But as I slowly wake up and take in my surroundings, I know why I never heard the door.
I’m not home.
“Shit.” I fly up, noticing a shirtless Zeke next to me. I don’t even remember falling asleep last night. I remember him offering to drive me home, and that’s it. I also remember being very tired after our entertaining night together. Still, I’ve never been tired enough to not leave before the morning.
Idon’tdo sleepovers—
Ever.
When I’m at my house, I kick them out right after I’ve gotten what I want, and when I’m at theirs, I always find a way to sneakout. Whether it’s when they run off to the bathroom or after they’ve fallen asleep, I always wake up in my own bed.
Zeke groans, rolling over, his arm landing across my bare legs, sending tingles through my body. The same tingles I got last night. The same tingles I’ve never gotten before.
Pull yourself together, Avalon.
I peel his arm off my legs and carefully remove myself from his bed. I notice the clock and hope it’s early enough that no one’s downstairs so I can sneak out unnoticed. If I’m lucky, they’re all very hungover and haven’t been able to pull themselves out of bed yet.
Zeke stirs again.
I run around his room to collect my clothes before he wakes up.
Because a morning after conversation feels a lot like strings… too much like strings.
I quietly close the door behind me, and as I head toward the stairs, I hear a shower running down the hall. Maybe I’m lucky, and they’re the only person awake. But once I reach the top of the stairs, I hear voices coming from downstairs.
That doesn’t mean I can’t still sneak out, though. If I’m quiet enough, maybe they won’t notice me. I walk down slowly, one step at a time. I don’t know how many people are down there yet, I can’t see them, but they’re still talking, so I don’t think they’ve heard me.
“I have a guest, too.”
“Brinley doesn’t count as a guest.” Brinley… Brin, that’s one of the girls with Jaxon last night. I guess I was right about the two of them. “She practically lives here.”
As he says that, my foot misses a step, causing me to slide down a couple of stairs and for one of my shoes to plummet down the remaining six.
So much for not making myself known.
I hop down the last few steps, and I’m met with four sets of eyes. One of the guys I remember from last night. He was playing beer pong with Jaxon and the two girls.Fletch.
They watch me like they’re waiting for me to say something. If I’m being honest, if no one was in the kitchen when I got down here, I was totally gonna steal some food, but there’s no way I’m going into their kitchen now. Not when it’s obvious that I’m trying to make a break for it.
So, I just smile. I don’t pick up my heel lying on the floor, but slide it on my foot instead and then follow it up by sliding on the other shoe.
And then I leave.
I’m lucky that Jaxon wasn’t one of the guys downstairs because I have to see him in class in a few days. And I don’t need Jaxon to know that Zeke slept with me last night if he shares any details of our rendezvous with his friends.
Once I’m out of the house, the door safely secured behind me, I take the opportunity to pull on my jeans. It’s not as cold as last night, but definitely not warm enough for me to walk home with bare legs.
I haven’t had a walk of shame since my junior year homecoming, and I never thought I’d have one again.
But here I am, walking home wearing what I was in yesterday, except now in his shirt and carrying my own.
And now, he has a reason to see me again. I have something of his. And even though it’s just a shirt, it’s something tying us together.
Like a string.
The walk back to my place wasn’t bad. Not many people were out on campus yet to see my walk of shame.
But I do hate the fact that I’m back here. Because if my mom’s home, we have to talk about what she did, and I don’t know if I’m ready to hear it. If I’m prepared for her to admit to stealing everything I worked so hard for.