When Autumn Falls

4.

I awoke on the floor, and flashbacks of last night started to come back in bits. I had felt sick and thrown up multiple times, I had heard knocking on the door but I did not have enough strength to stand up and open it. I headed to Olive's bedroom where Olive.

"Good morning Sunshine", said Olive still in the same clothes she wore yesterday. I couldn't be the one to judge, I also was still wearing the same thing.

"Can I borrow a shirt?" I asked.

"Here take this one", she said throwing me a shirt, "It's Roman's but I don't care if he minds."

"Roman's?", my sister asked trying to contain her excitement. I quickly caught up with the signals and handed her the shirt, "Here, you should take a shower as well. As long as I can go first I don't mind what I wear."

"Here, take my flannel", Olive said handing me a brown flannel I had never seen her use, "keep it! It's not my style."

I smiled, "thanks".

"Bathrooms are on the other side of the floor, use the one on the right. There are towels in every guest room."

"Awesome!", I said walking away and leaving them alone. I stopped in the guest room first and removed all of my clothes, I could not keep those dirty clothes on me any second longer. I walked around the house in just a towel praying that I did not encounter Roman. I looked around the hallway, I couldn't remember which bathroom Olive had told me to go into so I just flipped a mental coin and decided to enter the one on the left.

The bathroom was huge, I had never used any of their upstairs bathrooms since most of the time all events happened downstairs. I placed the flannel on the sink and the towel on the towel rack outside the shower. The water was warm and felt wonderful against my skin. It cascades down, caressing my skin and washing away the stress of last night. I close my eyes, allowing myself to fully immerse in the sensation of the hot water against my body. Within a few minutes I was done and I reached out for my towel on the outside of the glass door. The bathroom was still very foggy so I couldn't see through the glass door. I dried my body and wrapped myself with the towel, as I stepped out of the shower my heart skipped a beat as I noticed a figure leaning against the wall, watching me. Shock courses through me as I realize it is Roman, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.

My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I scramble to find my voice, searching for words to break the silence that hangs between us.

"Roman, how long have you been in here?" I asked securing the towel against my chest with my arms.

" I just got here", a touch of confusion in his eyes. I stared at him attempting to piece together the situation.

"Is this... um.. your?" I began, my voice trailing off.

"Yeah", he replied calmly. I had unintentionally walked right into his bathroom, great. My eyes suddenly widen in surprise as I realize that Roman, too, is clad in nothing but a towel. The shock of the situation intensifies as I take in his appearance, accentuated by the droplets of water glistening on his skin.

"Like what you see?" he said with a smirk, his gaze lingering suggestively. I quickly looked away, my eyes scanning the bathroom looking for my flannel, the only article of clothes I had brought with me. "Roman, where is my shirt?" I asked in response to his smirk.

"You mean this one over here?" He held up my shirt, teasingly moving it just out of my reach.

"Give it to me", I insisted, attempting to grasp it, but he playfully kept it out of my reach. I leaped high enough to grab part of the flannel, but also high enough that I did not have enough balance to land on my feet. Roman caught me by the waist and pulled me towards him.