Spin The Bottle: A college romance: Chapter 13

The ringing of my phone jolts me awake, my eyes blinking, adjusting to the dark surroundings.

What time is it?

I grunt, wiping a hand down my face. The ringing permeates my ears, sounding louder and louder the longer I take to pick up. I roll over to the side, eyes barely open, still foggy and answer the phone, bringing it to my ear.

“Yes?” I grunt.

“Are you trying to piss me off?” my brother says on the other end. “Where is our money?”

God damn it. My eyes snap open, my whole body going stiff at his voice. The cold tone enough to make me uneasy. I pull back, looking at the time on my phone, grunting when I see it’s still early as fuck. “It’s four in the morning, asshole. You’re high already?”

He sniffs. “Shut the fuck up,” he grits out. “Where is our money?”

My eyes narrow even though he can’t see me. It’s way too early for a migraine. “You mean my money?”

His laugh makes my whole body shiver. I’m twenty years old, for fuck’s sake. I shouldn’t be scared of my own brother, especially since he’s miles away, but I can’t forget what it was like growing up with him, with all of them.

The dark, snarky laugh echoes through the phone. I can almost picture the grin he has on his face. It’s the same grin he used to have right before I got a beating. “You don’t make shit. You owe us. College or not, you’ve got to pay your dues, little bro.”

“I told you,” I sneer. “I haven’t gotten paid yet.”

“I’m getting very impatient waiting around for you.”

I shake my head, knowing he’s not going to let this go anytime soon. “How’s Mom?”

“What’s it to you?”

A sharp exhale escapes me, running my hand down my face. “I care about her.”

“Yeah, seemed like it when she begged you not to leave and you did anyway.”

Fucking— “Can you just put Mom on the phone? Is she awake yet? Where are you?” It’s just over three am back home. What is he doing calling me at this time?

“It doesn’t concern you. All you have to do is get us our money before I come and get it from you.”

My body freezes at the thought of seeing any of them again. “You can’t even drive, asshole.”

“How hard could it be?” He lets out a scoff. A cocky prick too.

“How are you going to afford a car?”

He sniffs again, I can almost picture the way he cracks his neck when he gets nervous. “I’ll figure it out.”

My eyes glaze over. “You mean steal.”

“I said I’ll figure it out,” he grits out. “You don’t need to worry about anything but getting us our fucking money.”

The line hangs up a second later.

“Fuck,” I yell, scrubbing my face in my hands. “Fucking asshole. Shit.”

I place my phone back on the nightstand and fall onto the bed, pulling the pillow over my head. When am I ever going to be rid of them? Redfield was supposed to be my ticket to freedom, but I’m still under their control, under their grasp. I twist over, burying my head into the pillow, my hand grazing against something, and I turn my head, spotting a hair clip lying on the pillow beside mine.

My eyes squint as I grasp it in my hands, bringing it in front of my face. I run my hands over the white clip.

Leila.

She left.

She left after I told her not to go.

Did she regret what we did last night? Does she hate me again? God, it was so good having her underneath me, moaning and breathing and kissing me. And now she’s gone.

I hate the thought of her leaving in the middle of the night. Alone. Did she even sleep or just wait for me to pass out before she dipped?

I close my eyes, picturing her in my head, tucked in that tight, black dress of hers, hair spread all over my pillow as she tried her hardest not to look at me.

I didn’t look away. Couldn’t. The whole time I spent tracing her features in the dark, the way her lips parted when she let out a breath, the way she tucked her hands underneath her head when she was pretending to sleep.

I really thought she’d spend the night with me, and we’d wake up together in the morning. I’d make her breakfast, talk about last night, about how much I want to do it again.

But none of that can happen because she left.

I sit up, grab my phone from my nightstand, and find her name.

I don’t even know if she’s awake right now. Don’t even know if she got home safe, if she’s ok.

Last night was…

I can’t get it out of my mind.

I press send, and let out a sigh, pulling the covers over me and let sleep take over.

By the time I manage to get myself out of bed, it’s way past breakfast. I pull the covers back, needing some water, some fresh air… something.

I trail down the stairs, heading to the kitchen, when I hear Grayson’s voice echo through this big ass house his parents bought for him.

I barely make it two steps into the kitchen when I see Grayson and Rosalie acting all cute and shit as he hugs her from behind, Rosie squealing when he buries his head in her neck. I cross my arms, just watching them for a second, and then clear my throat.

His head snaps up, and Rosie gasps as she turns around. A laugh escapes me watching her try to hide her flushed cheeks from me.

Grayson, as usual, scowls at me. “We weren’t even doing anything,” he grits out.

“PDA gives me hives,” I joke, grabbing a glass from the cabinet.

