Just Keep Breathing
Chapter 32
My eyes snapped open and my breathing became uneven and choppy. I could feel my head start to spin as I quickly shot up in bed and stumbled to untangle myself out of the blankets. My stomach was my current enemy, trying to dispose of the alcohol I had consumed.
Between the foot of my bed and the bathroom, it seemed like a long stretch of hopeless space. I could hardly cross it and stoop in front of the toilet before I couldn’t hold the threatening contents of my stomach anymore.
After what seemed like an endless time of puking, my stomach finally stopped torturing me. I laid my cheek against the cold porcelain and shut my eyes. I was so tired, so sick, and so hung over. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Cool hands grazed by my neck, pulling my hair away from my face and up into a ponytail. I felt Tessa loop her arms around me and hoist me onto my feet, guiding me back to my bed. A moment later she brought me a cup of water and two aspirin. I thanked her, my voice groggy, and laid my head back down for more sleep.
The sleep didn’t last long. Noise soon occupied my house, I was going to kill whoever thought it was a good idea to make noises in the hallway. Weakly I pushed myself off my mattress and stood up, walking into the hall. There, near the stairs, Curtis had Lee in a choke hold and was pushing him up against the wall. Lee struggled and was flailing under Curtis’s grip, but some how he was laughing at all of this.
“Guys stop.” I said plainly. They both looked up and Curtis dropped Lee, making him lose balance and nearly fall. They were both giving me that innocent look. I rolled my eyes and turned away from them, crawling back into my bed.
Curtis walked into my room first and sat on the edge of my bed, followed by Lee who collapse on my floor. They were both looking at me. I looked back at them, half my face smushed into my pillow, and spoke, “What are you two doing here?”
“We all slept over ‘ere last night.” Lee explained while messing with his shoe laces. “Or rather, we all got inside an’ passed out.”
I nodded against the pillow again and felt Curtis’s hand touch my foot through the blanket and squeeze it lightly as a type of comfort. No doubt Tessa had told everyone except James what happened last night at the party.
“He’s sorry ya’know.” Curtis mumbled weakly, more trying to convince himself than me. He moved his hand back into his lap and looked at Lee who nodded in support. “Not a good excuse, but he was drunk.”
“And I was drunk.” I replied, not meaning to sound as bitch as I was about to. “But I wasn’t making out with some other guy.”
“Ya ‘ave every right to be upset. We aren’t tryin’ to convince ya not to be.” Lee said as he picked up random papers on my floor an inspected them. “But don’t give up on him yet, please? I ‘aven’t seen him act so sweet with a girl other than he does with you.”
Curtis nodded in agreement. I took what Lee said to heart, because honestly, I wasn’t planning to give up on him. I guess I knew that he would mess up, I just hoped he wouldn’t. I can’t change him, I can only be incentive for him to change.
&&
Three hours later I was medicated, showered, and back in bed. My back was facing the door as I tried to get rid of my headache. Everyone had gone home about two hours ago, Oli included but I didn’t even speak to him.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised to hear a knock on my door eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it today. Tomorrow maybe, but definitely not today.
The knock came as I was drifting off to sleep. A soft little tap on the door and a gentle voice to match. “Elle, can I come in?”
Sitting up in bed, I looked towards the door and nodded, patting the spot next to me. Oli walked in cautiously and shut the door behind him before sitting on the edge of my bed. He seemed timid and unsure or what to say. Patiently, I waited for him to speak.
“I’m such an arse.” He mumbled and looked at me, his eyes screaming sorry. “I was piss drunk - not a good excuse, I know - and I wasn’t thinkin’ right, or thinkin’ at all. I do remember she kissed me first though, and I just didn’t bother to stop it. I’m so sorry Isabel.”
“Oliver I don’t know what to say. I’m hurt, I really am.” I started to explain as we watched each other. “In a way I expected it, one way or another. I guys I set my hopes high in thinking this wouldn’t happen.”
That was a low blow. I could see the effect hit Oli like a slap in the face. His expression couldn’t have gotten anymore regretful. I watched him shift on my bed, bringing one knee up to rest on the mattress, as he shifted towards me.
“Do ya think I could have a second chance with all of this Elle? One last shot, try to earn your trust back?” He asked desperately. If I wasn’t mad, I probably would have kissed him, but that seemed a bit inappropriate.
“Yes, but don’t be surprised if I’m a bit pissy or paranoid.“ I told him. In a way, this was my odd way of forgiving him. What I said was true though, I would be paranoid about things for a while, scared he would do it again.
