Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 9.1: The First Morning

The sound of muffled footsteps woke her. It was like she'd just fallen asleep, and it took Reine a few seconds to remember exactly where she was. She opened her eyes, but the curtains were still drawn closed, leaving the room in darkness. Picking up her watch from the bedside table, she squinted at the luminous numbers. It was a half past eight in the morning. She had slept less than three hours.

Hearing a door open nearby, she jumped out of bed and ran to her own door.

"Whoa." She steadied herself on the handle after covering the twenty feet in a split second. She hadn't tested her alleged invincibility, but apparently she could be super fast.

Carefully pulling the door open, she peeked into the hallway. It was just in time to see Max – wearing nothing but sweatpants – walk into the room across from hers.

Closing the door, Reine moped back to the bed. Tucking herself back under the down comforter, she spent the next thirty minutes trying to fall back asleep.

It was no use. Max Baldovini, regardless of how arrogant and self-centered he appeared, had gotten into her head and worst of all, perhaps a little bit into her heart. Knowing he was merely several feet away was enough to keep her up, no matter how tired she still felt.

Finally rolling out of bed, she took a deep breath and left her room. Stopping in front of Max's door, she lifted her hand to knock and then hesitated. Was it wise to confront him alone? Maybe she should just wait until later. Would he avoid her like last night, though? No, it was better to just get this over with now.

Hearing the shower shut off gave Reine the impetus she needed. After knocking three times, Max's invitation came quickly. "Come in."

Entering, she saw he was still in the bathroom, so Reine took a few seconds to look around. Like hers, it was a very traditionally decorated bedroom. A massive, wooden bed frame, ceiling to floor drapes, plush chairs, and tufted pillows adorned the interior. However, this space was clearly conceived for a man. The browns and creams were accented with blues and greens, and there weren't any florals in sight. It was an eclectic, yet pleasant mix of modern and antique.

"Did you come to see me or my furniture?" Max peeped out from the bathroom's entrance with a smile.

Feeling her face flush, Reine walked over to the vanity where – wearing only a towel – he was lathering his stubble with shaving cream. She bit her lip at the sight of his buff physique. Leaning against the door frame, she watched him quietly before coming to a sudden realization.

"What day is it?" she asked.

With slow strokes of the razor, he began to remove even paths in the white foam. "Wednesday."

"Oh my God." She pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "I'm pretty sure my advisor mentioned that I have to teach a class tonight. I've got to get back home."

"Don't worry, we've taken care of it," he said while grimacing at his reflection in the mirror.

Reine furrowed her brows. "What do you mean? How?"

"Staged your death." He scraped the stubble from above his lip. "You had an unfortunate single-car accident getting home from the airport last night. Really tragic."

"Excuse me?" Reine asked, wide-eyed.

Max stopped shaving, looked directly at her, and laughed. "I'm kidding, Reine. But you do have an out for missing work this week. It's not nearly as creative, but we sent an email to your department secretary and told her you have the flu."

She threw up her hands in protest. "You hacked into my email?"

Nonplussed, Max got back to shaving. "No, of course I didn't. Mikey did," he said.

Appalled he didn't have the courtesy to consult her before making such arrangements, Reine gritted her teeth. Trying not fuss about what had already been done, she focused on the positives.

It was getting easier with each passing moment to believe what she was and who was next to her. And if everything Max has been telling her was true, then her possibilities for the future could be endless.

Seeing Max's preparations, however, she once again worried they wouldn't get to spend time together any time soon. Although he could have had numerous ways of maintaining such a lifestyle without holding down a job, Reine couldn't imagine this man just idly spending his days.

She frowned. "Are you going to work?"

He splashed water on his face before picking up a towel. "No, not yet. But there is some business we have to take care of before our guests leave."

Reine sighed. She had planned on crawling back into bed as soon as he was gone. "We? Do I need to come?" she asked.

Throwing the towel aside, he looked at her again. "Of course. You're part of our family now. Don't worry, you can sleep later," he added, noticing her lack of enthusiasm. "How are you feeling, anyway?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Better, but it's not quite the type of reunion I would have planned though."

"Nor I, darling, but I'm just happy you're back," he said with a smile. "We'll deal with everything else in due time."

Numb from exhaustion, she continued to stand quietly, propping herself up by the wall.

"Are you going to just watch me get ready?" He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

Reine snapped out of her daydreaming. "Why? Does it bother you?"

His smile suddenly made her heart beat twice as fast as before. "Not at all. But if you want to have breakfast, then I suggest you start getting dressed, too."

"Oh, right," she mumbled, turning towards her own bedroom to find something to wear.