to my upper stomach and tied in a knot. Not to mention, the ripped navy shorts that barely came to my thighs. These were definitely not my clothes, and yet fitted perfectly. 

A disturbing thought arose. Did Noah seriously undress me while I was unconscious?

I needed answers to ease the nervous churning in my stomach. Sure, the nausea was gone. Howbeit, the splitting headache was still present and active as ever. I trundled out of bed and reluctantly trudged towards the kitchen.

Noah and Chris were engrossed in a serious discussion, invoking panic to rise as I assumed it was about my drunkard state. I tried listening to their conversation, however, my brain was too slow to process any sudden information. 

An exasperated sigh fled my lips, mentally scolding myself for drinking over the limit. Actually, I shouldn't have drank alcohol at all. This is an unfortunate result due to my own stupidity.

"Good morning, baby." Chris strolled over to me and placed a gentle kiss on my temple. "Are you feeling any better?" He inquired with worry.

"I have a massive headache," I disclosed truthfully.

"My poor baby." He reeled my shivering figure into a warm hug. His sweet scent only added to my intoxication. "I'm sorry to hear that. I was really worried about you last night."

Damn it! I totally forgot that I had thrown a tantrum last night. Seeing Chris with his office slut had really messed with my head. I made some awful decisions in return.

"I was so scared and thought you were in danger when you didn't answer my call," he quavered dejectedly, diverting his gaze to the floor. "I drove around town searching for you, Nat."

I could tell he was disappointed. He wouldn't even look me in the eyes. It broke my heart to know that I had caused him so much pain and worry. The dark circles under his eyes were a huge indication that he hadn't slept well.

"Chris," I uttered sympathetically, resting my hand on his chest.

"A buddy of mine said that he saw a woman whom looked exactly like you entering a club with another man. But I knew better than to believe such nonsense."

I wheezed in bewilderment whilst Noah sneered at the fact that we were almost caught. In a way, I'm extremely lucky that Chris has an ideal impression of what is and isn't out of character for me, which only makes me feel extra guilty for basically cheating on him last night.

"I'm glad you're safe, baby." He embraced my tiny frame tightly and pecked my cheek. 

I delightfully inhaled his amazing cologne and soapy scent. Returning his embrace, I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. 

"It's a good thing Noah was here to take care of you."

"Wait, what?" I asked, astonished.

"Don't you remember?" He seemed sceptical, possibly assuming my mental health was acting up. Nevertheless, I shook my head and mouthed a 'no'.

"Noah said that you ate takeout for dinner and had severe food poisoning. He drove you to a clinic. You must have been exhausted because you were passed out."