Chapter 11

• Ambre
• A sharp pain in my head interrupted my sleep and forced me to open my eyes. My chamber was shrouded in darkness, but I could still make out a mass at the foot of my bed. As I turned under the covers, I noticed another warm body at the edge of the mattress. Dazed, it took me a while to realize it was the girls. I don't remember exactly what time we went to bed, and I didn't even dare go downstairs to inspect the state of the house. My night was a nightmare as I replayed over and over the inappropriate behavior I had shown Jayden. I kissed him. I mean, I really kissed him. And the worst part is that I enjoyed every second of that kiss. Damn it. It gave me more sensations than my five months with Tyler. After that mistake, I never saw Jayden again - luckily, or I think I would have died of shame. I have no idea where he went, with whom, or how the rest of his evening went, but I made a complete fool of myself. And it didn't even have the intended effect - to help me forget, at least for a few hours, that I had screwed up. Completely screwed up. I exhale loudly and turn onto my back, staring at the ceiling.
• Now I am faced with two major dilemmas: Should I apologize to Jayden? And should I tell the girls? They deserve to know. They're my best friends, the ones who are supposed to support me through life's trials. After all, who hasn't done something regrettable at a party, acting on the urge of the alcohol that titillates our hormones?
• "The girls?" I whisper, trying to wake them up gently, but no one answers.
• "The girls!" I finally moan a little louder before hearing them grumble in a half-sleep state.
• "What?" Holly, who was sleeping next to me, turns to me.
• "I made a massive mistake..."
• She turns on the bedside lamp, eliciting a painful groan from us. Light + hangover = bad combination! Esther sits up and rests her head on the mattress at the foot of the bed, her eyes still a little sleepy.
• "What have you done now..." The brunette next to me teases openly, putting an arm over her eyes to shield them from the light. I remain silent, picking at the small skin around my nails. How will I break the news to them? I don't even know what their reaction will be.
• "Come on, tell me!" Esther at the end of the bed grows impatient, obviously annoyed by this abrupt awakening. She yawns and rubs her tired eyes to keep them open.
• "I..." A lump forms in my throat as I realize my mistake. "I kissed Jayden," I finally admit after taking a deep breath. A deadly silence fills the room as two pairs of completely confused eyes stare at me.
• "What did you do?" Esther almost screams.
• "Shhh! Lower your voice," I reply. The high-pitched sound of Holly's laughter fills the room. With her hands clutching her ribs, she tries to calm her spasms.
• "Very funny! Think of something more believable next time," she manages to say between spasms.
• "I'm not kidding." Frowning, I meet her gaze and tell her the whole story, from the shivers he gives me, to the jealousy I feel when he's with another girl, to my slip-up last night.
• "Oh, damn! I never expected that!" Holly exclaims. A little embarrassed, I grimace as I lay back on the pillow. "I don't know what to do."
• "You don't know, maybe he forgot," Esther replied, dismissing my complaint with a wave of her hand.
• "Do you think so?"
• "Even if he remembers, he'll be just as embarrassed as you are. All the more reason not to talk to him. Anyway, it's not like you talk to each other," she concluded. I laughed at her rather cutting remark, fully aware that the situation was quite funny. Although, deep down, I felt that she was just trying to poke fun at me, and I didn't understand why. "Yes. Just think, you slipped up because of the alcohol," Holly chimed in. "And besides, he's your brother. Didn't that disgust you a little?" Esther looks at me with her mouth agape, as if I'd just done the most disgusting thing in the world. "Nonsense! You are not related by blood. You can be so old-fashioned sometimes," she says. Holly turns to me, a knowing smile on her face, before continuing, "He's as handsome as a god, so it's normal for you to have a crush on him. It can happen to anyone, including me if he were under my roof. Just remember that as long as he's part of your family, he's untouchable. You kissed him, it's no big deal. Now ignore him like he knows how. If your kiss caused a problem, he has a tongue to talk with." Relieved, I lean over to give her a hug while Esther goes back to her mattress, grumbling. "Well, at least one of them has my back!" When we finally decide to go downstairs, the house is immaculately clean. "Thanks, early birds... or night owls!" Esther leaves first for a family dinner, but Holly stays to soak up the sun until early afternoon. I'm sure she's waiting for Jayden to show up to see how I justify myself. Too bad for her, he doesn't show up once all day. Not even when I go to work in the evening. Nothing. No news, and it's better that way! In the end, ignoring him is much easier than I thought.
• ***
• After spending most of the weekend cooped up in my room, I wake up Monday morning to severe stomach cramps that force me to rush to the bathroom to empty my stomach of bile. Another great start to the week!
• I rinse out my mouth and splash water on my face before dragging myself back to bed, still feeling nauseous. When my alarm clock rings, it feels like I only closed my eyes for a few seconds. I reach over and turn off the alarm. Just five more minutes to rest my eyes, then I'll get up...
