A loud buzzing sound wakes me from the best sleep I've had in a while. I know I should try and find out what it is, but I'm too tired and can't be bothered. I roll over in bed in an attempt to go back to sleep. My face connects with something nice and warm and it smells so good. I nuzzle my nose into it, breathing in the delicious scent when I hear a loud groan. I slowly peel one eye open, feeling a bit disoriented when Nate's back comes into my view.

Why's he in bed with me? I wonder, feeling confused. I don't remember falling asleep with him and then it hits me, I just sniffed him in my sleep!

Oh my God! Why did I do that? In my defense, I was still half asleep.

I stare at his back, hoping he isn't awake and when he doesn't move, I breathe a sigh of relief. I put some distance between us so I don't smell him in my sleep again and try to fall back asleep when I hear the buzzing sound go off again. I groan out loud and mentally curse the dang sound for waking me from my peaceful slumber. I turn over in bed and release a long sigh as I lay down on my back and stare up at the ceiling, hating that I've been woken for God knows what. I turn my face to the side and look at Nate's back, wondering why we're together when it all comes rushing back to me like a punch to the gut.

Miranda!

I quickly scurry out of bed and head towards the bathroom where I heard the sound coming from. As soon as I step foot in the bathroom, I hear a loud vibration and follow the sound to the back pocket of my jeans. I reach my hand inside and my fingers immediately connect with the cold screen of my phone. I pull it out and tap on the screen twice as I make my way back to the bed where Nate is still sleeping.

I'm surprised to see it's only been a few hours since I found Nate passed out on his bed, no doubt drugged out from whatever Miranda gave him. I look out the window and confirm its still day out and am rather relieved it's only been a few hours since we fell asleep. I honestly thought we slept through the whole day, but I'm glad it hasn't been that long since I found Nate.

I turn back to my phone and see that I have a couple of notifications on my lock screen and unlock my phone. The first thing that greets me is a few new text messages from Gracie.

How's Nate?

I know you went to go see him.

Are you two okay?

He's good.

We both are.

I don't tell her about what happened with Miranda, but if Miranda knows what's good for her, she'll leave on her own. As soon as Nate is feeling better, I'm telling Gracie everything. I don't care if it costs them their friendship. Gracie deserves to know what Miranda did to Nate. I'll even give her Miranda's belongings so she can give them back to her along with a piece of her mind. It's the least she deserves after what she did to Nate.

I send Gracie another text, letting her know that Nate and I are on the mend and talking things out. It's a small white lie but I do it knowing that it will appease her. At least for the time being. Nate and I will definitely talk things out. Just not yet.

Gracie wishes us all the best and tells us to take all the time we need to make up and not to worry about hanging out with the bridal party. She says they all understand we need some time to ourselves and makes sure to add a lot of winky face emojis to her reply. I laugh and shake my head at her response and thank her before putting my phone to the side. I don't hear from her again and am relieved that's all it takes for her to leave us alone for the time being.

I don't know if Nate and I will be okay but I have faith we will. Things can only get better from here on out, right?

Right.

While Nate is sleeping I order us some room service and make sure to order lots of food and liquid for him. I want to make sure he has everything he needs to feel better in no time.

A knock sounds at the door almost an hour later. I climb out of bed and feel a cool breeze hit my bare legs. I look down and realize there's no way I can answer the door in just Nate's T-shirt. Knowing my luck, I'll flash the poor person. I quickly pad across the room to Nate's suitcase and see that my hoodie I left behind in the elevator when we fought is folded neatly inside his suitcase. A sense of relief washes over me at the sight. I'm so happy to see that he didn't get rid of it after we fought. I'm not sure what it means but I'd like to think that a part of him still loves me as angry as he is with me. If that's the case, I will spend the rest of my life trying to earn his forgiveness.

I reach for one of his hoodies and quickly throw it on over his shirt and thank my lucky stars when I see that it falls to my knees and covers way more than his T-shirt does.

I grab my wallet from my jeans that are still drying in the bathroom and breathe a sigh of relief when I see my belongings did not get damaged when I was in the shower with Nate. The water must not have soaked through my jeans completely. Thank goodness for small miracles.

I quickly make my way back to the door of Nate's room and open it for the man delivering our food. I move to the side as he brings our food inside the room. He places it on the small dining table in the back corner of the room.

"Thank you," I tell him gratefully and make sure to tip him generously before he goes on his way. When he disappears down the hallway, I lock the door behind him and grab what I need for Nate. I put it on the nightstand closest to where he's sleeping and sit beside him on the bed.

"Nate," I whisper, brushing my fingers through his hair. "I ordered us some food," I tell him, trying to wake him gently. He groans and turns his face to the other side. "Come on. Wake up. You need some food in you." He mumbles something unintelligibly in his sleep and I can't help but smile. He's rather cute when he's sleeping peacefully like this. "Nate, come on. You need to eat," I nag him and he finally peels an eye open. "About time sleeping beauty."

