Life's Not Fair

Chapter ThirtyOne

Chapter ThirtyOne

Sha’riah

I woke up to an empty space beside me. At first I couldn’t remember where I was, so I blinked and looked around the tidy blue room, and then I quickly realised. I turned onto my back and winced at the ache below. That was also a reminder of last night, and my heart thumped when I recalled every detail: Marcus on top of me, his warm breath in my ear, the pain and pleasure I felt as he spoke soft words...

I rolled onto my side again and checked the time on my phone. 8AM. I sighed and rested my head on the pillow. The light from outside was seeping through the curtains and the house was quiet. My eyes still felt raw from lack of sleep, but I knew it would be hard to drift off again.

Suddenly the door opened and Marcus entered with a mug in his hand. He saw I was awake and his face softened.

“Mornin’,” he said.

“Hey,” I croaked.

He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for me to sit against the headboard. “I knew you’d be awake so I made you some hot chocolate.”

I smiled as he handed me the warm mug. “Thanks.” He watched me take a few sips and sigh in satisfaction. For some reason I couldn’t really look at him, but I knew his eyes were solidly on me. “What?” I asked, still looking at the mug.

“How you feelin’?”

“Kinda sore,” I admitted.

“I can set you a bath if you want?”

I finally looked him dead in the eye and felt overwhelmed with how caring he was being. “Yeah...thank you.”

He immediately got up and headed to the bathroom. I stayed there quietly drinking my hot chocolate, thinking of last night and how unexpected it was. We agreed to start fresh as friends, and then it was clearly established that we felt a certain way about each other, but I still didn’t know where we stood. It would be way too soon to get back together. I frowned at the possibility that Marcus might not want that right now; he probably thought it was too early as well.

I heard water running and then he came back in the room yawning.

“Tired?” I asked.

“Yeah. Someone kept me awake.” He gave me a suggestive look and I laughed quietly.

“I can say the same thing. This is actually your fault.”

“Can you blame me?”

I shrugged and averted his gaze once more. This was ridiculous; I couldn’t look him in the eye for more than two seconds! Every time I did, I pictured the expressions he made last night, and it made my heart race.

Marcus clicked his neck and I cringed at the sound. “That sofa’s fucking uncomfortable.”

I laughed at the way he massaged his neck. “Shame I took your bed. Maybe you can ask your mum if you can stay in here tonight.”

“She doesn’t trust us.” He gazed at me and his face changed. “And now I know why. If I stayed in here every night, we wouldn’t get any sleep.”

I almost choked at the indication and how his eyes roamed over my body. I was still in my nightie, but it was as if he could see underneath. He was literally stripping me with his eyes alone.

“What about if you just use the spare mattress?” I suggested. Truthfully I wanted Marcus to stay in here, even if it was on the floor, just so I wouldn’t be left alone with my thoughts.