• "My dear, are you okay?" My father's voice reaches my ears, forcing me to open one eye. Did I fall asleep again? I get up quickly before falling back down onto the mattress. My head is spinning and my stomach is churning. With a hand over my mouth, I rush into the bathroom, push my father out of the way, and spit into the toilet. A warm, comforting hand lands on my shoulder, caressing my bare skin.
• "I'll let the school know. You'll stay here today and rest." His arms wrap around my shoulders, helping me to stand up before escorting me back to bed. After planting a long kiss on my forehead, he leaves the room and is quickly replaced by my sister and Cameron.
• "So sis, you sick?" "Mmm, I think I caught a cold playing in the water on Friday." I hug my stomach and wait for the pain to subside. Cameron sits on the corner of the bed and gently touches my forehead to see if I have a fever. He looks at me with a worried expression that makes me smile - he's a real mother hen.
• "I'll let the girls know you're not feeling well and get the grades for you," he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek, followed closely by my sister, who gives me a hug before leaving the room and closing the door behind them. I don't know how long I slept after that, but the creaking of a door wakes me up. I open one eye in the direction of the sound and notice a small brunette head peeking through the crack.
• "How are you feeling, honey?"
• "Okay, I guess..." Mia enters the room carrying a tray and sits down beside me. She sets the tray down and strokes my hair.
• "Your father told me that you threw up this morning."
• "Yes, but I haven't eaten much since Saturday night..." My stomach starts to growl, which makes her smile.
• "I know. Look what I brought you," she says, showing me a cup of tea and some cookies, a comforting smile on her face. She picks up the steaming mug and hands it to me. I hesitate for a second, not sure if it's a good idea to eat or drink anything in my condition.
• "Take it. It will make you feel better to drink something warm."
• "Thank you."
• "I wanted to bring you some watered down cola for your stomach, but Jayden told me you didn't like it." I tense up as soon as she mentions his name. Since when does he know what I like and dislike? A lump forms in my throat, preventing me from drinking any more tea. I put the cup back on the tray and grab a cookie, bringing it to my lips.
• "I don't know what's wrong with him this morning, but I can't get rid of him," she says, looking at her watch.
• "He should be in the garage by now."
• "Dad?"
• "No, your brother. He's in the kitchen. I don't know what he's waiting for." My brother. The memory hits me hard. I put down the cookie I had between my fingers, having lost my appetite as I vividly remember kissing this brother on Friday night. What the hell did I do? We haven't seen each other since. I don't know if he remembers or if he's mad at me, and I'm in no hurry to talk to him about it. Holly made me promise to ignore him, to pretend I didn't remember anything. And I would have preferred that to be the case...
• "I have to go to work, my dear. I can't be gone too long. Will you be all right today? Call me if you have any problems. I'll keep my phone close," Mia says before getting up and leaving the room.
• She runs her hand through my hair and places her lips on the top of my head.
• "I'll leave you the tray. Try to eat everything," she says to me. She waves goodbye and leaves my room. I lie back down under the covers, stare at my phone, and start reading the numerous texts I have received since this morning. The first is from Tyler, rescheduling our meeting for Wednesday night and wishing me a speedy recovery - how charming! Then I open twenty WhatsApp messages from the girls, or rather from Holly, because Esther makes a point of never addressing me directly. I understand that she may have been shocked by my revelation, but she doesn't have to ignore me, does she?
• Anyway, they enjoy telling me everything I miss at school, from chemistry class to discussions about the theme day the student council is organizing at the end of the week, and it feels good to laugh a little.
• After a quick scroll through social media, I decide to get some more sleep, but I have barely closed my eyes when someone knocks on the door again.
• "Yes?" I poke my head out of bed, a little surprised that Mia is walking through my room again before she leaves. But, preferring to save all my energy, I make no effort to present myself and remain slumped on the mattress, my face swollen and my hair disheveled. However, I immediately regret it and curse myself for my appearance when he comes into view. He's wearing a dark gray sweatshirt with a pattern, light blue jeans torn at the knees, and a large pair of black sneakers, and he's facing me, more handsome than ever.
• "I'm going to the garage, do you need anything?" He looks at me with a tight mouth. I grimaced several times from the constant pain in my stomach. Half sitting up, I look up at him. He hasn't moved an inch, watching me with a slightly worried look. If I had the energy, I would pull out my phone to take a picture: Jayden White, worried, deserves to be immortalized.
• "No, I'll be fine, thanks," I manage to say between two painful swallows. After a quick glance around my room, he goes to the chair at my desk and pulls out a red cardigan, which he places on my lap - not without lingering for a few seconds on the tank top I'm wearing.
• "Do me a favor this time, cover up."
• Then he turns on his heels and heads for the door, closing it behind him. Surprised by his attitude, I concentrate on the cardigan he gave me, then shift my attention to my outfit. I'm surprised to notice the reaction his gaze has caused on my body: my nipples are pointed, which he must have noticed.
• Just kill me now.