Chapter 2 The Morning After

Aria

I let out a groan as I slowly stirred awake. Tingles spread through my limbs as I turned and tossed. My eyes were heavy and if it were up to me, I wouldn't bother opening them again. What was the use? The last thing I wanted was to set my eyes on Callum after what he'd done to me just a couple of moments ago.

How could he? How could he reject me, moments to his party where he was supposed to announce we were mates? How could he let me wander......

Wait...

I pressed my eyes tighter against each other as I tried to recall what happened next. After Callum had walked out on me, what happened? I took a few bottles of alcohol and then what?

"No." I gasped out loud as I jolted up, peeling my eyes open immediately. Maybe if I hadn't, I would have had more time to think things through. The moment I opened both of my eyes, a bolt of pain shot through my head.

I stifled a groan as I cradled my head in my hands. I'd never felt so much pain before and if I was being honest, it felt like my head was this close to exploding.

"Please." I moaned in pain. This was why I rarely got drunk. In fact, I always avoided the darn thing. " Please make it stop."

There was power in the tongue, someone always said, but I never took it seriously, until now. Not too long after I'd muttered that quick request, the pain eased up. It wasn't totally gone, but at least, I could turn my head to the side without it feeling like it would roll off the next minute.

Confusion streaked my features as I turned to the right. The huge wardrobe in the hotel room came to view and it still didn't look familiar until something caught my eye. My scarf, dangling just on the knob of the wardrobe doors. Slowly, I trailed the scarf to more pieces of clothes on the floor.

My breath hitched in my throat as I took them in. The clothes were strewn around, but still managed to form a straight line that led to the bed. That wasn't even the crazy part. They looked like the ensemble I wore last night.

Returning my gaze to the bed, I picked up a black shirt. It wasn't mine and didn't look like Callum's. Something or someone was under the duvet. I yanked the cover down, and a scream tore out of my throat. Someone was in the bed, and it was no other than Damon. The same Damon I knew.

Damon startled awake. On his knees, he grabbed a pillow above his head and aimed for the invisible enemy. "Where is it? What's happening?" he asked all at once. His eyes wandered everywhere until they returned to me. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Is someone-"

"What are you doing here?" I cut in, my heart thundering in my chest. Like I hadn't just gotten the biggest shock of my life, I felt my eyes widen as I took him in. He wasn't wearing a shirt. "And where are your clothes?"

"I don't know." For someone who'd just woken up in someone else's hotel room, Damon looked pretty chill about the whole situation. I guess it was one of the traits he'd picked up as the alpha's son. They had to be calm always, no matter the situation. "Should be around somewhere."

"Really?" Confusion and anger tainted my voice. "How dare you come into my room, without clothes and ..."

The frown on his face made me pause. Wait a minute. Damon wasn't the only person without clothes. A string of yells slid past my lips as I peeked under the duvet. My perky boobs and flushed skin stared back at me. Red hue tainted my cheeks, and in one swift motion, I pulled the duvet higher, pressing it flush against my chest.

We were both naked. Well, I was covered with the duvet.

"What? Wh- why?" It was my turn to stutter and that didn't even help at all. It made no sense. Why were we both in my hotel room, without clothes and under the same duvet? "I don't understand."

"Don't you remember?" Damon prodded. I still couldn't wrap my head around how he was so calm in all of this. "Tell me you remember what happened last night?."

"No, I don't. " My voice was barely a whisper and even though I had no idea what happened, I wasn't exactly sure I wanted to find out. "I don't have the faintest clue."

"Try to remember." Damon nodded, like he was encouraging me. "Do you remember what you did last night, maybe that'll help."

"I remember I and Callum's conversation. He rejected me." No matter how many times I said it, it still didn't sound real enough, but deep down, I wished it was nothing more than a nightmare I would wake up from. "Then I grabbed some bottles of alcohol..."

"...and you got drunk and bumped into me." Damon finished up for me. "Does that ring any bells?"

My eyes widened in shock at his response. In fact, they did. Like a flip had been switched in some part of my brain, everything I struggled to remember came rushing at me.

I'd kissed Damon. I'd kissed the Damon son and asked him if he wanted to fuck me.

Fuck.

"I take it, you remember now." The cheekiness in Damon's voice was evident but I was too embarrassed to focus on that right now.

I cringed as I replayed the memories. Not only did I kiss Damon, I'd turned him on. I'd peeled off his clothes with so much fervor and pushed him on my bed. The loud moans I let out as he caressed my butt and fondled my boobs resonated in my ears. I'd hissed in pleasure as he sucked on my nipples, one at a time and I definitely enjoyed it when he slipped his erection inside me.

I even....

"Asked me to marry you." Damon grinned, like he was reading my thoughts. Without any warning, he continued. "You couldn't stop talking about Callum and how he broke your heart so you asked me to marry you."

This was unbelievable.

"And I accept." Damon was enjoying this too much. Way too much for my liking. "It's unconventional for the lady to ask the man's hand in marriage, but I accept I..."

"Stop!" I shrieked, cutting him off. " Just stop talking."

"Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Yes!" I flailed my hand in the air. "Can't you see? Everything is wrong. Every fucking thing."

"Aria..."

"I never asked you to marry me." I spat. "I didn't mean it. I was drunk as hell and I didn't know what I was saying."

Call me crazy, but I swear I watched Damon's face fall immediately.

"What?" Damon's voice dropped to a low monotone. "What do you mean?"

"This was a mistake." I watched his face twist with a million emotions. He finally settled on what seemed to be like disappointment and fury. "I was drunk and emotional and I didn't know what I was saying. I didn't mean any of it..."

"Yeah." He quipped abruptly. "Yeah."

"Damon..." I called out to him softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...."

"It's fine." His voice was cold. Icy even. "No worries."

"If it's not a bother could you escort me to the function tomorrow?" I pressed on. "I was supposed to go with Callum but..."

"I'll pass." Damon was on his feet immediately. I watched his back as he slipped on his clothes. Taut muscles rippled behind him, but the view didn't last long. "Have a nice day, Aria."

These were his parting words as he walked out of my hotel room, right before slamming the door shut.

What the hell was that?