"Come in," I say out loud, clearing my throat. The door opens and Ivory pops her head around. Her auburn hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, dark bags underneath her eyes.
A sign of a good night.
"Hey Emily," Ivory said softly, entering the room and closing the door behind her. I give her a small smile, running a hand through my hair.
"Thanks for letting me crash here." I mumble, staring at the floor instead of making eye contact.
"Don't worry about it." Ivory smiles.
"Good night?" I ask, feeling my muscles relax. Ivory laughed quietly, reaching up to rub her temples.
"Amazing night. I'm paying for it today though, I feel like I've been dragged through a rose bush backwards." She groaned, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes meet with mine, flashing briefly with sympathy.
"Jake mentioned you needed a place to crash, you're welcome here anytime."
My stomach churns uneasily as I try to figure out whether Ivory knows my secret or not. I try and not think of Jake telling Ivory every last detail I told him.
"Thank you. I appreciate it," I respond tightly, disappointment washing over me.
"Follow me." Ivory grins, stepping off the bed and heading for the door. I inhale deeply before following her close behind. The smell of warm pancakes and chocolate wafts through the air and my stomach rumbles loudly.
Huh, I guess it knows what it wants.
Ivory giggles, glancing at me from the side.
I grin back at her sheepishly, biting on my lower lip.
"I guess I'm hungry." I state obviously, causing Ivory to giggle further. We both head down the stairs that were completely covered with rubbish and empty cups from the night before. Beside from the aftermath of the party lying all over the floor, the house is very beautifully designed.
Ivory pushes back the door of the kitchen and I followed her, glancing at the dining table that's covered with half empty alcohol bottles. My stomach churns and I quickly avert my gaze so that I don't embarrass myself and throw up. I'm so not ready to face alcohol just yet.
My eyes land on Jake who's stood by the cooker, spatula in hand. I raise my eyebrows in surprise and immediately feel a blush rise to my cheeks from the sight of him. He's flipping pancakes casually —
"Jake?" I frown, feeling confused.
Did he stay the night too?
Ivory glances between me and Jake before grabbing an aspirin box off the counter and clutching her head. I can tell the girl has a serious hangover.
"I'll leave you two to it." Ivory says, saluting at me half heartedly. I give her a small smile and she leaves the kitchen, shutting the door softly behind her. My attentions diverts back to Jake and I stand watching him for a few seconds. He's still wearing last nights clothes, his dark hair ruffled messily across his head. I begin to feel extremely self conscious standing there so decide to start a conversation —
"Last night was . . . Interesting." I say quietly, mentally slapping myself for bringing it up. I've decided my brain turns into an unreliable pile of mush when Jake Melvin is around.
"I guess so, sit down Emily." Jake says quietly, signalling at the table. He doesn't make eye contact with me and I nibble on my bottom lip, silently taking a seat at the table. I feel my hands begin to grow clammy with nerves so I decide to try to make conversation again.
"You cook pancakes?" I ask him, amusement lining my voice. This time he finally turns around, a sheepish grin on his face. He holds the spatula in the air, shrugging a little.
"You got me," Jake winks, a sparkle in his eye. A flutter grows inside my stomach and I smile, dropping my eyes to the floor.
"Can I have one? I'm starving." I admit, holding my stomach. Jake nods and plates two up before dropping them down in front of me. He holds up a bottle of syrup, the muscles in his arms tensing. I try not to stare but it's so hard when he looks so. . . Good.
"You like syrup?"
"Of course I like syrup, what kind of question is that?" I tease him, rolling my eyes. Jake shakes his head, biting back a smile before squeezing the syrup all over the pancakes.
I take the fork he's offering me and try a small bite, moaning with pleasure from finally eating. It doesn't help that Jake's pancakes are incredibly delicious. I can't remember the last time I had pancakes. When I'm on my third bite, I glance up at Jake, ready to applaud him on his pancake making skills but he's watching me, head tilted to the side. A smirk plays on his lips — "You moan when you eat Muffin?"
I choke on the piece of pancake in my mouth, dropping the fork onto the table. My eyes glare at Jake who begins to splutter with laughter. The blue in his eyes sparkle and despite being mad at him a second ago, I'm not anymore. I laugh alongside him before defending myself.
"You make amazing pancakes and I haven't eaten properly for days. This is like heaven to me."
Jake's laughter dies down, the carefree expression on his face disappearing. He pushes the plate towards me silently and I stir in my seat uncomfortably.
"Eat as many as you want." He finally says, breaking the silence between us. He stands up and turns his back to me, running a hand through his wild hair. His shoulders are squared up, full of tension and I know he's thinking about last night.
"Emily, can we talk about—"
I stop Jake short by shaking my head.
"No, not now. Let me enjoy some food before you grill me over
