Cheating By The Rules | Harry Styles AU (ongoing)

chapter 24

The front door being shut forcefully resulted in me waking up. My consciousness reluctantly returned to the present, having to deal with the fact Jace was back home.

Reality dawned on me, and so did the hangover. With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself up from the bed, my head was mercilessly throbbing and I desperately needed aspirin.

As I sat there, I rubbed my temples in an attempt to alleviate the pounding in my head. I knew the aspirin was in the bathroom, not so far away from me, but getting out of bed seemed like an insurmountable task.

To focus on something else than the headache, I thought about the time I was at the Moonlit Lounge. The taste of those expertly crafted cocktails combined with the amazing people I was with, seemed like a distant dream now.

Even more when I heard Jace walking up the stairs deafeningly. Perhaps the hangover made any sound unbearable, but I knew Jace wasn't going to be quiet for me.

Of course him walking up the stairs like that, ended up with him opening the bedroom door. I guess my face already showed him I had drank too much last night, and his facial expression reflected he wasn't necessarily happy to see me like this.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" he asked.

A simple hello or good morning were basically avoided. He went straight to the point.

I bristled at his accusatory tone, my frustration mounting in response to his unwarranted hostility.

"Because I just woke up," I answered him. I might sounded slightly sassy, but the headache wasn't helping me be the good wife.

"We are supposed to leave in fifteen minutes." Jace informed me curtly, impatience simmering beneath the surface.

I frowned. "For what?" I asked. I couldn't recall any plans we had made, and his lack of explanation only served to fuel my annoyance.

"Seriously, Ivy?" Jace spat, clearly unamused with my answer.

"Yes, seriously," I replied. "I don't know what you're talking about, Jace."

"Your parents invited us over for lunch," Jace replied tersely.

Once Jace said it, I remembered it.

"Shit," I cursed softly, Jace didn't hear. "I forgot."

Then his reproachful gaze bore down on me. Jace's silent judgment wasn't something I needed right now. I braced myself for this inevitable reprimand, the huge amount of criticism that would come my way, but there was nothing leaving his mouth.

It was difficult to do, but I couldn't stay in bed and bear the weight of his silent judgement any longer.

"I'll get ready," I mumbled finally, breaking the uneasy silence that he had created.

Getting out of bed was harder when his eyes were boring in my back. And with each step toward the bathroom, the pounding ache in my head intensified.

With a painful hangover, I locked the door, searched for aspirin, took it with a glass of water, and then faced my reflection in the mirror.

There, alone in confines of the bathroom, I allowed myself one moment of respite and I screamed into the empty silence as I clenched my fists.

My heart thundered in my chest as I faced the truth. I had danced on the edge of oblivion whilst being drunk last night, but waking up with Jace forcibly yanked back to my life with him.

When I heard the door of the bedroom slamming shut, I knew Jace had left. Knowing he wasn't in the room next to me, somehow relaxed me.

Regrettably, I knew I'd be faced with Jace soon. So as I stood in the bathroom, the looming prospect of lunch with my parents and Jace entered my mind. The façade I put up whenever we were with other people, would have to return once again. Playing the part of the lucky daughter and wife continuously felt like a punishment.