I jolted awake.
There was light streaming in through the window. Oh no. My heart began pounding in my chest.
Frantically, I glanced at the clock.
Oh no no no.
My panic only intensified. We had overslept! We had stayed up way too late. I felt guilty knowing that I wouldnât be in time for morning class. I took my grades seriously. How could I have let this happen?
Blushing furiously, I felt a surge of embarrassment as the memories from the night before flooded back into my mind. Thoughts of Jamesâs tongue and the sweet taste of whipped cream made my cheeks burn. I squirmed uncomfortably beneath the covers.
I shook James awake.
âJames, wake up!â
He groaned.
âWake up now! We overslept.â
Within moments James was sitting upright. He looked at me and then at the alarm clock.
âShit,â he said. He then barked a laugh. âWe slept like the dead.â
âThis isnât funny!â I said and got out of bed.
James yawned as I leapt out from under the covers. I ripped off the T-shirt that I had been sleeping in.
âOoh,â James said, grinning deviously at me.
I threw the stupid thing at his face.
âGet up!â I told him.
I grabbed my jeans and hopped into them. Then I threw on the first bra and shirt that I could find.
James finally climbed out of bed.
I raced through my morning routine with lightning speed. My heart was still beating from the panic of oversleeping. With no time to spare, I skipped my usual ritual of styling my hair and applying makeup. Instead, I opted for a quick brush through my tangled locks and a splash of water on my face.
Beside me, James moved with practiced efficiency. He brushed his teeth and quickly got dressed. He ran his fingers through his hair in a futile attempt to tame the unruly locks, his carefree attitude a stark contrast to my own frantic state.
There was no time for coffee.
Together we raced out the door.
But James didnât look worried. He had a smile on his face and walked around with a carefree attitude. He seemed to think that sometimes it was okay to embrace the chaos and roll with the punches.
Who cared if we were a little late? He certainly didnât.
But for me, every minute mattered, every second counted. We ran towards campus, hand in hand. Well, I ran and James jogged.
Gasping for breath and feeling the beads of sweat forming on my forehead, James and I finally reached campus. We exchanged a quick kiss goodbye before heading off to our respective classes.
I rushed towards my mathematics lecture. My heart still pounded from our mad dash across campus. I reached the classroom. The door was closed. I could hear Professor Reyes talking.
Shit.
I took a deep breath and opened the door. The whole class looked at me. My cheeks were on fire as I made my way to my seat. Professor Reyesâs disapproving glare filled me with unease. I squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny.
I saw Charlotte and immediately made my way toward her.
Before I could even settle in, I heard Charlotteâs whispered, âYou just moved in with your boyfriend and youâre already late...â
She teased playfully. Not in a mean way.
Rolling my eyes at her comment, I muttered under my breath, âYeah, yeah, laugh it up.â
âWhat have you two been doing?â Charlotte asked.
The mischievous glint in her eyes told me she was already imagining all sorts of scenarios.
As Charlotteâs question hung in the air, my mind raced with memories of the night before. Images flashed through my mindâmy rumpled underwear, Jamesâs chiseled abs. The taste of whipped cream lingered on my lips.
âSleeping,â I replied casually, hoping to deflect Charlotteâs probing gaze. But even as the words left my lips, I couldnât shake the feeling of heat rising to my cheeks, a telltale sign of the embarrassment. I felt as if I had been caught in the act.
Charlotte let out a giggle, her laughter ringing through the air as if she didnât quite believe my answer. I couldnât blame her.
Charlotte turned her attention back to the professor and I got my books out. I knew I would have to be more disciplined with myself now that James and I were living together. With temptation constantly at armâs reach, it would be all too easy to get carried away with our newfound freedom.
But school was important. My grades were important. I couldnât think about James all the time.
But even as I made a mental note to stay focused and diligent, a small smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
James.
My James.
I got lost in the thoughts of him. His warm smile, the way his eyes sparkled when he looked at me, the feel of his touch against my skin.
My mind wandered back to the night before. I replayed the memories in vivid detail. I remembered the warmth of his embrace, the softness of his lips against mine, the way he whispered sweet nothings in my ear as we lost ourselves in each otherâs arms.
I remember how sweet the whipped cream tasted. I remember how James had chosen selective body parts to put dollops on. I remembered his tongue.
RING!
The bell sounded. It snapped me out of my daydream with a start. Panic surged through me as I realized I hadnât paid attention to a single word of the lecture.
Oh my god. I hadnât paid attention at all!
I felt a flush of embarrassment heat my cheeks as I scrambled to gather my belongings. How could I have let myself get so distracted?
I packed up and headed off to my next class. This time I would focus. I would only think about college.
I would not think about James.
School had to be my priority now, and I couldnât afford to let myself be distracted by thoughts of romance.
As I settled into my seat and forced myself to pay attention to the lecture, my eyes drooped. I rubbed them, as if that would make me less sleepy. Yawn. Despite my best efforts to stay focused, the fatigue from our late night and the stress of the day weighed heavily on my shoulders, leaving me struggling to keep my eyes open.
Throughout the day, I pushed through my classes with a sense of weary determination. Each minute felt like an eternity. No matter how hard I tried to stay alert, the exhaustion seemed to seep into my bones, leaving me feeling drained and depleted.
During break, I drank two coffees.
By the time I finally made it home after school, I was utterly exhausted. My body longed for nothing more than the comfort of my bed.
I waited for James to return home. I took my school books with me to the bed, where I read through them.
With each passing minute, I fought against the heaviness that threatened to pull me under. I would stay awake until James arrivedâ¦
Zzzâ¦
I woke up the next morning, realizing Iâd fallen asleep. Stretching out lazily, I reached for James, only to find an empty space beside me.
Oh no. Guess I wasnât going to see him this morning. My eyes landed on the bedside table, where a small, folded note lay waiting for me. Suddenly I was wide awake. I reached out and unfolded the paper.
In his neat handwriting, James had left me a sweet message.
~I hope you have the best day ever.~
~Your breakfast is on the kitchen table.~
~I love you.~
I smiled to myself. Our awkward schedules havenât changed, but it was the small things like this that made a huge difference.
I made my way to the kitchen, the scent of freshly prepared food wafted through the air. There, laid out on the table, was a delicious waffle with whipped cream and maple syrup.
Wow. Best boyfriend ever.