"How was your night?" Micah asks me.
We are laying down in his bed. I feel spooked. He almost caught we with his dad. I mean, we weren't doing anything wrong, but I've never been touched by someone else before. Not in the way Micah touches me. I wouldn't know how to explain it to him. I can't decide if it meant something to me or not...
I run my fingers through his dark blond hair. "Nothing really. I took a bath and then read a bit. I went downstairs to get a glass of water. Then you and the others came home."
"Okay," he breathes, kissing me. "Don't make me go to another one of those. I hate clubs—especially ones without you in them."
"What? But you had such a good time," I argue, laughing.
He groans. Then rolls over on top of me. He holds my hands down on either side of my head. "Do you want me to show you how much of a good time we can have instead?"
"I think I'll pass."
His smile falls. "No?"
"You're drunk, Micah," I say to him. "We can't do it when you've been out drinking. I don't want it like that."
"Okay." He hides his face in my neck. "Fine."
"Are you upset?" I ask.
He shakes his head, groaning into my shoulder. "No, I'm frustrated."
"I'm sorry," I say. "Next time. I promise."
I stay with him until he falls asleep. Then I get out of bed and use the bathroom. I wash my face. Maybe I should take that bath after all. I find spare towels in the downstairs bathroom like Mr Williams told me and run a bath. I sit on the toilet while I wait for the bathtub to fill up. The water is almost scorching when I lower my body inside the tub. But it feels really good. Very relaxing. I lay my head back against the rim of the tub and pull my legs up to my chest. The door is slightly ajar. The light from the bathroom spills into the hallway. I close my eyes.
I hear the door close. "Micah, you can't be in here. Your dad is going to kill us."
"I won't," Mr Williams says instead, his fingers brushing my hair from my face.
I sit up. "I'm sorry. I didn't—"
"It's my mistake. I saw the light from the hallway. I thought one of the kids forgot to turn it off," he say to me. He kneels beside me on the tiles. "It's okay."
I don't know what else to say to him. I stare at him like an idiot. He chuckles, pulling away from me.
"I've scared you?" he asks.
"No," I insist. I don't know why I do. I want him close to me. But, at the same time, I don't want him to think that I want this. That I want to be with him. "I'm not afraid."
He's the one staring now. I can tell that he's trying to control his breathing. His face is flushed. He turns away from me.
"What am I doing?" he sighs. He sounds disappointed in himself. "You're in here having a bath and I...I don't know why I decided to come inside and close the door. You're my son's girlfriend. I'm a terrible father."
"I'm sorry."
"No," he says to me. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I've read into things that weren't there. I-I thought that you wanted me...when we were in the study. I don't know why I thought that. It's wrong. I know. I'll stop."
"It scared me when you told me that I was just like her," I tell him instead. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Anything to take my mind off the subject. "I don't...I don't want to have to live up to someone so important to you. To Micah. I want to be a good girlfriend to him. He doesn't deserve to have his heart broken."
He rubs at his face. "I know. I wouldn't ask any more of you. I apologise."
"I think you should leave," I say.
"No. Of course." He rises to his feet. He's still in the t-shirt and pyjama bottoms from earlier in the evening. He wipes his hands on his pants. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He leaves the bathroom. I sink into the bath, letting the water rush around my body. I stay below the water until I can't hold my break any more. Then I sit up. I wipe my face. What is this? I don't get it. Mr Williams wasn't like this before. What changed? Has he always felt like this about me?
I drain the bath and dry off. Then I sit on the toilet seat and apply lotion. I'm thinking about earlier in the night in his study. I didn't think anything about it until we went down to the kitchen. He was the same Mr Williams I've always known.
Was it the alcohol? Was he still drunk? The Williams men really don't know how to hold their liquor. They should just be banned from drinking altogether.
"Landon?" There's a knock on the bathroom door.
"Yes?"
"Why aren't you in bed?" Micah asks me.
"I was just on my way up," I say. "I'll just be a minute."
"Can I come inside?"
"No," I say. "I mean, I really won't be long. Just give me a second."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Really."
"Okay."
I find Micah in the kitchen. He's having a cup of the coffee I made for his dad. "I heard it's good for hangovers," he says to me. "Want to share?"
"You know I don't drink coffee," I say, laughing. I cross the room and sit down with him at the kitchen island.
"Want some tea instead? I can make you some," he offers.
I shake my head, laying my head down on my arms. "No, I'm okay."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
I shrug. "You're just really pretty."
"I'm the pretty one?" he asks, chuckling. "Then what does that make you?"
"Enamoured?" I offer.
"I really want to kiss you right now," he breathes. His pupils are dilated as if he was really interested in what he saw. Really adorable.
I lean into him. "Okay."
"Just kissing."
"Just kissing."