Found in Darkness

Chapter 10

ELENORA

The throbbing in my head is fighting to overpower the pulsing behind my eyelids. And the awful acidic taste in my mouth keeps me from wanting to swallow ever again. My stomach gurgles and turns threateningly, so I decide to lay still for a few more minutes.

I lift my heavy eyelids but only make it halfway before I close them again. Oh, well, can't say I didn't try.

Get up Nora! You don't even know where you are, for crying out loud!

Ugh, fine. I blink my eyes open and start taking in my surroundings.

What happened?

There's a loud whooshing sound in my ears and I try to lift my hands up to cover them, but my arms are heavy too. Everything is heavy. I start to sit up, struggling to lift myself up from lying on my side.

A rustling sound reaches my ears and I roll onto my back, turning my head. I stare at the bare back of a woman with a rose tattoo on her shoulder. She's in the process of pulling a crop top on and then stands giving me a view of her bare ass before she slips on her bright pink lace thong.

I shift my eyes down over myself and discover I'm wearing a T-shirt that I know isn't mine.

"Morning." The woman's voice startles me. It's throaty and sultry.

I look back at her confused. "Where am I?"

She grins at me and winks. "The hotel suite."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Angela." She holds out her hand for me to shake and my eyes travel up the tattooed sleeve. I sit up on my elbows then reach over to shake her hand. Don't puke, Nora!

"Did I—did we, um." I can't even say it out loud. I kissed a girl once at a party, during my first year at NYU. It was nice, but I knew it was just something I was curious about then having been recently dumped after my first boyfriend told me he was gay.

I look over at the beautiful woman as she fixes her hair and applies lipstick. It could be worse Nora, remember that guy Clara woke up next to on New Year's Eve a few years ago?

Angela's raspy laugh snaps me out of my thoughts. "Oh no, sweetie."

"Then...why am I here, and why are you here? Where are my clothes? Who's shirt is this? I don't remember anything."

"Get out, Angela."

My eyes widen at the sound of Rico's voice.

"Chill, Rico." Angela catwalks over to him, standing in the doorway of the bedroom. He's just showered and only in a towel. His hair is dripping and I take notice of all the tattoos on his torso and chest. "The girl's freaked out. I was being friendly."

She leans into him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me crash here. I owe you."

"No you don't," Rico folds his arms. "Just stop letting yourself get fucked over by the same type of fuckers, Ang."

"You know me, can't resist a guy with a big...personality." She winks over at me. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you..."

"Nora."

"Well, Nora, don't let him get to you. He's all bark, trust me." She saunters out of the room.

Rico pads over to the closet and I take the opportunity to throw the blankets off of me and then remember I'm only in a T-shirt.

I search the room for my clothes but I don't see them on the floor or on any of the furniture in the room.

When Rico walks back out of the closet he has pants on but they are still undone. His black dress shirt is splayed open and I get a view of his Calvin Klein waistband. My eyes move up the chiseled V of his lower abs and his sculpted abs and pecks. Focus, Nora.