Black as Coal

9

The comfortable, white sofa and the strong patchouli scent were a dead giveaway I wasn't in my dingy cabin.

"You're awake," I heard Cronan's voice.  I tilted my head slightly and saw him sitting on the opposite end of the couch. He was wearing a form-fitting black shirt that made me briefly forget about everything else, including the raging headache I felt.

"I am," I responded, my voice dry and hoarse due to a lack of water.

I stared at his chest for a few more minutes before my gaze drifted back up to his blue eyes. He stared at me, obviously having seen me checking him out, but he didn't seem to be upset by it. His expression was blank—the same expression he always wore when he caught me looking at him. It was at times like this when I wished I could understand his thoughts. Sometimes it was easy to tell what Cronan was thinking, but other times it was like staring at a rock wall. This was one of those times.

I attempted to sit up but the pounding headache was enough to make me groan and lie back down.

"That's what you get," Cronan muttered. "You drunk all those drinks and got your ass wasted. What idiot drinks that much knowing can't handle it?"

"I didn't drink much," I responded and it was the truth. I couldn't remember the exact amount, but I was confident that it hadn't been as much as he was thinking.

"So you're a lightweight," he hummed and I rolled my eyes. "Kind of ironic, seeing as you're always the one hounding me about my drinking habits. Yet, you can't even hold a few drinks down."

"Hush," I muttered, but the smugness on his face told me that he wasn't going to let me forget about it.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes and my eyes dropped to the blanket resting in Cronan's lap. Noticing my gaze, he stood up, placed the blanket over the back of the couch, and stared down at me with an indecipherable expression.

"Yesterday, I told you that the first thing I'd do was kick you out. But, judging by the way you look, if I just kick you out then you'll just keel over like a dog," he said and I rolled my eyes. "So, give me your address and I'll drop you off."

A wave of discomfort fell over me. Call me prideful, but I didn't want Cronan to see my cabin. I didn't want to know what his reaction would be.

"It's fine. I'll just walk."

He frowned. "You can barely sit up, much less walk."

"They say fresh air is good for a hangover."

His expression changed. "Are you homeless?"

The blunt question took me off guard and I stared at him with slightly-widened eyes. He didn't say anything as he waited for my answer.

"No," Yes, sort of. "I'm not homeless."

"Then quit making it a bigger deal than it has to be," he told me as he walked, grabbed something from the kitchen, and handed it to me. A bottle of water. "I'm going to shower and then we'll head out."

"Where's my phone?" I stopped him before he could leave.

He grabbed it from the opposite side of the living room and handed it to me. I could see the faintest bit of color on his face. "I didn't look through it or anything. It just kept buzzing so I moved it."

I nodded, not that I cared. Everything that was on there was something he already knew about be anyways.

Once he had disappeared, I unlocked my phone and saw a million texts from Penelope asking if I was okay. I quickly shot her a text back and against my better judgment, asked her to come pick me up. She instantly agreed and told me she'd be there soon, so I forced myself to sit up and took a few sips of the water before using the couch to help me stand up.

I pushed past the hangover and followed the sound of rushing water so I could let Cronan know that I was leaving. However, just as I rounded the corner, the water came to a stop. Cronan stood there with a towel wrapped around his waist and was using another to dry his hair. It seemed like he didn't notice me at first, until his head shot around and his blue eyes met mine. I half expected him to yell, but he didn't.

"I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to worry about taking me home," I said. "I know someone who can," my phone buzzed and I glanced down at the text from Penelope. "In fact, that's them right now. So, I'll see you later."

I turned and headed to the door like my life depended on it. I was out in a flash and hurried my way to Penelope's car.

"Are you okay?" She asked once I got inside.

"Yeah," I breathlessly replied.

"Where did you want to go?"

"Just...drive. I don't care, just drive," I responded. The longer we stayed here, the more often Cronan's face appeared in my mind and I couldn't have that. Not now.

"Alright," Penelope agreed and as she began to drive away, I glanced back at the house one last time.

Memories from the previous night flashed through my mind. I rested my head against the window and groaned quietly to myself, making a mental note to not get drunk in front of Cronan again.