Caught Between Two Worlds

I lay on the bed, trying to pull myself together. The faint sound of running water echoed through the room, a clear sign that Alex was in the shower. It was the last thing I remembered hearing before I drifted off—falling asleep like a baby who had just been breastfed.

A deep voice jolted me awake.

"Good morning, Rose."

I blinked, sitting up in confusion. My head was still clouded from sleep, and for a moment, I felt like a stranger in the room.

"Do you feel okay now?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine concern.

I looked around, trying to gather my thoughts, before finally meeting his gaze as his warm hands gently wrapped around mine, holding me.

"Do you feel okay now, Rose?" he repeated, his deep brown eyes searching mine.

I hesitated before nodding. "What… what happened here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

A slow smirk played on his lips, but there was something softer behind it. Something unreadable.

"You fell asleep," he said simply. "And I could only watch you. It was hard to sleep, with you right next to me." His fingers gave the slightest squeeze as his smirk deepened.

I wasn't sure what stunned me more—his words, or the way my heart reacted to them.

I looked at him and looked back at my bag trying to grab my phone to see what the time was, it was 5:25 am.

I had no strength in me to argue or ask any questions, I just felt grateful that he took care of me.

Then, a sharp scent hit my nose—the lingering aroma of alcohol mixed with faint traces of perfume and sweat from the night before. It clung to my skin, reminding me of the club, the drinks, the dancing... the way his lips had felt on mine.

I cringed slightly.

"I need to take a bath", I said while gently sitting up.

"Okay, that's fine. Let me set the water to the right temperature and grab you a towel," Alex said, his voice smooth and effortless.

He walked over to the cupboard with an easy confidence, the spacious room making his movements feel even more deliberate. After adjusting the running water in the bathroom, he returned, holding out a soft towel.

"Here my love," he said, stretching it toward me.

I took it, my fingers brushing against his for the briefest second. Summoning what little strength I had, I pushed myself up and made my way to the bathroom.

After about 5 minutes of attempting to fix my hair first, a knock sounded against the bathroom door, firm but unhurried.

"Hey, Rose," Alex's voice came through—deep, calm, and far too charming. "Do you mind if I join you in there? I need to take a bath too."

I could tell he was smiling just by the way he said it.

I exhaled, dragging out a slow, skeptical, "Hmmm..." before turning off the running shower to hear correctly.

"Why can't you just wait until I'm done?" I asked, keeping my tone calm, not wanting to sound too irritated.

"I just think it would be fun taking a bath with you," he replied, knocking again—this time with an insistence that barely gave me room to argue.

I rolled my eyes, holding the towel firmly around me. This man…

"Fine, fine, you weird ass," I muttered, securing my towel before walking up to the door and unlocking it.

What do you want? I asked again, standing in his way from entering the bathroom.

He smiled and suddenly grabbed me by the waist slowly pushing me out of the way as he walked in. 

Hello, excuse me?? I exclaimed expecting an explanation.

He turned back giving me a glazing look that made me feel helpless as he pushed me with my back facing the door.

What the hell are you doing? I asked with a tone that didn't seem to match my energy.

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he just stood there, his deep brown eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. His broad, shirtless chest was right in front of me, toned and impossibly perfect, making it hard to focus on anything else. He was only wearing white knee-length shorts, hanging loosely around his hips, making it impossible to ignore how effortlessly attractive he looked. 

His hands slowly moved up, resting lightly on my waist, sending warmth spreading through my skin.

"I just want to make sure you're okay," he finally said, his voice low and smooth.

I swallowed hard, unsure whether it was from nerves or something else entirely. "I already told you—I'm fine," I murmured, though my voice wasn't as steady as I wanted it to be.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. "Then why do you look like you're about to run?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes to mask the way my stomach flipped at his words. "I'm not running. I just—" I trailed off when I noticed his lips twitch into a smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing.

The air between us thickened, the steam from the shower swirling around us like a haze, making everything feel even more surreal. My fingers twitched against the towel wrapped around me, gripping it a little tighter.

"Alex, I really should—"

Before I could finish, he reached up, brushing a damp strand of hair from my face, his fingers lingering against my cheek just a little too long.

"I just wanted to see you like this," he murmured, with his voice "relaxed and charming"

I swallowed again, my throat suddenly dry. "You see me every day," I whispered.

"Not like this."

The way he said it made my skin tingle. I should have stepped back. I should have put some distance between us. But I didn't.

Instead, I stayed right where I was, trapped between the heat of his body and the cool tiles of the bathroom wall.

And for some reason, I wasn't sure I wanted to escape.

Then suddenly, the shrill sound of my phone vibrating from the bedroom cut through the moment.

I blinked, my head snapping toward the door. The sound was muffled, but I recognized it instantly. Alice.

A strange feeling of guilt shot through me.

Alex must have noticed because his smirk faltered just a bit. "You should get that," he said, his voice unreadable.

I hesitated, my body still pressed against the door.

Then, with a deep breath, I slipped past him, grabbing my towel more securely as I walked back to the bedroom 

My phone screen lit up with Alice's name. 

For some reason, my hands trembled as I picked it up. I had no idea why, but I suddenly felt like I was caught between two worlds and I wasn't sure which one I belonged to anymore.