The Love Cube

Chapter 18 : Beginnings

Her head aching,eyes burning from the light, once she peered her eyes open and her throat parched was how Heather felt when she woke up.

She did not miss the feeling of being hangover. Feeling for the table beside her, she touched a pill and a bottle of water and thanked drunk Heather for having thought about leaving the things beside her bed. Finally, she slowly opened her eyes and scanned the room she was in. This was not her bedroom.The soft silky sheets were definitely not hers. She tried to rack her brain for who she must have picked up from the bar the previous night and that's when she recalled inviting Ben out

.

Slowly she looked down at herself. She was at least dressed.That was always a good sign. Her pelvis was not aching. Her muscles did not feel strained. Her throat was not sore either.After ticking against her mental checklist she knew she was safe.

Slowly she dragged herself towards the door, every step painful, her head feeling heavier than usual. As she got closer to the door,the smell of coffee and eggs called to her from the other side of the door.

If this had been a one-night stand she would have woken up quickly, scuffled around the room picking up her clothes and dressing herself feeling like a shameful college student, making a run out of the apartment, not wanting to spend an extra minute in a strangers house, but this one was a different. He was a friend. A friend who she was not sure if she had blurred some lines the previous night with. Now it was time to wear her big girl pants and apologize for any unforthcoming behavior she may have exhibited.

Slowly she gently turned the door knob and was met by Ben's figure, who was busy in the kitchen listening to music while preparing their breakfast. She couldn't let the opportunity to scare him pass her and slowly crept behind him before she let her cold hands wander under his shirt. The reaction had been as expected. He jumped up, startled, almost sending their breakfast to the floor, causing Heather to giggle.

" Morning?'' she finally asked, while Ben just chuckled dryly.

" Sleep well?'' he replied while busying himself with placing their food on their plates and pouring two cups of coffee.

" Not really. The sheets were a bit rough,'' she replied off-handedly while setting herself on one of the stools on the kitchen counter. She struggled to hide her smile while she watched him stop in his movements.

"Ungrateful brat. I shouldn't even feed you,'' he huffed, which made her burst out in laughter.

This was the first time Ben saw Heather carefree like this. Her hair was still like a bird's nest on top of her head. Like this, she looked young, her face devoid of the fierce make-up she always put on. When he had felt her walk behind him he had somehow expected she would wrap her arms around him, but when he remembered her words from the previous night he decided it was best she had not.

" I'll have my coffee with cream if you have it,'' Heathers voice interrupted his thoughts as she had already started digging into her food.

Getting the cream, he sat opposite her focusing on his plate.

Heather could not see any strange behavior from Ben and she believed she had not done anything embarrassing the previous night, but either way, it was better just to apologise.

" If I did something unbecoming last night, I apologize. I can't remember much. It's been pretty long since I got wasted like that,''

" Apology accepted,'' Ben replied while continuing with his meal.

" Did I do something?'' Heather asked, curiously. She knew she was more of an emotional drunk than one who was loud and caused chaos, her fear lay in being that she may have shared something she wanted to keep to herself in a moment of weakness.

" Wouldn't you like to know?'' Ben smirked at her. She was supposed to be the cheeky one but she did not pester him for the information.

Quietly they both finished their meals and when she went to wash her utensils he refused, telling her she was a guest and expected she still had a hangover.

" I am actually surprised you are this mobile after how heavily you drank,'' Ben said while slowly pushing her back to the stool she had previously occupied.

" At one point in my life, the bottle was my closest friend till my body got resistant,'' she replied while lying on the counter watching him.

" And yet you say you are fine? I won't ask you to tell me, but if you want a listening ear despite all the chaos outside there , I am always here,'' he replied, wanting to put it out there.He had been like her at one point,bottling everything inside till he found Ned and he couldn't be thankful enough. He remembered Ned's text that morning congratulating him on his night. Little did he know he had spent the night checking in on Heather incase she vomited at one point, even sleeping on the coach beside her. He had luckily woken up before she had and left for his room.

Now he had just cooked her a full break first, her being the only other person, other than his brother, who had ever tasted his cooking.

" What was he doing?'' he wondered as he dried the last plate and met Heathers' eyes, who was still gazing at him.

" I need to get going,'' Heather said while getting up.

'" Your dress is inside the closest in your room. The bath has everything you need, '' he replied. He would have invited her to stay longer, the whole day even, but he needed to distance himself from her before he did anything else.

While she was away he kept trying to find who Derrick was, even searching for their names together. There were no results, only all her previous conquests were listed till her most recent. Was she seeing someone secretly? Was that why she had been drinking?Did he have a chance or not? He wondered, lost in thought till he saw her in front of him, already dressed .

"I can drive you home,'' he offered, getting up to get his keys, but she stopped him.

" I already ordered and uber but thankyou,'' she replied.

He decided to see her out and at the door she turned and looked up to him, " Thank you for yesterday and today too. The breakfast and looking after me. It means a lot,more than you know,'' she said before she softly kissed his cheek and walked towards the elevator.

As he locked his door, all he could feel was the ghost of her lips on his skin.