the fall | abel tesfaye

chapter seven - next

My head hurts. My body feels heavy against the soft mattress and my short dress itches against my skin. Wait, soft mattress? My eyes flutter open instantly as I take in my surroundings. Oh no, no, no. This can't be happening. I didn't sleep with Abel... I wouldn't have? I groan as I press my palm to my head, unable to recall much from last night.

"Not you."

Not you? Did Abel say that to me? I don't remember falling asleep in his room. I know he hates me, he would never allow it. 

The room is quite dark, with shreds of light peeking in from the windows. The small alarm clock on the bedside table reads 9:30am, but it feels like the afternoon. 

I slowly get up, noticing my heels and bag placed neatly at the foot of the bed. Someone must have put them there for me. I pick them up, not wanting to walk with the heels on and endure the pain this early in the morning.  

The house is fairly quiet when I leave the room and there isn't a person awake in sight. Scattered beer bottles and red cups litter the floor, with multiple people passed out on sofas. I'm hoping to see him, but I have no such luck.

I dig my phone out of my bag. I have ten missed calls from Monique and about a hundred text messages. 

"Shit," I mumble, immediately calling her back. She picks up on the first ring.

"Arabella! Where the hell are you? I've been so worried," She rushes, not letting me get a word in. 

"I'm fine, sorry, I don't know what- " I stop. Hayden. That's what. "Mon, you're not with Hayden are you?" I say worriedly.  

"No, he left after he dropped me off last night. After we were looking for you for hours!" She yells back through the phone. My face turns into a scowl as the memory of last night comes rushing back to me.

"He tried to fuck me," I mutter, my temper rising. "He locked me in a room with him and if it weren't for Abel- "

"Woah, woah, woah," Monique cuts me off. "Hayden would never do something like that. Are you sure you weren't just wasted?" She laughs, causing my temper to rise even more. 

"No, I think I'd know if I was being harrassed," I say rudely. "I'm pretty sure I remember who slams me up against the fucking wall Monqiue."

She refuses to believe me and continues to laugh. "You're probably still drunk. Hayden was playing beer pong with us last night, why would he do something like that? "

"Why don't you ask him that," I growl, and hang up the phone. I'm mad that she's giving Hayden the benefit of the doubt. After all, I'm her best friend, and he's just a stranger that she met last night. Realisation hits me as I realise I have no way to get back to my dorm.

I find my way to the front of the house to look for the address. Punching it into my phone, I wait for a cab to arrive. I realise I must look like hell as he pulls up and takes me back to my dorm. It's been a long 24 hours.

- - - - - - - - - - - 

"He wouldn't do something like that, Ara," Monique tells me as I blow dry my hair in front of the mirror. A hot shower and some fresh clothes was what I needed to wash last night away. I still can't forget that Abel used me for the sake of proving a point, or let me sleep in his bed...

"You barely know him," I tell her, trying to keep my composure this time. "He followed me up the stairs and locked me in a damn room with him. At first I thought it was Abel, but turns out it was Hayden."

Moniqiue cocks her head at me from across the room. "I just don't understand. I'm going to ask him about this when I see him next."

I shoot her a glare in the mirror, lowering the hairdryer. "You're not actually going to see him again are you?" She simply shrugs. "He was nice to me. Besides, he's a really good kis-"

"Monique! You're the worst friend," I tell her. She laughs, waving me off. "What's been going on with you and that Abel guy, anyway? I thought you hated him." 

I distract myself from her question by continuing to blow dry my hair. "Nothing, nothing's going on. He's extremely bi-polar with me anyway. I can never tell what he's thinking."

"Mm, but you guys kissed, didn't you?" She presses. I shoot her another look. "It doesn't matter. I don't even want to talk about it."

Monique stands up from her bed and walks over to me. "You should be careful with him. He seems like he's up to something." My insides churn at her words.

"I know what I'm doing, unlike someone," I counter. Monique rolls her eyes at me. 

"I'm going to grab lunch, are you coming?"

I shake my head. I'm hungry, but I'm too distracted to listen to Monique gossip for hours at lunch. "I'll grab something later. I've got to do some stuff first." She shrugs before slinging her purse over one shoulder and leaving me alone in our dorm room.

I finsh drying my hair and brush out the remaining knots. It falls sleekly behind my shoulders as I put away the dryer and fish for my makeup in the drawer. My mind replays Abel's words to me last night over and over, and I curse for drinking so much and ruining my memory of it. 

I find myself missing Abel's presence more than I should. Besides, he acted like a dick to me all day yesterday. First ruining my favourite book in the coffee shop, then acting as if nothing happened when we hooked up in his room. But if he didn't save me from Hayden yesterday, I don't even want to know what would have happened next.

My mind spins with confusion, although one thing is for sure.

I need to see him again.