7:00am
I woke up to sunlight pouring in through the window. Ouch. My head was pounding. I wiped the drool off my mouth and grabbed my phone from the lampstand to text Zina. The last thing I remembered was Nic's tall figure approaching me before everything turned into a hazy mix of sounds and movement. I sat up quickly and noticed a bottle of water and a burger still wrapped in paper on my bedside table. Did Nic bring me these?
I texted Zina, but I'm sure she's still asleep, so I decided to message James instead. The memory of his brother taking charge of the situation at the pub was still a bit hazy.
Me: Jamsie, what happened last night? My head is a mess right now.
James: Glad you're alive, Feisty. Nic brought you back. He went full Big Brother mode on the guy who was trying to mess with you. It was intense.
I felt a dizzying mix of embarrassment and a secret rush of warmth. Nic had brought me home; he had been "intense." He's supposed to be cold and composed, yet he cared enough to step in.
Me: What guy? The one from the pub?
James: Yeah. Turns out he's my new roommate. Small world. He said he was only trying to help when he noticed you were uncomfortable.
Me: He was trying to help me.
James: I thought so too. Ryan doesn't have the guts to do anything bad. Nic practically threatened him with expulsion, and Ryan's been quiet all morning.
My memory has become clearer now. Ryan, I suppose it's his name, had a bit of a panic moment with Nic because he didn't know him and wanted to keep me safe, I guess. It's understandable, a lot of people find Nic intimidating, but unfortunately, that just scared Ryan off. I couldn't help but smile as I brushed those thoughts away.
Me: I mentioned this to Nic when he brought me back to my dorm.
James: "I'm glad you did. I'll update Ryan so he can stop worrying. Sorry for leaving you alone, it won't happen again."
Me: It's fine, I'm a grown-up too, yk, I'm responsible for my actions.
James: As your best friend, it's my duty to always be there for you, regardless of the situation. Nic really let me have it after he took you to your dorm, and it made me rethink my choices. Things could have turned out much worse if it hadn't been Ryan you were with or if Nic hadn't come by to check on you.
Me: It's okay, Jamsie, we can discuss it later; someone's knocking on my door.
James: Alright, I'll swing by later, Feisty ;)
Tch. What a jerk, I scoffed.
Nic didn't merely save me; he had directly taken on a guy and then carried me to safety. The way he stayed by my side spoke volumes about his sense of responsibility, if not concern. My cheeks flushed with warmth. I ought to thank him, but the idea of dealing with his aloof charm and serious gaze was intimidating.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I'll wager all my spare change that's Zina, no one knocks on the door as wildly as she does. I barely turned the key in the lock before it swung open, and Zina leaped at me.
It could be easily opened. I need to make sure that safety lock gets activated today, just like Nic suggested I do. I felt myself blush at the memory of him.
"Hold on, why are you smiling? You nearly had a close call," Zina said, lifting my chin.
"Oh stop being dramatic Zee, I was fine, I'm fine"
"I know Anne, but when I couldn't find you, I got a little worried. Then I ran into James, and he reassured me you were okay," she replied with a slight sniffle.
"Honestly, I'm good! I just had a couple sips of a spiked drink, and it turns out my tolerance isn't the best," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Sorry I left you alone for a bit," she said, looking concerned.
"Oh come on, James said the same thing, I'm not a child, yk," I said and rolled my eyes as I sat on the bed.
"No you're not but you are baby," she said snuggling up next to me
"Zinaaa, you smell like a bar and what's with yesterday's outfit?" I scrunched my nose at her, teasingly.
"I didn't have time to change! I was too busy worrying about someone," she replied with a lazy grin.
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Come on, let's just go back to sleep, Anne. I'm really worked up."
"Oh, I can tell! But I'm definitely not going back to sleep after last night," she shot back, playfully patting my head before lifting it to give me a mock creepy stare.
"Of course, Nic was the one who brought you to your room last night," she said, barely containing her laughter.
"Ah, so James spilled the beans, did he?"
"Yep! Best thing he's done all week. I knew my little Annabel would have the best time in his arms!" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Oh, come on! I thought you were against me liking him."
"I am! He can be so arrogant, but… well, yesterday changed things a bit. So, tell me, did anything happen?" she pressed, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Nothing really happened. I was so out of it. He just brought me a burger when I mentioned not eating anything" I confessed, grateful to James for helping me piece things together.
"Just that? " Zina raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more drama.
"Yup. Nothing like you're imagining. Now could you either go back to bed or get out of my room?" I told her, trying to sound more authoritative than I felt.
"Fine," she replied with a yawn, stretching her arms as she settled down.
Who would've guessed I'd have Nicholas in my room on my very first day? That had to be some sort of progress, right? A blush crept up my cheeks at the thought.
Then, just as I was sinking back into the moment, my phone rang, Dad's name lighting up the screen. Panic shot through me, and I swiftly turned it off, shoving it under my pillow. The wave of nausea that followed was all too familiar; I wasn't ready to deal with him and his endless questions. I promised myself I'd call him later. Right now, I need to keep my mood intact.
I reminded myself of the registration I still needed to tackle before classes kicked off, a perfect excuse to avoid that call. With that thought, I closed my eyes, letting sleep wash over me.