THIRTY-ONE: HUNGOVER
KIMBERLY
I was drunk but not when I was in the face of death. I knew I was running away from Liam but I didn't realize I was in the middle of the road and when I heard that car horn blaring at me, I suddenly got stuck there. My whole life flashed in my eyes. I shielded my eyes with my hands and closed them, waiting to be knocked off the floor, maybe roll in the air and fall to my death. But then, a deep male voice screamed my name and I was suddenly pulled away from that oncoming vehicle by a strong hand. I hit the wall of his chest, perceived his cologne, and we went all the way down to the floor. Then I heard the screeching of car tires on the tarred floor, but it sounded distant in my ears.
Then for a moment, everywhere went silent. I was lying down on his body, unable to move and he was unable to move too, then I heard running footsteps approaching us.
"Are you okay?" I heard Aiden's voice and when I looked up, I saw the blurry vision of his face.
I felt my body being lifted off the body that was lying still underneath me. I was sure that was Liam. But why was he not moving? Why was he not scolding me? I was slipping into unconsciousness but I still took notice of the things around me. More people came running up and I felt myself being hauled over someone's shoulder and carried away.
"Is he alright? What happened?" I heard another voice ask.
"It was an accident, he passed out."
I felt myself being hauled into a car and the door was shut with a thud and that was when my brain became tired of being alert. I blacked out.
I woke up and my eyes fluttered open, staring at the ceiling, for a second I was blank before I remembered who I was and my body announced its condition. I was having a blinding, pounding headache and feeling of nausea. I yawned and looked towards the window, it was drawn and from the look of it, the morning was balmy. I was half-naked under the duvet and I tried to sit up and go to the bathroom.
"Had a great night?" a deep male voice asked.
I jerked and turned to see a man sitting on a chair by the corner of the room, legs crossed, he was holding a newspaper covering his face.
"Liam?" I called softly.
He removed the newspaper from his face and I saw a bruise on his cheeks. I quickly raised the duvet to check if I was really naked under the duvet. I was only in my panties and bra. I gasped and shoot him a sharp look.
"Why am I lying here like this?" I asked.
Liam smirked. "Is that a way to thank someone that saved you from death?"
"What are you talking about...?" my words trailed off as the events of last night slowly came back to me. My mouth dropped open as I realized that it was at the cause of saving me from that car that he got that wound. "Oh, my God," I muttered and covered my face with my palms, grunting. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of those things I said."
"No, you did," he said with a lopsided grin. "But it's for the best, at least you said what you felt."
I opened my mouth to talk but no words came out of it. Hate was a strong word and I shouldn't have used it on him, no matter how annoying he was.
"But...did I really mess up? Like, did I stir up suspicion? Oh, my God," I put my hand over my mouth and stared at the paper he had been reading with wide eyes. "Don't tell me everything had been blown, oh, my God I don't have money to pay for damages." I started to whine, Liam just sat there staring at me with that mischievous smile on his face, saying nothing. Then, I noticed he was not reacting to my complaints. "Wait, why are you just sitting there looking and smiling like that?"
"Because you are cute," he said still smiling.
My whole body blushed at that. I looked away from him.
"You are cute when you get drunk," he continued. "Wait, are you blushing?"
I put my hands on my cheeks and looked sharply at him. "Who is blushing?"
"You."
"By the way, are you suggesting I should get drunk always?" I tried to change the topic.
"If that would bring out the cute side of you."
Butterflies fluttered frantically in my abdomen. What was wrong with me? I was no longer a hormonal seventeen-year-old who would blush at flattery. "Can you stop saying 'cute'?"
"Why? Do you think it would make you fall in love with me?"
I gasped. "You know what? Forget it," I said and almost threw the duvet away from my body. Then I turned to him. "What makes you think I will fall in love with you?"
He smiled a broader smile and my stupid heart kept fluttering. "Because I am handsome and charming," he replied smugly.
I chuckled sarcastically. "Who lied to you?"
"Your eyes," he replied, the smug smile still on his face.
"What?" Have I ever looked at him in such a way that suggested I was interested in him? No way! I flung the duvet away from myself, completely forgetting I was half-naked. "I will just leave," I said and stood on the bed and was about to climb down.
"Nice body though," he said.
I decided to ignore him at first because I didn't completely understand why he said that. Why won't he say I have a nice body after seeing me in that sexy red dress... WAIT! Where is my dress? I looked down at my body and saw I was only in a bra and panties. "What?!" I screamed jumped back into bed and covered myself with the duvet, whining.
His laughter resonated in the room as I kicked my arms and feet in frustration under the duvet. I was never coming out from under that duvet forever and ever. NEVER!