He snorts out a laugh. “I thought the same before I met her,” he says, glancing over at Rosie. A shy smile grows on her face and she leans in to give him a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

I groan. “Come on.” As much as I love those two, some things need to be kept private.

They break apart and Rosie offers me a smile. “You wouldn’t be like this if you found yourself a girlfriend,” she says, lifting her brows.

I laugh. “Got it.” That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Girlfriends are distractions, another thing to take my time away from what really matters. Basketball.

She shrugs before dumping a bag of popcorn—plus candy—into a bowl. “I’ll be with the girls,” she says to her boyfriend, before giving him a quick kiss and heading out of the kitchen.

My ears perk up. The girls?

Grayson grabs a beer from the fridge, cracking it open, the sound making me flinch.

It never goes away. The noises my brain reprogrammed to mean a beating was coming, the sound of their footsteps when they were having a bad day. The way a can of beer was opened right before you got bruised ribs. It plays in my mind, every time I hear it, like a horror movie I can’t turn off.

“You good?” Grayson asks making me snap out of the memories.

I shake my head, try to regain a little control. “Yeah,” I breathe out.

His eyebrows knot together as he takes a sip of the beer. “You look weird.”

“What do you mean?”

His hand gestures to my head. “Your… hair. It’s weird.”

I laugh, running a hand through it. “I need a haircut.”

He nods. “You do.” He brings the can to his lips again, licking them when he takes a sip.

“So Rosie invited her friends over?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he says, nodding. “She said we’re spending too much time together, and she needs some girl time.” He rolls his eyes.

“She’s right. You two have been glued to each other’s side.”

“I get it,” he says, running a hand through his long, dark hair. “I do. It’s just… When I’m not with her, I miss her.”

“She’s in the other room, bro.” When he glares at me, I let out a laugh. “So is that why you’re in here? You’ve been kicked out of your own living room?” I ask him, filling up the glass with water.

He shrugs, taking another sip of his beer. “It’s her house too now.” He says, a smile sprouting on his face. “I like having her here. So if she needs to spend time with her friends without me there, then so be it.”

I nod, only one thought running through my mind. “And all of her friends are here?” I ask him, taking a sip of my water.

His face drops. “Aiden,” he sighs. “Are you kidding me?”

“What?”

He sets the can on the counter behind him, crossing his arms as he narrows his eyes at me. “This is about Leila, isn’t it?”

I take another sip, my throat all of a sudden feeling dry as hell. I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “I was just wondering if she was here.”

He laughs, shaking his head at me. “That’s not all, is it?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. No, but I don’t let him know. Leila was so demanding on this being just between us, I wouldn’t want to give her any more ammunition. I sip my water instead. He knows, though. He nods a few times and grins at me. “So, everything I told you last time went in one ear and out the other?”

I scoff. “The day I listen to you will be a cold day in hell,” I joke. “I didn’t get involved in your relationship with Rosie, don’t get involved in mine.”

He presses his lips together, trying not to laugh. “From what I can tell, she can’t stand you.”

“Yet.” I grin.

He shakes his head, laughing. “And that’s bullshit,” he says. “You told me to stay away from Rosie, that she couldn’t handle what we were doing, and I should cut it off with her.” His eyes narrow. “Remember?”

I shrug, rubbing the back of my neck. “I didn’t know the girl,” I sigh. “And I sure as hell didn’t know you’d turn into a sappy shit.”

“Fuck you.” He laughs. “If I listened to you, I wouldn’t have her.”

I nod. “And you didn’t listen to me,” I tell him. “So why should I listen to you?”

He shrugs. “Fair enough.” He reaches behind him, grabbing his beer.

“So, is she here?”

He sighs, wipes a hand down his face mumbling under his breath. “Yes,” he exhales. “She’s in there.” He points at the living room door, taking a swig of beer before he starts walking out of the kitchen, turns back and glares at me. “Just make sure you know what you’re doing.”

“I do,” I tell him.

His eyes narrow for a second, assessing me before he sighs and walks away.

I down the rest of the water, heading towards the living room. The sound of laughter hits me before I’ve even opened the door. It makes me wonder what Leila sounds like when she laughs, when she really opens up and lets herself be happy.

My knuckles hit the wood before I push the door open, peeking inside. The noises stop as they look back at me. I offer them a grin. “Hey.”

“Did Grayson send you to spy on us?” Rosie asks.

I hold up my hands, shaking my head. “I came by my own accord. I swear.”

“Well since you’re here,” Rosie’s friend Gabriella says, picking up a can of beer and throwing it at me. “Here.”

I catch it with ease and look down at it. My jaw clenches at the feel of it in my hand. “I’m good,” I say, putting it down on the table. “Training.” It’s easy to blame it on training instead of having to go into a whole spiel about why I don’t drink.

