Escape my ruthless past.

Chapter Twelve

As I came to, I was met with the sound of Brett's deep chuckle and the feeling of his rough fingers tracing my jawline. I groggily opened my eyes to find myself lying on a soft, unfamiliar bed, with Brett hovering above me. My head was pounding, and my mouth felt like the Sahara desert.

"Water," I croaked, my voice barely audible.

Brett smiled and handed me a glass of water, which I gulped down in one swift motion. As I sat up, the room started spinning again, and I fell back onto the pillows with a groan.

"You're a lightweight, Mauve," Brett teased, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

I glared at him, trying to remember how I ended up in this predicament. The last thing I remembered was the kiss – oh, that kiss. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I felt like I'd been electrocuted, and my body was still humming from the shock.

"What time is it?" I asked, my voice still rough from the hangover.

"Late," Brett replied, glancing at his watch. "Or early, depending on how you look at it."

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I think I need some aspirin."

Brett chuckled and handed me a couple of pills and another glass of water. I downed them both, hoping for a miracle cure.

As I lay there, trying to gather my wits, Brett started to undress me, his fingers moving deftly over the buttons of my shirt. I should've protested, but my brain was still foggy, and my body was too exhausted to care.

"You know, Mauve," Brett whispered, his breath tickling my ear, "I think you're the most interesting drunk I've ever met."

I rolled my eyes, trying to muster up some indignation, but it was no use. I was at Brett's mercy, and I knew it.

The next thing I knew, I was being tucked under the covers, and Brett was snuggling up beside me. I felt a flutter in my chest as his arm wrapped around me, pulling me close.

"Sleep, Mauve," he whispered. "We'll deal with the fallout in the morning."

I woke up in a state of confusion, with no recollection of the previous night. I looked around in panic as I found myself in an unfamiliar setting. My heart raced as I tried to piece together the events of the night before. I was lying in just my underwear, and my clothes were nowhere to be found. I quickly grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that were lying around and put them on.

The room was empty, and I couldn't see anyone around. I was filled with a sense of unease and wanted to leave immediately. I made my way to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, trying to compose myself. I found a stick of deodorant and applied it, trying to get rid of the unfamiliar smell. I put some toothpaste in my mouth, hoping it would help me get rid of the bad taste.

As I tiptoed out of the bedroom, I found myself in a long corridor. I turned right and followed it, hoping to find a way out. The corridor led me to a beautiful staircase, and I could hear voices all around me. Panic set in, and I realized I needed to get out of there as quickly as possible.

I rushed towards the door and practically leapt straight out of it. I ran down the road as fast as I could, not realizing that I had no shoes on until a mile down the road. The coolness of the pavement beneath my feet was a stark reminder of my current situation. I was in a daze, not knowing where I was or how I got there. All I knew was that I needed to keep moving, to put as much distance between myself and that place as possible.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I didn't know what had happened the night before, but I knew I needed to get away from there as quickly as possible. The voices I had heard in the corridor still echoed in my ears, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

As I kept running, I tried to remember anything from the night before. But my mind was blank, and I couldn't recall a single thing. I didn't know who I was, where I was, or how I got there. All I could do was keep moving, putting one foot in front of the other, and hoping that I would eventually find my way back home.

The sun was starting to rise, and the streets were coming to life. I could see people walking to work, and cars were starting to appear on the road. I felt out of place, like I didn't belong in this world. I was lost, alone, and had no idea what to do next.

After wandering around for what felt like an eternity, I finally found myself standing in front of my own house. I needed to get inside without making a sound, so I decided to climb a tree and jump over to my window. Thankfully, I never locked it, and I was able to slide myself in without making a noise. It was still early, and I hoped that everyone would still be asleep.

I quickly changed into my pyjamas and acted as if I had been there all night. I was grateful that my aunt and uncle never paid much attention to me, as they were unlikely to notice that I had been gone. I headed to the bathroom to wash my feet and rub in some cream, but before I could finish, my aunt Clarissa called out to me.

"Mauve darling, someone's at the door for you," she said in a voice that I had never heard before. I rushed downstairs, wondering who could possibly be looking for me. To my surprise, it was Brett, one of the triplets. I crossed my arms over my body, not wanting him to see me in the state I was in.

He handed me a bag with my things from the night before and laughed a little. "What's this? And how do you know where I live?" I asked, trying to hide my frustration. "Your things from last night," he replied with a smirk. He still hadn't answered my question about how he knew where I lived.

"Um, thanks, I guess," I said, but before I could finish my sentence, he cut me off. "Why did you run off this morning? We have stuff we need to talk about," he said sternly. I needed some time to gather myself, so I practically slammed the door in his face.

My aunt gave me a strange look but didn't say anything. I threw on some clothes, checked my face in the mirror, and put my hair up. The bruises from before were starting to fade, but it was too late to hide them now. I put on some shoes and headed outside to meet Brett.

"Let's make this quick, I have things to do," I said, glaring at him. "So about last night," he began. "We didn't, did we?" I asked, sounding nervous. "No, you were in no fit state to be going anywhere else," he replied.

"So you kidnapped me? That's a better option?" I asked, frustrated. "Not at all, Mauve. I just wanted to take care of you," he said. "Hmm," I replied, unsure of what to say next.