Chapter 10

A loud bang woke me the next morning, and oh, how it felt like something had slammed into my skull. I squeezed my eyes tighter than they already were and buried my head under the pillow. It was so loud!

That's when I finally noticed the scent that always sent me into a tailspin. Justin's intoxicating woodiness enveloped me with the pillow, and I froze, eyes bulging as the night before come back to me in a mixture of fuzzy memories.

Wet pussies. Mixers. Vodka. More wet pussies. Justin. His arm around me. His scent as he held me close. Stairs falling out beneath me and him sweeping me into his arms on the way up.

My heart thumped. That was all I could remember. What happened next? I was in a bed that smelled like Justin Hart! Was he in the bed with me?

It took a lot of courage to lift the pillow the tiniest fraction and use one eye to peek at my surroundings. The other side of the bed was empty, and I let out a sigh of relief. Removing the pillow, I sat up and threw the covers off. My head spun at the fast movement, but I had to be certain.

Another sigh of relief. All my clothes were still on. My skinny jeans were tight, except the button, which was popped, and my bra was still on. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my shoes near the closed door.

Looking around curiously, other items in the room told me it was definitely Justin's. Not only did it smell like him, but I recognised the backpack he took to classes. There was an acoustic guitar resting against a very full bookshelf along one wall, a computer desk with two screens that looked like it was out of some crime-stoppers movie, and a photo on the nightstand beside me. He was in it.

I reached for the frame, curious about the young girl he carried on his back. My racing heart dropped the moment I recognised her. It was Claire, his little sister. It had to be. I'd met her once, as a newborn, and it was shortly after that meeting that I refused to spend time with Caroline. Back then, all I could think was that she finally had the daughter she wanted. She didn't need me anymore. Not long after that, she was officially removed as my adoptive mother.

I traced a finger around the edge of the wooden frame. Justin and Claire looked happy. He was smiling and she was laughing, her long brunette hair falling over his shoulder. They were on a beach. It was beautiful. They were beautiful. I quickly returned the picture to its place on his bedside table. No, I couldn't let those feelings take over. Not right now. Not when I was in Justin's bedroom, in his house.

Thankfully, I knew he didn't live with his dad, Claire and Caroline. He had his own place—which technically belonged to his father—that he shared with Dale and Darcy. They'd moved in with him when they all started university. Their parents lived on the central coast and this was much closer to campus. Sascha had also told me that they'd become a little more lenient and accepting of their children's career desires after their brother died. But that was another story altogether.

I got out of bed and looked around. Justin must be somewhere in the house. What was I supposed to do? I'd never slept in a someone else's bed overnight before. Well, except Sascha's and my cousins, but those didn't count. I quickly made the bed, pulling the soft navy sheets up and fluffing the pillows. That was the right thing to do, wasn't it?

One of the two other doors in the room stood slightly ajar. It was a bathroom. With relief, I stepped in to use the toilet. Waterproof makeup was my godsend in this situation. Most of my foundation was gone and I cringed at the fact it had rubbed off on Justin's pillow, but my eye liner and mascara were barely smudged. I used water to neaten myself up and rinse my mouth out. I wasn't game enough to use the toothpaste of mouthwash resting on the basin. That would be weird, right?

Satisfied that I looked as presentable as I could make myself, I open his bedroom door and stepped into the hall. I held my shoes in my hand, not wanting the heels to clack on the wooden floor and wake anyone who might be sleeping. If Dale lived here, then Sascha would be here somewhere as well. At least, I hoped she was. It gave me a little more comfort and confidence knowing that I wasn't completely alone in a foreign house.

There were two other doors on this level and a staircase that told me I was on the second. I could walk up or down. Knowing that, as well as recognising the style of the balustrade and window trimmings, I knew I stood in a terrace house. It was similar to my own house.

A soft clanking sound came from the lower level and I quietly ventured downstairs. I walked through the front foyer, into the living room, and almost tripped over my own feet. Justin was there, sleeping on the couch, and looking completely at peace. He lied on his back, one arm resting behind his head and foot hanging off the end of the couch. What would have happened if I woke up in the bed next to him?

I tousled with whether or not I should wake him. How else was I going to sort out this situation? I didn't have a car here. Sascha had to be around somewhere. What would I do if she wasn't?

The clanking sound continued and I followed it into the kitchen, leaving Justin to his dreams. I felt kind of bad that he slept on the couch. He should have just left me there so he could sleep in his bed.

Darcy was the one making so much noise. As I walked in, she spotted me and pushed a bottle of water and pack of aspirin across the benchtop. "Morning sunshine."

"Ugh," I croaked, speaking for the first time today. She was in matching flannel pyjamas and wore her hair up in a neat ponytail. What I would give to use a hairbrush right now. I ran my fingers through my hair again, hoping I didn't look like too much of a mess. "Thanks. How did you escape this torture?" I took the pills gratefully and swallowed half the water bottle in a few gulps, not realising how thirsty I was until this moment.

