flutters and my breathing hitches, and I hope he doesn’t notice, but based on his small laugh, I’m guessing he does.
“Clem, don’t worry. You had a lot to drink tonight. You probably won’t remember this conversation tomorrow.”
I somehow doubt that. But the spinning starts again.
“Gavin?”
“Yeah.”
“If I do, if I do forget, will you remind me?”
The only answer I get is his arm pulling me closer to him.
* * *
W hen I wake up , my bed is empty, and a pang of disappointment hits me before a wave of nausea. I scramble out to the bathroom, ducking my head into the bowl just in time.
My head is pounding, and I want to crawl back into bed, but the thought of that disgusting guy at the club licking my neck last night makes me want to bathe with Lysol. I opt instead to take a shower, but I can’t find shit in my room because half of my stuff is still in boxes, so I end up with a towel and a black pair of boy shorts, which will have to do until my hangover subsides long enough to sift through my things.
The shower is painful. Although it feels good to get clean, I think I might hurl again. I lean against the shower wall, shaking and weak, and let the hot water pelt me until the nausea subsides.
Did I imagine Gavin staying with me last night?
Fighting the urge to freak out, I take deep breaths. All the details I know about Gavin tumble around in my head. He’s a great musician and an RA. He helps all those clueless freshmen through their first year in college. He spoons. He smells fucking amazing.
I roll my eyes at myself.
I shouldn’t let myself think about him. I can’t get shattered like that again.
Stepping out of the shower, I pull on my undies and dry my long hair before I wrap the towel around my chest. I wipe off the condensation and stare at my reflection. I look like shit. My eyes are bloodshot, and my skin looks sallow. I take a minute to remove the makeup that’s turned me into a raccoon before I open the door to go back to my room.
Suddenly, I’m tripping over something hard. I wince at the sharp pain in my foot. That’s when I look up to see three guys sitting on the couch, staring at me, in time for my towel to fall. But I’m frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as my head acknowledges that I’m okay. Just half naked.
I growl. “Who the hell put a fucking skateboard in front of a door? Are you trying to kill someone?” They’re still staring at me as I grab my towel and throw it over my shoulder. Storming off back to my room, I yell, “What? It’s not like you’ve never seen boobs before. Get over it.”
I slam my door, escalating the pounding in my head.
It’s almost noon. Good God, I can’t believe I have to go to work today. What was I thinking? Shuffling boxes around my small room, I finally find some clothes, so I grab jeans and a t-shirt.
I hear Ryan through the walls. “Baby, don’t get mad, but we saw Clem naked.”
“She wasn’t naked,” another voice says. “Well, not entirely.”
Who was out there? Ryan, Kade, and… Gavin. Fuck.
A few minutes later, someone taps on my bedroom door.
“Clem, honey, it’s me. Can I come in?” Jenna asks, her Southern drawl lengthening around the vowels. The door creeks open, and she pokes her head in. I’m half dressed as she surveys the mess of boxes and steps closer. “Are you okay?”
I press my palm to my forehead. “Sorry I flashed your boyfriend.”
She laughs softly, shutting the door behind her. “That’s okay. I’m sure you fulfilled one of his fantasies just now.” Jenna is so used to the groupies at his shows, nothing fazes her anymore. The only thing she cares about is that he goes home with her. “Can I get you some Advil or something?”
I nod, choking on what I want to say.
“Did, uh, did Gavin stay here last night?” I ask, afraid of the answer.
“Yeah, honey. But he swears he was a gentleman. I think he saw more when you walked out of the bathroom a minute ago than he did all