"If I'm sleeping beauty, why am I not being woken with a kiss?" he says in a raspy voice.

I lean over to him and kiss his cheek. "There. Happy?"

"For now," he says with a big Cheshire grin.

"You've been out a couple of hours since the whole ordeal and it's time you get some food in you. You haven't eaten all day. When was the last time you ate?" I ask him and he slowly stretches his arms and rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yesterday. I think?" he answers as more of a question in a raspy voice. I'm guessing whatever Miranda did to him really did a number on him.

"Well, it's time to eat up. You need food."

"But I'm tired," he groans sleepily.

"I know you are, but you need food," I insist. "Eat at least a little bit and then you can go back to sleep. Okay?"

"Okay," he mumbles and slowly sits up in bed. The blankets slip down his torso and I quickly look away, making sure I don't see anything I'm not supposed to see. "You can turn back now." I can hear the amusement in his voice as he says it. I turn slowly towards him and am relieved to see that his waist is covered. "Don't want to see me naked?"

I shake my head. "Not like this."

"Then how?" he asks with a smirk.

"Nate! Now's not the time for that." I groan in frustration but I'm glad to see he's already back to his old playful self.

"I'm kidding. Now, where's my food? I'm starving." I grab the salad I ordered him off the nightstand and hold it out to him. "Bunny food?"

"I got you a bowl of soup and a sandwich too," I say defensively and he chuckles.

"I was only kidding." He grabs the container of his salad and tries to open it but I can tell he's struggling.

"Need help?" I ask him, feeling bad that he isn't all better yet.

"If you don't mind." I take his salad from him and feel his gaze on me as I prepare his salad. "Who knew pouring dressing could be sexy?" Nate says, making me laugh.

"Nate, shut up. This is not sexy," I say with a grin as I add the bag of croutons to his salad and close the container. I shake his salad and give him a warning look to not say anything and see his eyes zero in on his hoodie. I look down and realize he's looking at my chest. I shake my head at him and he just grins. "My eyes are up here, Mister," I scorn him playfully.

"What? It's not my fault you make everything look sexy," he tells me and I roll my eyes.

"I do not. Now stop trying to get in my panties," I tell him but what he doesn't know is that I'm not even wearing any. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. "This is not the time or the place for that." I take the lid off the container and hand it back to him with a fork.

"When is?"

"Not now," I retort unable to wipe the smile off my face. I watch him try to stab his fork into the salad but the fork just slips off the food.

"Here, let me." I take his salad bowl from him and offer him a bite. He opens his mouth and I watch him closely as I push the fork past his lips. He closes his mouth around it and I slip the fork out from between his lips and can't deny that I want nothing more than to kiss him on his lips. Is that wrong? Maybe. But it has been a while. Okay, not that long. I mean we did kiss in the elevator but it feels like it happened forever ago after what happened and it's killing me not to have him how I want.

Alexa, no!

I mentally shake off the thought as he smiles at me gratefully and chews on his bite of food, not having the slightest clue what I'm thinking about. If he knew, I'm sure he would have a thing or two to say about it. Thank goodness he's no Edward Cullen and can't read minds. I would die of mortification if he could read my mind. He does not want to know what goes through this head of mine. It might shock him or maybe just maybe, he has similar thoughts running through his head. Either way, I'm not about to find out.

I notice him taking me in and laugh in my head. What a sight I must make. I bet I look like one hot mess with my disheveled curls and puffy eyes that are no doubt swollen from crying.

"What are you looking at?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow.

"You," he says smugly with the biggest grin when he finishes the bite of food.

"Well, stop. I look awful," I say, feeling my stomach flutter under his heated gaze that eats me up from head to toe.

"My hoodie looks good on you," he comments, taking me by surprise.

"Thanks," I answer embarrassed. "My clothes got wet so I had to borrow some of yours," I admit.

"I like it. It suits you," he says, smug as the day I met him outside my apartment. "You should wear my clothes all the time."

"Yeah?" I flirt back, seeing no harm in flirting just a 'little bit.

"Yup but nothing else," he adds with a grin and I shake my head at him. I did not see that one coming. But it's funny to see our minds are both slowly going where they shouldn't.

"You're incorrigible."

"And you love it," he says with a knowing smirk.

I do. But I don't voice my thoughts.

"Here, have some more," I tell him, avoiding what he said and give him another bite of salad. "Do you remember anything about what happened?" I ask him in an attempt to change the subject and he sits there and thinks about it for a minute but I can tell he's struggling to remember. "Do you remember anything from last night when Miranda first came to see you?" I prod some more, hoping something comes back to him.

"She showed up at my door like an hour or two after you left. By that point, I was too out of it to know a difference. She had a new bottle of whiskey so I let her in. I wanted to drown everything I was feeling at that moment. I know it was a poor choice on my part but I can't exactly take it back, now can I?" he says full of remorse.

"It's okay. We all make mistakes," I reassure him and feed him another bite of salad. He chews it slowly and get's lost in thought. "So what happened next?" I pry.

