Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
It had taken most of the night for me to be able to actually fall asleep once we came back to our room, and even when I did, my dreams were so bizarre and vivid in color that I wasn’t even sure if I truly rested.
And Portia. Poor Portia. Even sober, the girl couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep quickly, so having her mind spin like mine kept her up even worse than me. I had held her, tried to soothe her, applied kisses when she stirred, but I knew she had just as much a restless sleep as me.
And what the fuck happened last night at the Trial?
We had the most amazing sex. Mind-blowing. Sex that seemed to last forever. Sex that took us to a level of… to a level of what?
My mind blurred with the memories, and as I glanced over at Portia in bed beside me who stirred awake, I instantly felt embarrassed. Last night wasn’t just incredible fucking, at least not for me, and I seriously doubted it was for her.
Did I make a fool of myself?
What did I say?
What did I do?
Jesus Christ… Memories came back hazily. I’d called her honey and baby. I was… sappy as fuck. But the scariest thing about last night was I meant every single word I said. I felt it from the deepest shadows of my walled-up heart.
Was it the laced absinthe?
Or was it something more?
“Oh my god… That was quite the cocktail,” she mumbled as she flung her legs off the bed and rubbed the drugged sleep out of her eyes.
“I think it was more than just a strong drink.” I yawned and stretched but refused to sit up. “I think they dropped some sort of drug on the sugar cube.”
Her eyes widened as she looked over at me. “Last night was… we were on drugs?”
“Maybe acid? Only way to describe what happened.”
Her eyes diverted, and she cringed as if I had just reached out and slapped her. It took her a moment to lift her chin, push back her shoulders, and apply the fakest smile I had ever seen on her. “Right. Only way,” she agreed.
“The Elders must have wanted to truly mess with our heads.” I seemed to be upsetting her with my words, and I considered telling her I meant what I said last night—on drugs or not—and that I had felt—
“Nothing surprises me anymore.” She shrugged and ran her fingers through her hair. “Everything about this place is lies, head games, and… laced with evil,” she said as she got out of bed, walked straight to the bathroom, and closed the door behind her.
I released a sigh of relief. I didn’t like that she stormed to the bathroom upset, but I also needed a moment to myself to process. I rubbed my jaw that ached from clenching my teeth so much last night as a side effect from some stupid drug, and I considered trying to fall back asleep in hope I could wake up again in a much better frame of mind.
When I heard the shower run, I knew, however, I didn’t have long to languish in bed. Acid trip hangover or not, Portia was a morning person and would be expecting me to be up all bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Were we not going to discuss last night at all?
No soft embraces the morning after?
No sweet words?
Portia clearly didn’t want to, and frankly… neither did I.
Last night was… well… it was last night and would stay that way.
Safer. Easier.
When the shower turned off, I groaned. The woman couldn’t even take her time for that. Everything had to be now, fast, and on her own clock of efficiency. Knowing it was very likely she would come out in her workout gear ready to go, I decided to put a stop to the ridiculous idea of going for a run right after drinking poison. Grabbing the phone by the bed, I called the kitchen hoping I could convince Mrs. H to have some mercy and bring us breakfast to the room.
“I was wondering if I would be hearing from you, laddie,” Mrs. H said on the other line.
“Yeah, last night was… interesting. Do you mind if we can have breakfast delivered? I would really owe you one.”
“Of course. The usual morning after meal?” she asked with a good-natured chuckle.
“You know me so well.”
I hung up the phone just as Portia exited the bathroom wearing exactly what I had expected. It amazed me she could just bounce back to her perky, avoidant self as if nothing occurred last night.
“I ordered us breakfast,” I said, laying my head back down on the pillow. “It should be here soon.”
“What about our morning run?”
“Portia,” I groaned. “We’re due for a day off. Especially considering what we took last night.”