Darcy laughed half-heartedly. "I wasn't downing shots like you and Em all night."

I groaned, lowering my head to the cool bench. "I have real regrets," I mumbled.

When she didn't respond, I looked back up at her. For someone who hadn't been drinking, her eyes were fairly red.

"Are you okay?"

Darcy sniffed and avoided my gaze. "I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine," I observed. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "It was just a fight with Isaac. Nothing out of the ordinary. I'll be fine." She turned away, but it was obvious she was wiping her eyes on her sleeves. In a quick change of topic, she continued. "Do you want a coffee?"

I took her lead, not wanting to push her to talk about something that was obviously still fresh. "Yes please." I needed the coffee!

Darcy busied herself at the coffee machine. It was an expensive one that ground beans and had a frothing wand. I was both surprised and pleased. They drank real coffee here, none of that instant stuff. I wondered if Justin was the one who wanted the big, fancy machine. He was a coffee addict after all.

I waited patiently as Darcy worked. This was a lovely terrace house. It had clearly been renovated and was styled with a mix of modern and eclectic items. If a stranger walked in, they probably wouldn't pick that three young musicians lived here.

When Darcy returned to the island bench, she placed two mugs in front of me. At my questioning expression, she nodded toward the living room and said, "one is for Sir Justin in there."

My brows rose. "Sir Justin?"

"Mhmm. His armour gets shinier by the day," she smiled with an air of satisfaction.

Was she suggesting that he was a knight in shining armour? Sure, he saved me from Benji's ridiculous flirting last night, but I would have been fine. And sure, it was chivalrous, depending on whether you liked that thing or not. But it was completely unnecessary.

Ignoring that dig, or whatever her intention was, I took both mugs and went to the living room. Thankfully, Justin was already awaking up. I didn't have to poke him or anything. He sat up in the middle of the couch and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Morning," he croaked when he saw me standing there gawking like an idiot. "Is one of those for me?"

I stepped forward and held a mug out to him, trying very hard to ignore how adorable he looked with ruffled hair and a wrinkled shirt.

He shifted over on the couch and threw the blanket he slept with into a nearby armchair. "Take a seat." He patted the cushion next to him.

Hesitantly, I sat down. I'd woken up surrounded by his scent on his sheets, but somehow sitting next to him made it more intense. How was it possible that my headache seemed to lessen almost instantly? The pills didn't work that quickly.

After sipping our coffees in silence for a few moments, I was the first to speak. "You really didn't need to sleep on the couch."

He shrugged. "You were gone before we even made it back here. Sascha thought it was best."

Best to stay here in Justin's bed? I'd have to ask her about that later.

"You still didn't need to sleep on the couch. You could have left me here and slept in your own bed."

Justin shook his head, the corner of his lips turning up slightly. "I wasn't letting you sleep on the couch."

I rolled my eyes. Knight in shining armour indeed. "Well then you should have slept in the bed too."

He raised on brow in surprise. "Without your permission?"

My chest was feeling warm again. Why did it always do that around him? "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before," I countered. The memory of that night frequently came back to me and was as vivid as ever.

His grin widened. "That was different. It was your idea, and our other options weren't as comfy as this couch." Darcy was right. With every word that left his mouth, his armour got shinier.

"Okay, fine," I accepted defeat. I wasn't going to win this argument. "Did Sascha stay here as well?" Oh, I hoped she did. I hadn't seen any sign of her this morning.

Justin nodded. I was almost positive that she did, but it was a relief to have it confirmed. "She's probably still locked up in Dale's room. I rarely see her when she's here."

"Ew," I mumbled. A closed door could only mean one thing with a new couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Justin's head bobbed again, this time he gave me the pleasure of hearing his deep, soft, laugh. "She'll be down eventually."

"Thanks for making sure I found a safe place to stay," I said, looking down at my half-full mug. I wasn't his responsibility. "I was pretty wasted last night."

He laughed again. "I believe the term is double tipsy."

I couldn't help my smile. "Ah, yes, my intellect was showing with that one."

"Hey, you were double tipsy, and it was cute, so it's fine." Drunk and cute? Did those things usually go together? Justin's face quickly fell from amused to serious and I felt my mood plummet with it. "But now that you're not drunk anymore, there is something I need to talk to you about." He reached for my mug and placed it on the coffee table beside his own, then he turned his body towards me, arm resting on the back of the couch.

Okay, whatever it was, his approach was enough to start my panicking. He started talking again, not giving me time to spiral in a sea of possibilities that were ready to flood my mind.

"The AHM Awards," he began, not meeting my eyes. "I don't presume to know your feelings or your thoughts, but I feel like I should be telling you this, that you should know."

