I heard voices drifting in from the distance, their muffled tones becoming clearer with each passing second. As I slowly opened my eyes, the blurry shapes in front of me sharpened, and I saw Nick sitting on the couch, talking with Eric. It took me a moment to fully register my surroundings.
Nick's room.
More specifically—Nick's bed!
I shot up, startled, my heart racing as I tried to piece together what had happened. My mind was still foggy from sleep, but the events from last night came rushing back all at once—his fever, taking care of him, and then...lying next to him.
Oh no. What was I thinking?
I felt my face flush as I realized where I was. How did I let this happen? And more importantly, how long had I been asleep here? I glanced over at Nick, who seemed to notice my sudden movement but continued his conversation with Eric. Neither of them made any immediate acknowledgment of me, as if they were giving me space to collect myself.
I fumbled with the sheets for a moment, trying to regain some composure. The memories of last night flooded back—his vulnerability, the way he'd held my hand, the way I'd stayed. What had gotten into me?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the panic rising in my chest. This wasn't something I could afford to dwell on. I needed to leave before I made this situation even more complicated.
"Good morning, princess," Nick greeted, his usual smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as I walked toward them.
"Did you sleep well?" Eric asked, his tone casual, as if this was all perfectly normal.
I turned to Eric, still processing what he'd said. "Why didn't you come back last night?" I demanded. "Who leaves their sick best friend and just forgets about it?"
Eric looked taken aback for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "I did come back," he finally replied, "but when I got here, you were sleeping so peacefully... I didn't have the heart to wake you."
I stared at him, my annoyance slowly being replaced by a growing sense of embarrassment.
"I thought I should just let you rest," he continued with a teasing smile, "after all, you deserved it after looking after my best friend. And, well… you both looked so cute lying next to each other."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I stole a glance at Nick, who was leaning back on the couch, looking entirely too pleased with himself. His eyes glinted mischievously, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"I was just—" I started, but the words stuck in my throat. How could I explain why I'd stayed?
Nick chuckled softly. "Relax, princess, you did a great job playing nurse." His tone was still teasing, but there was something softer underneath. "I feel much better now, thanks to you."
I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just trying to mess with me again, but either way, I needed to get out of there before I melted into the floor.
"Good morning, princess," Nick greeted, his usual smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as I walked toward them.
"Did you sleep well?" Eric asked, his tone casual, as if this was all perfectly normal.
I turned to Eric, still processing what he'd said. "Why didn't you come back last night?" I demanded. "Who leaves their sick best friend and just forgets about it?"
Eric looked taken aback for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "I did come back," he finally replied, "but when I got here, you were sleeping so peacefully... I didn't have the heart to wake you."
I stared at him, my annoyance slowly being replaced by a growing sense of embarrassment.
"I thought I should just let you rest," he continued with a teasing smile, "after all, you deserved it after looking after my best friend. And, well… you both looked so cute lying next to each other."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I stole a glance at Nick, who was leaning back on the couch, looking entirely too pleased with himself. His eyes glinted mischievously, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"I was just—" I started, but the words stuck in my throat. How could I explain why I'd stayed?
Nick chuckled softly. "Relax, princess, you did a great job playing nurse." His tone was still teasing, but there was something softer underneath. "I feel much better now, thanks to you."
I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or just trying to mess with me again, but either way, I needed to get out of there before I melted into the floor.
I walked out of the room with my cheeks still burning from embarrassment, my feet moving faster than my mind could process. I didn't dare look back, not even once, until I reached my own room. The entire walk, my thoughts raced, replaying everything that had happened. How had I ended up in his bed? Why had I stayed? And why, of all people, did Nick have to look so... different last night? Less arrogant, more vulnerable.
As I opened the door to my room, I found TJ pacing back and forth. The moment she saw me, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with worry.
"Where have you been?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with concern. "I've been worried sick! When Eric told me you'd gone to see Nick, I seriously thought... well, I don't know, that maybe he'd stabbed you or—God forbid—the other way around."
I let out a deep breath, closing the door behind me. "No one got stabbed," I muttered, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened.
TJ raised an eyebrow, scanning me from head to toe. "So... you didn't murder him in his sleep?"
I shot her a look, though I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "No, no murder."
"Well, what happened then?" she pressed, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "You look... different. Less... tense."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's a long story."
TJ didn't budge, still waiting for details. "I've got time."
I glanced at her, then finally gave in. "Okay, fine. It was strange, TJ. I went there expecting Nick to torment me, and instead... I ended up... taking care of him. Like, actually nursing him back to health."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"
I nodded. "Yeah, he was really sick. I gave him his meds, helped him cool down, and then... somehow, I ended up falling asleep next to him."
TJ gasped. "You what?! Justine!"
"It wasn't like that!" I quickly defended. "He was just... different, okay? Not his usual arrogant self. For a second, he was... vulnerable. And now, Eric's teasing me, Nick's acting all weird, and I feel like I'm losing my mind."
