Estelle woke with a pounding headache, the world around her hazy and unfamiliar. She groaned, her eyes fluttering open to the soft light filtering into the room. Her head throbbed, and her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. She winced as she shifted on the couch, her body aching from what felt like hours of restless sleep.
It took a moment for her to realize where she was—or, more importantly, where she wasn’t. This wasn’t her apartment.
With a start, Estelle sat up, only to feel a blanket slide off her shoulders and pool around her waist. She looked down, blinking in confusion as she realized she was still in her bra and underwear. Her clothes were nowhere to be seen. A wave of panic hit her, though it was quickly followed by another sharp throb in her skull.
“What the hell…” she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temples. Her memory was hazy—fragments of the night before floating through her mind. She remembered drinking… a lot. Laughing with Mia, dancing at the bar, getting picked up by—
Celeste.
Estelle’s heart dropped as everything came rushing back at once. The phone call, the car ride, stumbling into Celeste’s sleek, modern house, stripping off her clothes like an idiot because she had complained it was too hot.
“Oh god,” she groaned, burying her face in her hands. She was half naked in Celeste’s house, hungover, and with very little memory of how things had ended. She’d made a complete fool of herself.
Just as the wave of embarrassment crashed over her, she heard footsteps approaching. Estelle peeked out from between her fingers just as Celeste appeared in the doorway, looking entirely composed, as always. She was dressed in her usual sleek, fitted outfit, though her expression was far from amused.
“Good morning,” Celeste said, her tone calm but cold. “Or, should I say, good afternoon?”
Estelle winced, her headache worsening under the weight of Celeste’s gaze. “What time is it?” she asked, her voice scratchy.
“Almost one,” Celeste replied, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorway, her sharp eyes never leaving Estelle. “You’ve been out cold for hours.”
Estelle felt a flush of heat rush to her cheeks. “I, uh… I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“You didn’t know what you were doing,” Celeste cut in, her voice firm. “You were drunk and acting recklessly. You’re lucky I was the one who picked you up last night.”
Estelle swallowed hard, guilt and embarrassment swirling in her chest. “I… I don’t even remember half of what happened.”
Celeste raised an eyebrow, her expression softening just a fraction. “I’m not surprised. You were a mess. You barely made it inside before you started stripping in my living room.”
Estelle groaned again, burying her face in her hands. “Oh god, I’m so sorry,” she muttered, her voice muffled by her hands. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“I gathered that much,” Celeste said dryly. There was a brief pause before she spoke again, her voice a little softer. “But you should be more careful, Estelle. You can’t just go out, get drunk, and lose control like that.”
Estelle peeked out from behind her hands again, looking up at Celeste with wide, apologetic eyes. “I know. I… I don’t usually do that. It’s just—last night got a little out of hand.”
Celeste’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying her for a moment before she sighed. “I know it did. And you were lucky nothing worse happened.”
Estelle nodded, still feeling incredibly foolish. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, suddenly very aware of how exposed she was. “Do you, uh… happen to know where my clothes are?”
Celeste’s lips twitched, a hint of a smirk breaking through her otherwise stern expression. “They’re folded on the chair. I had to clean up after your little… display last night.”
Estelle’s cheeks burned even hotter as she glanced over and saw her clothes neatly folded on a chair by the window. “Right. Thanks.”
Celeste didn’t move from her spot in the doorway, her gaze still fixed on Estelle. The air between them felt heavy—filled with something that Estelle couldn’t quite name, especially given how vulnerable and embarrassed she felt.
“You really don’t remember much, do you?” Celeste asked, her voice quieter now.
Estelle shook her head, biting her lip. “Not really. Just… bits and pieces. I remember you picking us up, but after that, it’s kind of a blur.”
Celeste exhaled slowly, her eyes darkening just a bit. “You were… quite the handful.”
Estelle swallowed hard, her heart thudding in her chest as her mind tried to fill in the gaps of what had happened after she’d arrived at Celeste’s house. “I didn’t, uh… say or do anything too embarrassing, did I?”
Celeste’s lips curved into the faintest of smirks, her eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “Let’s just say you were very… bold. I’m sure you would have found it mortifying if you remembered.”
Estelle’s stomach twisted with anxiety. “Oh god. I really made an idiot out of myself, didn’t I?”
Celeste’s gaze softened, and for a moment, the tension in the room shifted. “You were drunk, Estelle. It happens. But next time, I suggest you take better care of yourself.”
Estelle nodded, feeling the weight of her actions pressing down on her. “I will. I promise.”
There was a brief pause before Celeste pushed off the doorframe, her expression hardening again. “You can take a shower if you need to. I’ll make you some coffee. You’ll need it.”
Estelle blinked, surprised by the unexpected kindness in Celeste’s offer. “Thank you. I… I really appreciate it.”
Celeste gave her a curt nod before turning to leave the room. “Don’t make a habit of this,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared down the hall.
Estelle let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, sinking back into the couch. She glanced down at herself—half-naked, hungover, and still wrapped in the blanket Celeste had given her. The weight of her embarrassment was heavy, but there was something else beneath it—something she couldn’t quite place. The way Celeste had looked at her… the tension in the air between them…
What the hell happened last night?
As Estelle pulled the blanket tighter around herself and reached for her clothes, she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever had happened between her and Celeste last night wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
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