A sudden light sparked into his eye and a light smile grazed his lips. He leaned over my bed and wrapped his tattooed arms around me. He pulled his head away and pecked my cheek. The look on his face was enough to make me fall for him again.
Between the foot of my bed and the bathroom, it seemed like a long stretch of hopeless space. I could hardly cross it and stoop in front of the toilet before I couldn’t hold the threatening contents of my stomach anymore.
After what seemed like an endless time of puking, my stomach finally stopped torturing me. I laid my cheek against the cold porcelain and shut my eyes. I was so tired, so sick, and so hung over. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Cool hands grazed by my neck, pulling my hair away from my face and up into a ponytail. I felt Tessa loop her arms around me and hoist me onto my feet, guiding me back to my bed. A moment later she brought me a cup of water and two aspirin. I thanked her, my voice groggy, and laid my head back down for more sleep.
The sleep didn’t last long. Noise soon occupied my house, I was going to kill whoever thought it was a good idea to make noises in the hallway. Weakly I pushed myself off my mattress and stood up, walking into the hall. There, near the stairs, Curtis had Lee in a choke hold and was pushing him up against the wall. Lee struggled and was flailing under Curtis’s grip, but some how he was laughing at all of this.
“Guys stop.” I said plainly. They both looked up and Curtis dropped Lee, making him lose balance and nearly fall. They were both giving me that innocent look. I rolled my eyes and turned away from them, crawling back into my bed.
Curtis walked into my room first and sat on the edge of my bed, followed by Lee who collapse on my floor. They were both looking at me. I looked back at them, half my face smushed into my pillow, and spoke, “What are you two doing here?”
“We all slept over ‘ere last night.” Lee explained while messing with his shoe laces. “Or rather, we all got inside an’ passed out.”
I nodded against the pillow again and felt Curtis’s hand touch my foot through the blanket and squeeze it lightly as a type of comfort. No doubt Tessa had told everyone except James what happened last night at the party.
“He’s sorry ya’know.” Curtis mumbled weakly, more trying to convince himself than me. He moved his hand back into his lap and looked at Lee who nodded in support. “Not a good excuse, but he was drunk.”
“And I was drunk.” I replied, not meaning to sound as bitch as I was about to. “But I wasn’t making out with some other guy.”
“Ya ‘ave every right to be upset. We aren’t tryin’ to convince ya not to be.” Lee said as he picked up random papers on my floor an inspected them. “But don’t give up on him yet, please? I ‘aven’t seen him act so sweet with a girl other than he does with you.”
Curtis nodded in agreement. I took what Lee said to heart, because honestly, I wasn’t planning to give up on him. I guess I knew that he would mess up, I just hoped he wouldn’t. I can’t change him, I can only be incentive for him to change.
&&
Three hours later I was medicated, showered, and back in bed. My back was facing the door as I tried to get rid of my headache. Everyone had gone home about two hours ago, Oli included but I didn’t even speak to him.
I really shouldn’t have been surprised to hear a knock on my door eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it today. Tomorrow maybe, but definitely not today.
The knock came as I was drifting off to sleep. A soft little tap on the door and a gentle voice to match. “Elle, can I come in?”
Sitting up in bed, I looked towards the door and nodded, patting the spot next to me. Oli walked in cautiously and shut the door behind him before sitting on the edge of my bed. He seemed timid and unsure or what to say. Patiently, I waited for him to speak.
“I’m such an arse.” He mumbled and looked at me, his eyes screaming sorry. “I was piss drunk - not a good excuse, I know - and I wasn’t thinkin’ right, or thinkin’ at all. I do remember she kissed me first though, and I just didn’t bother to stop it. I’m so sorry Isabel.”
“Oliver I don’t know what to say. I’m hurt, I really am.” I started to explain as we watched each other. “In a way I expected it, one way or another. I guys I set my hopes high in thinking this wouldn’t happen.”
That was a low blow. I could see the effect hit Oli like a slap in the face. His expression couldn’t have gotten anymore regretful. I watched him shift on my bed, bringing one knee up to rest on the mattress, as he shifted towards me.
“Do ya think I could have a second chance with all of this Elle? One last shot, try to earn your trust back?” He asked desperately. If I wasn’t mad, I probably would have kissed him, but that seemed a bit inappropriate.
“Yes, but don’t be surprised if I’m a bit pissy or paranoid.“ I told him. In a way, this was my odd way of forgiving him. What I said was true though, I would be paranoid about things for a while, scared he would do it again.
A sudden light sparked into his eye and a light smile grazed his lips. He leaned over my bed and wrapped his tattooed arms around me. He pulled his head away and pecked my cheek. The look on his face was enough to make me fall for him again.