FALLEN: A New Adult Romance (First of the FALLEN Trilogy)

Olive Branch

God, it's loud!

I open my eyes one at a time, having a terrible time adjusting to the room's brightness. I reach for my phone on the nightstand. The incredibly annoying buzzing sound of my alarm hurries me.

A massive headache has nested itself in the back of my head. I slowly bring my covers over my face to hide from the white light blinding me through the windows of my room.

That's right... I'm in London. But why did I have to wake at... 7 AM? It's too fucking early. I look at my phone under the covers, and the light makes me frown until I adjust my lighting to its minimum. I have a text from a contact named 'Ash ;)'. I don't know anyone by the name 'Ash'. I click on the message and unlock my phone to read it.

Ash ;): It definitely was. I hope to see you again.

Oh my God! Who is this person? What happened last night?

I look through my phone for more clues. I read my last text before Ash's. It's from Sophie. Reading her name rings a bell, and it takes about four seconds for some memories to come back.

I remember that she works at Wright Books and we met again at the pub next to the hotel. We got talking, and she definitely said something about a band. Yeah! The band! I remember them. Ash is the drummer. He was hot!

Oh god, what happened? I can't seem to remember what went on after that. Thinking about it thoroughly makes my headache even more. I let it go and give another look at my phone. Who is 'Arrogant Jerk'?

I clicked on his name and read our messages. Whoever it is, I seem to be comfortable with him enough to talk like trash. Why would I want to meet someone I don't remember about that early in the morning? I know no one here.

I look at my phone again, and it seems like we talked for seven minutes, twenty-two seconds. I decide to trust the last night's overly drunk me and go to brunch with this person. I won't dress up. I don't feel like it, and I feel like I don't have to with the language I used in my texts yesterday.

I swing my legs out of bed, and my head spins a little. I get up and walk to the bathroom to brush my teeth and do something with my hair. My blonde locks fall messily on my face. I gather all my hair and tie it loosely on top of my head in a messy bun.

I head back to the bed and put back the jeans I had on yesterday that rests on the floor. I see my AC DC shirt next to it but decide to wear the Rolling Stone shirt I also brought in my bag. I put on my black Converse and gathered all of my stuff in my luggage to be ready to go when I return from the brunch. I take my purse and look for painkillers to buzz the headache away. Thank God I find some. I swallow them quickly with some water before heading to my vibrating phone.

I take it in my hand and see the same number as yesterday written on it.

Arrogant Jerk: I'm here a bit early. I am waiting for you in the hall.

Great... He is here early. I already don't feel like meeting anyone today. I have to meet somebody I can't even remember talking to. I feel like I should hurry and get out of my room, so I take my purse and walk through the door.

The door closes loudly behind me, and it awakes the pain in the front of my skull now. I can feel my heart beating through my head and it. Is. HORRIBLE. Every step I take is making the pain echo through my brain. I click on the lift's main floor button to get me down and then press both of my temples with my fingers to relieve some of the pain away.

It works when I get to the main floor and walk to the hall to meet the 'Arrogant Jerk'. It turns out I had picked out the perfect name for this person.