The Stella I Remember

17| Not Your Average Sleeping Beauty

Circles. 

Everything was moving in circles. 

Okay, it wasn't so much circles as much as everything was spinning. 

And my head was killing me. It felt like a stampede of elephants was on full alert inside my skull.

What the hell happened? 

I remembered the tragic morning I spent saying goodbye to Luna at that vet's office. I remembered Stella breaking into my house. I also remembered Stella agreeing to come with me to New Orleans, and her grand idea of going to a club. 

After that? Nada. My mind was a blank.

Shit. What the hell happened last night?

I realized when I tried to get up that, not only was I not alone in my hotel room, but I wasn't alone in my bed. There was a Stella-sized body next to mine. And it wasn't like you read about in those romance books. She wasn't draped over my chest all cute-like. She was upside down and snoring like her life depended on it. She was facing the opposite direction with one arm handing off the bed. 

She was still gorgeous, but she definitely wasn't your average Sleeping Beauty—and that made me smile.

I sat up, closing my eyes briefly to get my bearings. Shit I drank a lot last night. Maybe a little too much. It'd been awhile since I drowned my sorrows in alcohol. I took a deep breath before I reached towards the foot of the bed. 

"Stella." I shook her shoulder a little. 

"Ten more minutes," she groaned as she rolled over, facing me. 

I tried again. "Stella? Wake up." 

Her face scrunched up. "For the love of god...please let me sleep." 

I decided it was safer to not risk the wrath of The Beast and I let her sleep. I got up from the bed and went to the restroom to do some semblance of a morning routine. I spent extra time washing my face, trying to get the cobwebs out. 

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I stopped in the doorway. I still couldn't believe she was in my bed. Stella was in my bed. I've imagined what it would have been like to have her in my bed countless times over the years. I never imagined this. 

I walked up to the bed and smiled. She was still snoring like a trucker. Since she was on top of the comforter I went to my side of the bed and folded it over to cover her. She snuggled into it—and when some of her hair fell over her face, I brushed it aside. 

Fuck. I still couldn't believe my eyes. 

When I was finally able to stop staring at Stella like a...well, like a weirdo, I grabbed her keys and borrowed her car to get us some coffee and bagels. For what we were going to do today, I needed the sustenance. 

I returned back to my room a little less than an hour later. I carefully carried the coffees and bag of bagels while I tried to open my door. I pushed it open with my back, and when I got inside...she was gone. 

No Stella. 

Before I allowed myself to panic, I sat the food down and walked over to our conjoined door. I knocked a couple times and waited. 

Nothing. 

I tried again. 

"Stella?" 

The door swung open and I sucked in a sharp breath. Stella was in a towel—a fucking towel. 

"Hey," she said a little breathlessly. "Sorry. I was hoping to be out by the time you were back." 

I cleared my throat and tried to look anywhere else. The roof. The floor. That window over there.