“Ugh,” Gabi groans. “Athletes and their rigorous diets.” She shakes her head. “I couldn’t do it. I love chicken nuggets too much.”

I let out a laugh. I like that girl. She’s funny. Too bad the only girl I came in here to see is avoiding me like the plague. She’s sat on the edge of the couch, sipping on her beer without a care in the world, like we didn’t hook up last night and she left in the middle of the night.

I watch as she glances at me for a second, meets my eyes and snaps her head back into position. “Is this a slumber party?” I ask them.

“We’re watching a rom-com,” Rosie says. “We never got to celebrate me moving in.”

A groan leaves me before I can stop it. “Yeah, on second thought, I have a lot to do. See you, ladies.” I close the living room door behind me and head upstairs, getting into the shower.

Our whole house back home could fit into my room here. One single small as fuck toilet and a shower that I barely fit into. And now, here I am in a big ass stand-in shower with huge glass panels. It blows my mind how just a few years ago, I was living so differently.

I turn off the water and climb out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist.

“I was beginning to think we had scared you off.” I blink, seeing Leila in my room, on my bed. She’s sat on the edge, staring up at me. I don’t miss the way her eyes widen, dropping to my body, water still dripping on my skin.

“I don’t.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

She frowns, biting the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know.”

She’s trying so hard. So fucking hard to act like she doesn’t want me, like she didn’t enjoy last night, and she wouldn’t want to do it all over again. I know that’s a lie. I shake my head, trying not to laugh at how much she’s fighting with herself over this. “What would your friends think if they found you in here?” I ask her, raising my brow.

She shrugs. “I told them I was using the bathroom.”

“There’s a bathroom downstairs.” She looks away from me, staring down at the ground. It’s weird, seeing her act shy and speechless around me. I don’t like it. “What are you doing here, Leila?” She glances up at me, her lips parted like she wants to say something, but nothing comes out. She presses her lips together and looks away again. I approach her on the bed, her breath hitching when I rub my thumb over her chin, lifting it so she can look at me. “I want to see you again.”

“You’re seeing me right now.”

I smirk, letting my knuckles graze the soft skin of her cheek. “Not in the way I want to see you.”

She shakes her head and stands up from the bed, putting distance between us and clears her throat. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” I ask, taking a step closer to her.

“Because,” she says, stepping back, “I don’t do repeats.”

I stop in my tracks, my brows furrowing as I look at her, trying to make sense of what she just said. “You don’t do repeats?”

“Yes.” She crosses her arms. “We had a good night, but that’s enough for me.”

Enough for her? I haven’t been able to stop thinking of every detail of last night. Her soft body, her hands all over my skin, and she’s telling me one night was enough for her?

“That’s not going to work for me,” I tell her shaking my head. “I want to see you again, Leila.”

She laughs, the sound hitting me in the chest. “Why? We both got what we wanted last night. Now we can go our separate ways.”

I take a step, crowding her. I hear her sharp intake of her breath and it fills me with memories of last night. Every glorious sound she made. “If you think I got what I wanted, you’re dead wrong.”

Her throat moves as she gulps, looking up at me. She licks her lips quickly, dropping her head. “We were both drunk, Aiden. It was just a hook-up.”

“I wasn’t.”

“What?” she asks, lifting her head.

“I wasn’t drunk,” I clarify.

She laughs, pressing her hand against my chest. I feel her fingerprints for only a second before she removes them again, replacing the warmth of her touch with the coldness of her words. “Right,” she says not believing me.

“I didn’t have a lick of alcohol, Leila.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t need to lie to me, Aiden.”

“I don’t drink.” Her eyes narrow as she looks for any disbelief in my expression. She doesn’t find it though because I’m not lying.

“But… you work in a bar.”

My shoulders lift. “It pays well.” And it was the only job willing to accept me. “And you weren’t drunk either. You had one beer.”

“How did you—?” she asks, shaking her head. “How did you know that?”

My lips twitch. “Because I was looking at you all night,” I admit. “Couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

She gulps again, her eyes softening before she sets them back in place, giving me a look of indifference. “That doesn’t change anything,” she says. “I’m still not going to sleep with you again.”

I look down at her, wondering if it was all one-sided. Did she really not feel anything? “That’s it?” I ask her. “This is enough for you? One night and nothing more?”

She’s lying. She’s lying before she even speaks. But I see the resigned decision settle in her features, and she outright lies to me when she says, “Yes.”

“Well damn.” I take a step back from her, very aware of how little clothing I have on. “Then I guess you got what you wanted.” I hold the door open for her, watching as she turns back one last time before leaving my room. I push the door closed and blow out a breath.

This was good. This was a good thing. A smart decision. I can’t let myself get sidetracked by anything else. I got what I needed. She got what she wanted. And now we’re done with each other.

As it should be.