A dull ache pulsed in Kelsey's skull, the kind that made her wince as she slowly peeled her eyes open. The world around her was unfamiliar_ soft golden lightning, a ceiling too high, the air was thick with the scent of cologne, faint traces of whiskey, and something richer, darker.
She blinked, disoriented, her fingers gripping the silk sheets beneath her. 'Where was she?!'
Her breath hitched as she shifted, and a sharp sting between her thighs made her freeze. A slow, creeping realization crowled through her limbs, making her chest tighten.
She was sore.
Her pulse quickened. The heavy sheets slipped down her body, and the cool air against her bare skin sent a shiver down her spine. "No...
Throwing the covers off, she sat up in an instant, but the sudden movement made her head spin. She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing the nausea that threatened to rise. "What did I do?"
Memories flickered behind her closed lids- blurry images, fleeting sensation. The bass of the club thrumming in her chest. A deep voice murmuring something in her ear. Fingers tracing her skin. Lips blushing her neck.
But the details refused to surface, slipping through her mind like water through trembling fingers.
She sucked in a deep breath and looked around.
The hotel room was luxurious, too pristine, the kind of place that belonged to someone wealthy. The dark wooden furniture gleamed under the soft lighting, the faint glow from the city skyline filtering through the sheer curtains. The scent of expensive cologne lingered in the air, but she was alone.
Kelsey's throat tightened, she wrapped the sheet around herself, heart hammering as she carefully slid her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet touched the cold floor, and she inhaled sharply.
That's when she saw them... Her clothes. Scattered across the plush carpet in a trail- her dress crumpled near the foot of the bed, her bra draped over the back of a chair, her heels discarded near the door.
A sick feeling coiled in her stomach.
Moving carefully, she slid off the bed, wincing as another sharp ache pulsed through her. She bent down, gathering her clothes with shaking hands. Every movement felt foreign, her body betraying her with soreness in places she had never felt before.
She dressed quickly, tugging her dress over her head, fastening the straps with fingers that refused to stay steady. When she reached for her hair, gathering it into a loose knot, her gaze caught something on the night stand.
A white envelope.. and next to it...,
Her breath stopped.
A cheque.
She took a hesitant step closer, heart pounding. The name on the cheque wasn't hers, but the amount. $500,000- stood in bold ink, mocking her, burning into her vision.
A tremor ran through her hands as she reached for the letter, but at the last second, she stopped herself.
She did not want to know what it said.
Her stomach twisted violently, 'what type of a girl did he think she was?!'
Her breath came faster now, uneven. Every instinct in her screamed to leave. To get away from this room, from whatever had happened, from whoever that had left that cheque behind
She took her purse and turned on her heel, walking swiftly to the door. No hesitation, no second thoughts.
The hallway was empty as she stepped out. closing the door behind her with barely a sound.
It did not take long before she got home and when she got there, she pushed the door open, stepping into the emptiness. She was relieved to find no one home. Locking the door behind her with slow, deliberate movements, she started to head upstairs.
Her father was not home and that was good because she was not ready to face him.
Dragging her aching body towards the stairs, she winced with every step, her muscles screaming in protest. It hurt. More than she had imagined. A sharp reminder of the night that she could barely remember.
Once she had pushed the door to her room open, the familiar sight of her small, cozy space should have brought comfort- the soft bed, the string lights draped above her desk, the shelf stacked with books- but all she felt was gnawing unease.
The second she was inside, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling shakily.
Her body felt wrong.
Dirty.
The dress clung onto her like a stain, suffocating her. With frantic hands, she pulled at the fabric, tearing it over her head and letting it drop on the floor. Her breath came in quick, uneven bursts as she unhooked her bra and slid off her underwear leaving them to heal beneath her feet.
She needed to shower.
She moved towards the adjoining bathroom, flicking the light on. The light glow illuminated the space, and she caught herself in the mirror.
She froze.
Her reflection stared back at her- a girl she barely recognized.
Her brown hair was a tangled mess, her eyes red- rimmed and hollow, her lips swollen from... What? Kisses? She didn't remember them. Her skin, usually smooth and untouched, was marked_ faint bruises on her hips, a glaring redness on her collarbone and not to forget her kneck that had red marks all over. Her stomach clenched violently.
Turning away from the mirror, she stepped into the shower and twisted the knob until the water ran scalding hot. Steam filled the small space instantly, curling around her as she stepped under the spray.
The second water touched her skin, a shudder wracked through her.
She grabbed the soap, scrubbing at her arms, her shoulders, her legs_ everywhere he might have touched. But no matter how much she rubbed, she still felt tainted, like his scent clung to her, like his hands were still there, ghosting over her skin.
Her throat tightened. She pressed her head against the cold tiles, her breath shaky, her chest risisng and falling in uneven gasps.
"God, what had she done?!"