TJ stared at me for a moment, processing everything. Then, with a mischievous grin, she said, "Well, well, well... Looks like someone's catching feelings for Mr. Billionaire."
I rolled my eyes. "Please, TJ. The last thing I need is more drama."
But deep down, her words lingered. Because for a split second, in the quiet of Nick's room, I had felt something. And that scared me more than anything.
"I need to freshen up," I told TJ, making a beeline for the bathroom. I didn't wait for her response as I closed the door behind me, already peeling off my clothes. The events of the morning weighed heavily on me, and I needed a break from the whirlwind that was Nick Cortez.
The moment the hot water hit my skin, I let out a deep sigh, my muscles finally relaxing as the steam enveloped me. I hadn't realized how tense I had been until now. The warmth of the shower felt like a release—a way to wash away not just the fatigue but the confusion, the embarrassment, the tension of everything that had happened.
As the water cascaded down my body, I closed my eyes, letting my mind drift for a moment. The memory of Nick lying in bed flashed across my thoughts—his weak voice, the way he had asked me to stay, how vulnerable he looked. I felt a strange twist in my stomach. Why did I care so much? Why did he look so different to me now?
I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts. He's still Nick—arrogant, entitled, and impossible. Don't read too much into one night of him being human.
Still, a part of me couldn't shake the image of him gently holding my hand, or the way he had looked at me before falling asleep. There was something about him—something that made me uneasy in a way I couldn't fully understand.
I leaned my forehead against the cool tiles, taking slow, deep breaths. "Get it together, Justine," I muttered to myself. "You have enough on your plate already without getting tangled up in Nick's web."
The water continued to run over me, soothing and calming, as if it was washing away the doubts, the fear, the confusion—at least for a little while.
As I was getting dressed, I heard a knock on the main door and TJ talking to someone briefly before the door closed. I finished up quickly, curious about what was going on.
"Who was that?" I asked, stepping out of my room.
"You won't believe it, Justine. Just come and see for yourself," TJ said, her voice bubbling with excitement.
I walked into the sitting area and stopped dead in my tracks. There, laid out on the small table, was a beautifully arranged breakfast—pancakes, fresh fruit, eggs, and even a steaming pot of coffee.
"Did you order breakfast? Can we even have breakfast brought to our rooms?" I asked, still in shock.
"No... we can't order breakfast to our rooms," TJ said, just as confused as I was. She scanned the spread like she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing.
"Well, who brought it? Or who could have set this up?" I asked, eyeing the table suspiciously.
TJ looked at me, then seemed to have a realization. She gulped, her eyes widening as she said, "Maybe it was Nick? He's the only one with the power to do something like this. And it would make sense—maybe it's his way of thanking you for taking care of him?"
I stared at her, mulling over the possibility. It did make sense, but I wasn't convinced. "Nick? No way. He was back to his arrogant self this morning. I doubt he would go through the trouble of doing something like this. Plus, he didn't exactly ask me to take care of him—he blackmailed me into it."
TJ nodded, considering my words. "Yeah... maybe you're right. He doesn't seem like the kind to send breakfast as a 'thank you.'"
"Maybe it was Eric," I suggested, thinking back to how polite he'd been when he asked me to go see Nick in the first place. "He's the one who asked nicely. Maybe this is his way of saying thank you. And you did mention that Eric's family might own the school, right? If that's the case, he wouldn't have a hard time pulling some strings to get us a fancy breakfast."
TJ looked at me, nodding slowly as if my explanation made more sense. "Yeah... that sounds more like Eric. He's always been the more thoughtful one out of the two of them."
I exhaled, relieved that we might have solved the mystery. But a part of me still wondered if there was more to this than met the eye. Regardless of who had sent it, the gesture—whether from Nick, Eric, or someone else—felt strangely intimate, like a thank-you wrapped in layers of mystery.
"Well, let's dig in before it gets cold," TJ said happily, already grabbing a fork.
I quickly joined her, realizing how starving I was. The food was delicious—perfectly cooked pancakes, fresh fruit that tasted like it had just been picked, and eggs so fluffy they practically melted in my mouth. I couldn't help but feel grateful to whoever had thought of sending us such a thoughtful meal, even if the mystery of who was behind it still lingered.
As we finished up, both of us leaned back, satisfied. TJ grinned at me, "That was amazing. Whoever sent this, bless them."
"Yeah, no complaints here," I said with a smile, feeling the warmth of the food settle comfortably. Whoever it was, they knew how to make a gesture count.
Once we were done, we quickly got ready for class. The food had fueled us, and now we were ready to face the day, though I couldn't help but wonder if I'd bump into Nick—or Eric. The day suddenly seemed unpredictable, and that small sense of mystery trailed behind me as we left for class.