He paused then, and I had to urge him on with my hand. What was so important that he needed to get all serious like this? Did he know about Sawyer? And why did that thought bring the guilt back to the surface? My headache suddenly made itself known again. Whatever balm he unknowingly provided had disappeared.

"Well, because my dad will be there, and he's up for an award, Caroline is also going." He looked at me then, searching my face for some kind of sign. I'm not sure what it portrayed because I'm not sure what I was thinking. I just froze. "She'll be there. I thought you should know, but maybe that wasn't my place. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring anything up." His voice was starting to show panic.

"No, it's okay," I reassured him when I finally found my words. "Thank you for telling me." A whole new realm of possible awkward moments just popped into my mind. Not only did I need to worry about Justin and Sawyer at the same party, but now Caroline would be there too. I wasn't sure if I could handle seeing her. I could back out, but that would also result in disaster. Another thought occurred to me then.

My dad went to these awards annually. Did he have to see Caroline? Did she go every year as well? And why had he never told me? Did he deal with this on his own all the time?

"You okay?" Justin asked in a wary tone.

I shook my head, but smiled carefully. "I'm fine. I promise."

Luckily, Sascha decided to make an appearance at that moment and I didn't need to deepen the lie. I swear it was a sixth sense of hers. She had the perfect timing in every awkward situation.

"Morning Boss Lady!" she chirped as she skipped into the room.

My eyes widened. "Oh damn!"

"What?" she giggled, taking my cup from the table and sipping my coffee.

"I don't have my uniform!" I looked down at my watch. Our shift started in an hour. How could I forget about work? There was no time to drive back to my place and get it. Not that I had a car.

Sascha laughed again. "Sometimes you're slow in the morning. Boss's daughter, remember? Just get another one out of the storeroom." I sighed in relief. I didn't even think of that, not that it was an ideal fix, but it would do and I would pay for it. "And quit panicking, I've got my car and we're only about 20 minutes away."

Thank goodness. I don't know what I was thinking. I never did this type of thing. I was always punctual and never caught in a situation without knowing the consequences, or how I could get out of it. And I had a hangover to boot! "Okay, well let's go."

Sascha handed the coffee to me. "Just give me two minutes." She backed out of the room.

"It better actually be two minutes," I yelled after her. We could not be late. When I turned back to Justin, who had stayed silent for the entire exchange, he looked amused. "Okay, so we're going now. Work and all. Thank you again for everything."

He gave me his genuine smile, the one that sent my heart fluttering. "You're welcome. I'll walk you out."

Justin lead me to the front door and opened it, letting the sun stream into the house. I stepped out onto the front porch to wait for Sascha. Justin stayed on the threshold, leaning against the doorframe with his coffee mug. He sipped it slowly and I couldn't help admiring him. His clothes were wrinkly, his usually well-kept hair was sticking out in all directions, and he had small bags under his eyes, yet somehow, he made it all look... sexy.

Sascha and Dale appeared in the foyer behind him and I was happy to know we'd be on the road any minute now. And then they started making out.

Justin turned to face me with a groan. He was still leaning against the frame, but his movement somehow brought him closer. Looking into his eyes, it was easy to forget what was going on right behind him. He was staring at me in that odd way again. What was he thinking? I wished I could ask, but that would be too forward.

When he spoke, it was in a low voice. "Are you so addicted to coffee that you'd resort to petty theft?"

"What?" I asked, completely confused. He looked pointedly at the mug in my hands and smirked. "Oh, right, this is yours," I blushed. I held it out to him, but not before downing the rest of my precious coffee.

That made him laugh. I was hearing a lot of it this morning, and it was nice. "Tell you what, you're welcome back for a coffee any time," he smiled.

"How come I never got that invitation?" another voice came.

I jumped, not having heard anyone approach. It was Emily. She winked at me knowingly and I blushed again. She probably thought something had happened between Justin and I. This was the second time she'd caught me with him in the morning. We'd made some progress last night, and I had to admit, I kind of liked her. I'd misjudged her in the beginning and now knew she had no real interest in Justin. Not that that should bother me either way.

"Is Darcy in her room?" she asked, turning serious. She must know about Darcy's fight with Isaac and had come to console her best friend.

"Last I saw, she was in the kitchen," I told her.

"Thanks," she smiled.

Justin stepped out onto the porch to let her pass. She was a confident person, and I had to laugh when she barged her way through Dale and Sascha, breaking up their make out session.

"Hey," I called to them. "Do not even think about roleplaying the horny teenagers again. It's time to go!"

Sascha spun around and stuck her tongue out. "Yes, mum."

Dale waved as we left the porch and I said goodbye to Justin. I walked down the path wondering if he was there watching me. Not that he should be, but would he? When I closed the gate to his small front yard, I allowed myself to look back. Sure enough, he stood by the door, both our mugs in his hands. And he was still smiling.

I turned away, lips forming a smile of their own. It was the kind of smile you couldn't hold back, and that confused me even more.