7

Restless, I need to calm down

I had just started to calm down.

The cold water was working; the heartbeat in my chest had finally started to settle, and I was convincing myself that I was being ridiculous.

Then the door opened.

I froze.

No. No way.

I barely had time to react before he stepped inside, moving with that same effortless, detached aura he always carried—completely unaware of my presence.

He didn't even glance in my direction.

He just walked right up to the toilet, undid his belt, and—

Oh, god.

NO.

I AM STILL IN HERE.

My brain short-circuited. My chest exploded in a second.

WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING?!

A strangled noise caught in my throat as I spun around, eyes wide in absolute panic.

He was completely unfazed. No hesitation, no second-guessing. Just casually going about his business as if I wasn't even there.

I needed to leave. Immediately.

With a sharp intake of breath, I lurched forward, shoving past him so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet.

I yanked the door open and practically threw myself out, slamming it shut behind me.

My heart was pounding. My face felt like it was on fire.

What the hell just happened?!

I pressed my back against the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling as I tried to process the past five seconds of my life.

He didn't see me. He didn't notice me.

Right?

The sheer audacity of the situation hit me all at once.

Who just walks into a bathroom without checking first?!

I exhaled sharply, dragging my hands down my face.

I was going to pretend this never happened.

I was going to erase this from my memory.

Forever.

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, my face still burning.

I need to calm down.

But how the hell was I supposed to do that?!

The memory of what had just happened replayed in my head on an endless loop. His complete indifference. His effortless confidence. The way he just walked in like it was nothing.

And the worst part?

He didn't even notice me.

I pulled the blanket over my head, groaning into the fabric.

Why am I even thinking about this? Why does it bother me so much?

It was just a stupid accident. A weird, awkward, stupid accident.

And yet…

The heat in my chest refused to die down.

A rustling sound snapped me out of my thoughts.

I peeked out from under the blanket, just in time to see him—standing at the doorway, stretching lazily before making his way toward the bed.

Wait. My bed.

My stomach dropped.

Oh, no. No, no, no—

Without hesitation, he plopped down beside me, completely unbothered, barely pulling the covers over himself before shifting into a more comfortable position.

And within seconds, his breathing slowed.

He was asleep.

…You've got to be kidding.

I gawked at him, my body frozen in place. My heart hammered in my chest, my hands gripping the edge of my blanket like it was some kind of lifeline.

HOW?!

How the heck does he fall asleep so easily?!

I was here, practically dying of secondhand embarrassment, and he just—passed out like it was nothing?!

My face burned again.

This isn't fair.

I tried to shift away, putting as much space between us as possible. But no matter how much I moved, my skin still tingled where his warmth reached me.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

This is fine. I can ignore it. I can sleep.

…Right?

I turned onto my side, away from him, pulling the blanket tighter around myself.

But no matter what I did, no matter how much I tried to push the memory away—

The heat wouldn't leave.

And sleep wouldn't come.