Chapter 5: An Unexpected wake up call.
Rory, her head clouded with drowsiness turned embarrassed from his words. She felt her face flush even hotter as she squirmed weakly in his grip, her movements sluggish and uncoordinated. "W-What… are you doing?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan's lips twitched into another smirk, but before he could respond, Rory's eyelids drooped heavily, her body slackening as exhaustion finally claimed her. Within seconds, she had fully succumbed to sleep, her head resting against his shoulder as she breathed softly.
Ethan glanced down at her sleeping form, amusement still lingering in his expression as he let out a quiet chuckle. "Well," he mused to himself, adjusting his grip slightly, "this took an interesting turn."
A dull, throbbing headache was the first thing Rory became aware of as she stirred from her slumber, her body sluggish and heavy as if weighed down by exhaustion itself. A groggy groan slipped past her lips, her fingers twitching against the silken sheets beneath her.
'Wait… why am I covered in bedsheets...'
Her eyes snapped open, the world around her coming into sharp focus as a wave of realization crashed over her. This wasn't her bed. This wasn't her room.
The ceiling above her was adorned with intricate crown molding, the soft golden glow of the morning sun filtering through floor-to-ceiling drapes that framed an enormous glass window. A chandelier hung overhead, its crystal ornaments catching the light, scattering reflections across the expensively decorated walls. The air smelled faintly of lavender and fresh linen, a stark contrast to the usual scent of her modest apartment.
Panic tightened in her chest as she bolted upright, the plush comforter slipping from her body, revealing that she was still dressed in the same clothes from last night. Her fingers instinctively clutched the fabric of her dress, her pulse quickening as she took in the grandeur surrounding her—the sleek marble flooring, the lavish furnishings, the sheer elegance of it all.
It didn't take her 2 second to realize that she was in a hotel room, and a damn expensive one at that.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. 'What the hell happened last night? '
'How did she get here? And more importantly… who brought me here?'
Before she could even begin to piece together the fragmented memories of last night, the sound of water droplets hitting the floor reached her ears.
Rory's breath hitched as her gaze darted toward the bathroom door just in time to see it swing open, revealing none other than Ethan.
' What's he doing here!' Her stomach plummeted at the sight of him.
He stepped out, completely at ease, his muscular torso on full display, droplets of water trailing down his toned chest and abs like liquid silver. A towel hung loosely around his waist, teasingly low, while another was in his hand as he casually ran it through his damp, tousled hair.
For a moment—just a fleeting moment—Rory found it hard to breathe, her cheeks turning a light shade of red.
Then, as if her mortification wasn't already at its peak, Ethan's lips curled into that insufferable smirk when he noticed her expression, his sharp blue eyes gleaming with visible amusement.
"Morning, sweetheart," he drawled, his voice smooth like velvet, rich with the kind of lazy confidence that made her skin prickle with irritation. "Sleep well?"
Rory's mouth opened, but no sound came out. The sheer audacity of the situation left her momentarily speechless.
Ethan let out a low chuckle, crossing the room toward her with an easy, almost predatory grace. "Relax," he murmured, tilting his head slightly as he observed her flustered expression. "Before you start overthinking things, let me make one thing clear—I didn't touch you." His smirk deepened, his voice dropping an octave. "Not that you weren't tempting, but I'm not in the habit of taking advantage of unconscious women. I have standards, you know."
Heat surged to Rory's face—not from relief, but from the sheer nerve of him. As if implying she wasn't worth being taken advantage of.
"You—" she sputtered, her embarrassment swiftly morphing into irritation. "You're such a—"
"A gentleman?" he offered with mock sincerity, quirking an eyebrow as he ran the towel down his arm.
Rory clenched her jaw, exhaling sharply through her nose before shoving aside her frustration. There were more pressing matters at hand.
Before she could fire back another retort, Ethan casually gestured toward the nightstand. "You might want to check your phone, by the way," he said offhandedly, picking up his own and scrolling through it without a care. "A certain someone seemed very concerned about your whereabouts last night." he shot her a knowing sideways glance.
A pit formed in Rory's stomach as she grabbed her phone, her fingers fumbling slightly as she unlocked the screen.
Her blood ran cold.
Over a hundred missed calls.
Her eyes scanned the notifications in disbelief, when she saw ten were from her mother and father, her brows furrowed together in confusion.
' Huh?, if it's not from mom or dad then?' Rory wondered as she scrolled down to see who it was that her spammed her smartphone with calls but, when she saw the constant identical caller IDs which turned out to be the overwhelming majority, she sucked in a breath of cold air.
' Why are they all from Julian?!' Her breath caught in her throat. When she declined his call yesterday, she wasn't expecting something like this.
Ninety missed calls from Julian?!
Her fingers tightened around the device as she swallowed the lump in her throat, her mind racing. She had expected some concern, but this? This was a tad too much. A gnawing unease crept up her spine, but she shoved it aside. First things first—her parents.
She quickly dialed her mother's number, pressing the phone to her ear as she forced herself to steady her voice. The line barely rang before a frantic voice answered.
"Rory?! Oh, thank god! Where are you? Are you okay?!"