An Echo in the Wind

Chapter 14

I wake up on a soft bed. My body feels numb as I wake up. I groan.

"Easy there," a voice says from beside me.

I rub my eyes and push myself up. I'm still in my clothes and I'm lying on top of the comforter with a thick blanket on top of me. I slowly push it off of me, bringing my knees to my chest and look over at the source of the voice. 

Shade sits in a chair next to the bed. He smirks, "You know, when I bet that you couldn't make it to the door without passing out, I didn't actually want you to pass out."

I laugh, feeling refreshed, "Well next time you should be clearer with instructions. How long have I been asleep?"

"It's Sunday morning. I brought you up to one of the guest rooms and told everyone you were just super tired and was gonna crash upstairs."

My eyes widen. Sunday morning? Austin! He probably freaked out without me there. Shit. 

He sees my distress, "Before you get all freaked out, I texted your mom from your phone telling her you were crashing at Sophie's again. She texted back saying have fun and not to worry about Austin. I think what you said to him the other night really got through to him."

I sigh in relief. Then I raise an eyebrow at him, "How'd you get into my phone?"

"I have my ways," he wiggles his eyebrows, "Kidding. Sophie knew your password. We all crashed here last night."

I run a hand through my hair and my twisty tie falls out. I retie my hair up into a quick bun, knowing it's probably a mess. 

"So," I say, cocking a playful eyebrow, "Did you sleep in here all night? Stalking me now, are you?"

"Hardly," he scoffs, "If it weren't for me, who knows where you'd be right now? We can't have you running ramped all around the neighborhood now can we? What would the neighbors think?"

He scrunches his face seriously as he talks making me laugh. He shrugs and shakes his head sophisticatedly, "A thank you will suffice."

I get out of bed and flutter my eyebrows, curtsying, "Why thank you kind sir, for bringing me to bed and watching over me like Edward Cullen."

"You're insufferable," he chucks a pillow at me and we both chuckle. Our phones chirp at the same time and we pull them out. Mine was sitting next to me on the night table. 

Kevin texted us all to come down for breakfast. 

The smell of buttery pancakes hits me first and I sigh, "Ugh Kev that smells so good."

He grabs my arm and spins me around, making me almost knock over the large plate of pancakes. We laugh and our combined clumsiness and I catch Shade's eyes watching our interaction. 

For a split second, I see some emotion unrecognizable on him as he watches us, but then it's gone, and we all sit down. Nik shoves a fork full of pancakes in his mouth and then speaks...with his mouth full, "So, I wa hinkin of avin a arty on iday nigh."

"Dude, for real bro?" Kevin asks, chucking an orange at him, "Swallow before you talk."

Nik finishes chewing and then bites his lip flirtatiously at Kev, "You offering bro?"

"Hello!" Sophie interrupts, eyes wide, "I'm trying to eat here. Can you maybe...I don't know, save the sex jokes until after breakfast?"

"You're hanging out with teenage boys, what did you expect?" Nik asks like she should know better. She rolls her eyes and keeps eating. 

"Anyway," Nik says again, "I was thinking of having a party on Friday night. You all in? My parents get home on Monday and won't gone again until October, so now's our last chance for a few weeks."