Strings of Fate

80- Hungover and horrified on Why does my head feel like someone is bashing it with a hammer? And why do | feel like throwing up? My eyes feel stuck shut but | force myself to open one. A dim light in the room makesimmediately squeeze it shut again, groaning in pain. Ugh | feel awful. I'm lying my side and my right arm is numb under my own weight. I roll onto my back and try not to gag as my stomach rebels.

“I hope girls night was worth it.” | hear Bellamy comment from beside me. My eyes fly open in shock and | bolt upright, the world spinning as | sit up. | press a hand to my head and find my hair is an absolute rat's nest. | glance over at Bellamy who is lying in the bed next to me, the blankets pulled down far enough to see that he’s not wearing a shirt. | flush red and avert my eyes before | embarrass myself by staring. | glance down and realise I'm only wearing a bra and my underwear. With a shriek that does not help my headache, | grab the blanket and yank it over myself, tearing it away from Bellamy enough to see that he’s wearing a pair of loose pants. So he’s not naked at least. | freeze up, clutching the blanket to my chest and trying to remember exactly how | ended up here. | remember | was drinking with Megan, | fell off her bed. | wanted to see Bellamy and then... oh no. Oh no, no NO. What did | do? That's it, I'm done for. I'll have to run away and move to smiddle of nowhere town so that | never have to face Bellamy again. My eyes dart around the room as | contemplate my exits.

“If you're thinking of running | feel the need to point out | can track you pretty easily. Also you're not really dressed for an escape.” Bellamy comments dryly, correctly interpreting my panic. I sigh and collapse back into the bed, pulling the blanket over my head.

“You're right, running would be a waste. Maybe | should look into memory wiping spells instead.” | grumble from under the covers. | can feel Bellamy moving besidebut | refuse to pull off the blanket, preferring the dark, although admittedly stuffy little cave I'm hiding in. Bellamy peels up the edge of the blanket letting a spear of light through and I cringe. He peeks through the gap and | can see that he’s leaning over me, his weight on one elbow while the other holds the blanket.

“If you're going to erase my memory anyway, there’s no point hiding now.” He comments, amusement in his tone. | just groan again. The longer I'm awake, the more memories are returning. Did | seriously try and seduce him while wasted? | STRADDLED him. He stopped. me. | appreciate it, but | can’t decide if that makes it more or less embarrassing. Either way, | 1/4 80- Hungover and horrified definitely owe him an apology. | drop the edge of the blanket just enough for my eyes to peer through. Bellamy is still leaning on his elbow, half over me. He smooths the blanket down a little to reveal more of my face. My words burst out ofin a mindless babble.

“I'm sorry! sorry! I'm so, 1 so, so sorry. I'm an idiot and | drank too much and | wasn’t thinking. | don’t usually do things like that and I'm sorry | embarrassed myself and annoyed you and-" I'm cut off by Bellamy placing a finger lips. He has a satisfied smile on his face that | just over b don’t understand.

“Ryann, sweetheart, I'm not upset with you. You didn’t annoy me. It actually makeshappy. that you were comfortable enough here to let your guard down. It makesespecially happy that when your inhibitions were lowered and you were vulnerable, all you wanted to do was be with me.” He tellsseriously. There's emotion behind his golden eyes but my mind is functioning too slow right now to be sure what it is. | instinctively want to argue with him, but nothing he’s said is wrong. Still, it's not okay.

“That might be true, but it's no excuse for how irresponsible | was. Not to mention I'm the one who keeps saying | want to take things slow and then I... well... ugh.” Would it be immature to hide under the blanket again? Bellamy strokes my hair soothingly with his free hand.

“Hey, hey it's alright. Sure you leftneeding a cold shower, but it’s not like | didn’t enjoy what you were doing.

I know you aren't ready yet, that’s the only reason | stopped you.” He tries to calm me. His hand in my hair somehow makesfeel tense and relaxed at the stime. Like | want to curl up into him and relax but instead, I'm fighting the urge and the result is my muscles are completely tensed up. Bellamy’s comment about a cold shower processes in my tired brain and | can feel the blood rushing to my face.

“I'm sorry.

again.

It was still really unfair to you. I'm sorry | made things hard for you.” | apologise “You might have made something hard but | suspect that’s not what you intend by that statement. If you mean to say you made my life difficult, then you're wrong about that.” Bellamy answers with a smirk. | just stare at him in shock. Did he seriously say that? “Bellamy!” | groan in embarrassment and he just laughs.

2/4 Emergency calls only Mu onlyM 80- Hungover and horrified D35% 12:20 n “Sorry Ry, but what did you expect? | enjoyed the view. Take it as a complement.” He suggests. | shake my head.

That is definitely not helping. | suddenly notice what a vulnerable position I'm in, lying in his bed with him over me. | need to get out of here and gather my thoughts and that’s never going to happen with Bellamy acting like this. Impulsively, | grab a pillow from the bed and shove it against Bellamy, pushing him backwards. He bursts out laughing.

“Alright, alright. I'll let you be. Teasing you is just too much fun. Do you want swater?” he offers. Bellamy climbs off the bed and, using a large water bottle that he grabs from scorner of the room, re-fills the empty glass by his bed and hands it to me. I sit up enough to drink it. | don’t think water has ever felt this good. | can practically feel the coolness running. through me. Ugh, | am never drinking again. | glance around looking for the dress | wore in here. | can’t see it.

HA “Bellamy, do you know where my clothes are?” | question. He shrugs.

“Not sure, you left it on the end of the bed before we went to sleep, but you moved around a lot throughout the night. It’s probably twisted in the blankets or fallen under the bed or something. I'll find it later. Here, wear this for now.” He throws a grey t-shirt at me. 1 gratefully pull it over my head, feeling less exposed, | sit up properly in the bed and push the blanket down so it just covers my legs.

“Well, | enjoyed sleeping in late with you, but now that you're up | should probably get on with my day. Starting with that cold shower | mentioned earlier.” Bellamy winks at me.

“Although | might turn the heat up if you want to join me.” He says suggestively. | don’t think he actually expectsto take him up on it, but in the dim light, standing in the doorway of his ensuite bathroom, with no shirt and his hair messy from sleep... | can’t say it’s not tempting. But | have definitely embarrassed myself enough for one day. No way I'm brave enough to go through with that right now. Without a word, | dart from his bed, stumbling a little as | rush out into the hall and into Megan's room. | can hear Bellamy laughing behind as | run away.

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