Blackout ✓

30 | game day

A / N :

Welcome to Viv's lost memories. (Here is your complementary glass of wine.)

Reminder: it's late April in the story, and this scene happens last September. Viv learns about her three blackouts from Jamie. This flashback corresponds to the last half of Chapter 6 and the first half of Chapter 7 if you wanted to read it from a chronological perspective.

Enjoy!

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October

The Home Game Day

UNDER MY CHEEK, THE LARGE pillow stirred.

I protested the movement—physically, verbally—I wrapped my arms around the rebellious body pillow and groaned loudly, urging it to be still and docile like all inanimate objects should be. In the back of my mind, I felt the vehicle carrying us roll to a stop. The seatbelt traversing my torso prevented me from cuddling into the pillow, though I couldn't remember willingly strapping myself into such an irritating contraption.

"Viv, you need to get out of the Uber. We're home."

I dug my nose deeper into the pillow and squeezed my eyelids tighter. "You're not supposed to talk." Pillows were inanimate.

"Fuck, what do you want me to do then?"

"Just let me sleep. You smell good." Like some fresh citrus fruit—like summertime.

For a few moments of silence, I hoped I could finally doze off.

Then, in a strangely soft manner, "You can sleep inside," and, aside in a sotto voice, "I'm really sorry about her. She's drunk."

"We've all been there, man," someone chuckled.

I was not drunk.

My liver was just taking a temporary break before I could get back to partying with Riley. Krista and I had dragged the girl from her bedroom this morning to distract her from her recent break-up. We hit up the tailgate outside Halston Stadium in the afternoon, then fled back to the dorms for pre-gaming, then stumbled to town for dancing.

The sound of a car door opening at my side dragged me out of my stupor. "Come on, Viv. Just stand on the ground. I'll carry you up and you can get your pillow, okay?"

"No. Pillow," I complained. "I can fall asleep right here. You know, I could fall asleep standing up?"

Suddenly, coarse hands cradled my face and lifted my head in the air. After considerable thought and effort, I forced my eyelids to flutter open. There was a handsome, familiar, infuriating face above mine.

"Jamie?"

He smiled, "Hello."

Upon catching the way he had looped his arms under my knees and around my back, I jolted upright and out of the car, swatting his hands away. "Do not carry me."

I didn't need this man-child to walk me into the dorm like a knight carrying his princess. I had no manners, no decorum, and more times than not, it was fire that left my mouth—I was more the dragon than the princess.

Jamie shook his head, sighing exasperatedly. "Alright, walk then."

We walked. Up the cobbled pathway to the gleaming dormitory I called home, through the doors into the reception and further to the elevator lobby. I wrapped both arms around myself as I rested my weight back against the polished wall.