If I could tell my teenage self one thing, it would be to bide my time until I finally got together with the girl of my dreams.
I couldn’t wait for her to wake up properly, and we could talk about what we were and how we were going to tell people.
The future looked as sunny as the crisp November day outside the window.
While I dreamed about all things Sophie, she wriggled out of my arms and swung her legs over the side of the mattress. The bed lifted, and she got up. I cracked open an eyelid and watched her pick up her clothes from the previous day. Then she grabbed my dress shirt and wrapped it around her body. She looked so hot, I wanted to reach for her and pull her back into bed.
But I pretended to be asleep.
There would be more time when she got back from the bathroom.
The door creaked as she opened it, and there was a short pause before the quiet click indicated she’d left the room.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for Sophie to get back.
Five minutes turned into ten.
When she hadn’t returned after fifteen minutes, concern pricked at me.
Was she okay? Had I done something to put her off? Upset her?
After the start to yesterday morning, was she punishing me this time?
I slipped out from beneath the covers and went to the door. I cracked it open an inch and surveyed the empty living room. Snoring emanated from the open door to Jodie and Sophie’s room. I could hear the shower running. Sophie wasn’t coming back to bed. We wouldn’t be repeating last night’s antics.
A shiver ran through my naked body. Damn, this cabin was cold. I shuffled back to bed and cocooned myself in the quilt and blankets.
My thoughts whirled, going over every single thing which had happened between us over the past 36 hours.
There was plenty I should have done differently, mostly leading back to not drinking way more than I should have.
What if Sophie thinks I only slept with her because I was drunk?
I bolted upright in bed.
If that’s what she thought, then I had to change her mind and make her think differently.
A germ of an idea began to form. I had limited time in which to make it happen. And it wasn’t going to happen if I procrastinated in bed.
Leaping up, I pulled on underwear, sweatpants, a college sweatshirt, then shoved my socked feet into sneakers.
Making sure that Sophie was still in the bathroom, I slipped out of the cabin and began to run.
Chapter Seventeen
Sophie
It had been a long time since I’d done the walk of shame. Although on this occasion, the walk of shame consisted of going from Max’s room to the one I should have been sharing with Jodie (which for neither of the two nights at Holiday Springs I actually had), without being spotted by Autumn.
The living room was thankfully empty, and I opened the bedroom door, wincing at the sound of the squeak which came from the hinges. I halted, waiting to see if anyone noticed. Autumn’s bedroom door remained firmly closed. Jodie lay face down on the bed, still fully clothed, snoring loudly. I doubt she had even noticed I had been gone again. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of stale alcohol. The room smelled like a whisky distillery.
It was shortly before 9:30, and we were due to check out at 11:00. Jodie was meant to be driving. I only hoped she was sober enough to be behind the wheel.
Gently, I shook her shoulder, then stepped back, waiting for the explosion. I wasn’t disappointed.
“Jesus Christ, what the actual fuck?” She started, rolled over on her back, and glared at me, makeup smeared all over her cheeks. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“We need to be out of here in an hour and a half. I thought you might need some time to sober up.”
Jodie squinted at me. “What the hell are you wearing?”
In my haste to get out of Max’s room, I had grabbed the nearest thing to me to cover my nakedness. That thing turned out to be Max’s dress shirt from yesterday. “You’re full of all the questions this morning.” I busied myself grabbing my wash bag and some fresh clothes from the dresser.
“And you’re doing a grand job of avoiding them.” She pushed herself up on her elbows and fixed me with an enquiring look. “That looks a whole lot like a dress shirt. Did you and Trent get it on?”
“It’s too early to be starting on the gossip.” I made sure not to make eye contact. One look, and I’d crumble and tell her all about Max. If anyone had to know first, it should be Autumn. “I’m going to get a shower. I’ll give you a call when I’m finished.”
“Ugh. Fine.” She flopped back down on the bed. “Can you make me a coffee?”
If that’s what it took for her to sober up, then it was a done deal. “You got it. The stronger the better, right?”
I flounced out of the bedroom, fully expecting to bump into Autumn this time. There was no evidence of her being up and about yet either. Max’s dress suit jacket still lay over the back of the sofa, and the glasses of champagne we’d abandoned were still on the table, along with the half-finished bottle. On my way to the bathroom, I picked them up and threw the liquid down the kitchen sink, getting rid of the evidence, so to speak. I’d wash them up after I’d showered.
The irony of being in the bathroom again after a less than satisfactory start to the morning with Max wasn’t lost on me. At least this time I wasn’t freezing my tits off.
I switched on the shower, stepping underneath the warm jets, trying to stop my mind racing.
Normally, I wasn’t the kind
