Overdrive | ✓

20 | careening through the universe

It was almost 4 PM when I stirred awake in Atlas's bed. There was a warm spot beside me where he'd laid, but he was gone. As I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and got a better grip on my bearings, I heard the shower running in the master bathroom.

I bit down on my lip as I slid myself out of bed and tip-toed across the carpet to the bathroom door, where steam curled up and out through the gap in the door. I peered in without opening the door any further, and through the thick, fogged-up glass of the shower door, I could make out Atlas with his back to me. While any person with eyes could easily be distracted by the water rippling down his overly toned shoulders and back, I caught the sound of humming just over the cadence of the running water, and I smiled to myself before turning back into the bedroom.

I opened the blackout curtains, allowing streams of warm light to spill across the room. I leaned forward on the windowsill, counting the sailboats that sporadically dotted the harbor. The ocean took on a blazing orange hue as the sun began its descent down to just kiss the horizon.

"Oh good, you're up."

I spun around to see Atlas, water still glistening on his chest with a towel clinging on for dear life around his waist. I exhaled a tight breath, trying to keep my mind and my eyes from wandering too far adrift.

"I was going to wake you earlier..." he continued as he ducked down into a dresser drawer to pull out a pair of jeans. "But you just looked like you really needed a good rest, and you're quite lovely when you sleep."

"You're quite lovely always," I replied with a smirk. "But especially when you're in just a towel."

Atlas walked over to me, slowly and methodically, before putting his hands to my hips and gently pinning me between him and the dresser. I felt the towel against me shift ever so slightly. "Are you objectifying me?"

I dragged my teeth along my lower lip. "I might be."

He leaned in closer, just close enough to taste the toothpaste on his breath when he spoke again. "You should start getting ready, we have places to go."

"Places to go?" I scoffed as he pulled away, effectively dissipating the crackling tension between us. "Go where?"

Atlas gave me a silent, knowing smirk before pulling off his towel and tossing it aside on the bed.

"These diversion tactics won't work now," I gave a sweeping gesture to his perfect, bare physique. "You're really not gonna tell me where we're going, are you?"

He shrugged again as he pulled on his jeans. "Dunno, mate. I'm not the right person to ask."

I scoffed again. "Who should I ask then? Phantom?"

"Phantom is very good at keeping my secrets - he'd never tell you."

Atlas threw on another tight designer t-shirt - one that I was sure would tear right across his shoulders if he stretched his arms out too far.

"So you're just wearing that?" I gestured to him as he slipped on a pair of far-too-white Nike Airforce 1s. "What should I wear then? I need to at least know the important things."

"Just wear whatever's comfortable for you. Stop fussing. Now I'm going to the garage to get the car, just take the elevator down and then that hallway I brought you though before. I'll meet you outside in the alley."

I rolled my eyes, but he smirked back at me until he closed the door behind him. With my heart hammering against my ribs, I tied my messy, slept-in hair up in a braid and grabbed a sweater from my duffle before doing as Atlas instructed. I hadn't the faintest idea what he had planned, but something about the way he spoke made it feel like I was floating, despite still hobbling around on a busted ankle.