"She served us both a drink and I took mine and downed it. I noticed she didn't drink much from her glass but didn't think anything of it. She poured me another one right after and I downed that one too. I felt fine at first but then my stomach turned and I started feeling nauseous and light-headed. The moment I began to sweat profusely I knew something was wrong but by that point, it was too late."

"Did you blackout?"

"I think so. I honestly don't know. I can't remember much after. It's all a blur. I just remember waking up a few times when you were with me. You looked scared but as hard as I tried to say something, to reassure you I was going to be okay, I couldn't. My lips wouldn't move. It was like I was trapped in my own body and couldn't make my body do what I needed."

"You gave me quite a scare," I admit, feeling a knot form in my throat. I try to swallow past it and blow out a deep breath as tears start pricking at the corners of my eyes. "Sorry," I apologize, trying to reign in my emotions. "I just...I thought I was going to lose you," I admit out loud for the first time to him since he's been conscious and it hurts me to say it. "I've never been more scared in my life." I feel the first teardrop fall and quickly wipe it away, hoping he didn't notice the stray tear.

He takes the salad from me and places it on the nightstand. I laugh at his gesture but it comes out choked up from all the emotions clogging my throat. "Sorry," I apologize again and look down embarrassed, hating that I'm getting emotional all over again when I told myself I wouldn't cry. "Alexa," I hear him whisper but refuse to look at him. "Please look at me," he pleads but I shake my head and bite my lip hard to keep from crying.

I can't. If I do, I'll lose what little control I have left.

I squeeze my eyes shut when I feel him curl a finger under my chin, lifting my face toward him. I feel him wipe a tear I hadn't realized I had shed from my cheek. "Alexa, look at me please," he pleads again. This time I don't resist. I slowly open my eyelids and when I meet his gaze, I feel my heart twinge. Nate is looking at me with nothing but pure unadulterated love in his eyes and I feel it to the very depth of my soul.

He loves me.

I don't think he ever stopped loving me. No matter what he has said, his eyes say so much more than words ever could.

"Nate," I choke out his name on a sob and quickly cover my mouth with the back of my hand, feeling embarrassed by the fact that I'm getting so emotional. I was doing so good. Well, kind of and now I just went and lost it.

"Come here," he says, sounding slightly choked up. He pulls me onto his lap, not caring that the only thing that is separating us is the blankets and the bit of clothes I'm wearing.

He cradles me in his arms and I press my face to the crook of his neck and lose the battle to my tears that just spill out of me as he rubs my back in circles. He lets me cry it all out of my system.

"I'm sorry," I mutter into his chest. He lifts my face and kisses my forehead.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You went through a lot and it's normal for you to be a mess over it. No person should ever have to see anyone go through something like that."

"You're not just anyone," I remind him. You're the person I love.

"I know," he says choked up. "I'm sorry I put you through all that."

"It was scary." I lay my face on his chest as he keeps rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"It was but thanks to you, I'm okay."

"I'm glad you're still here with me." I trace random patterns on his chest as he holds me in his arms.

"I'm glad too." He kisses the top of my head and I close my eyes.

"Don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"Never again."

"I'm holding you to it and when you're all better, just know that I'll be here for you no matter what."

"I know you will."

"Let me finish," I beg him. "If you want to be with someone else when this is all said and done, I promise to try and be happy for you. I'm not gonna lie. It's going to hurt me at first but if it's what you want, I'll support you. Every step of the way," I tell him and feel him freeze up.

"What?" he asks with surprise in his voice.

I sit up in his arms and look at him. "I hurt you, Nate. I would understand if you wanted to be with someone else." It might kill me on the inside but I would support him a hundred percent if it's what he wanted.

"Alexa, why would you say that?"

"Because I betrayed you," I say, feeling strangely defensive. I don't get why he's taking it so badly when I hurt him the way I did. He deserves to be happy even if it's not with me.

"We both messed up but I'm not done with you yet. You're mine." I can sense the possessiveness behind his words and I'm not gonna lie, it does a number on my heart, so much so, I can feel it wanting to rip itself out of my chest and throw itself at him, but I can't let it. Not yet.

"You don't mean that. You're still under the effects of whatever Miranda slipped you," I tell him trying to brush off his words.

"Fine, don't believe me. But I will convince you and that I promise," he says and kisses me on the corner of my lips, making my heart skip a beat.

Tease.

"You need to finish eating," I remind him and turn in his lap so I'm straddling him. He smiles at me and wipes away my tears sloppily, making me laugh. "What are you doing?"

"Wiping the sadness away," he says with a small smile.

"Well, it worked," I tell him with a grin. "I'm glad you're okay." I place my hand over his and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue." He turns his hand palm side up under mine and wraps his hand around mine.

"I'll always come to your rescue but please don't ever make me drag you around naked again. That was so hard to do," I tell him with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. He chuckles and just the sound alone makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter. I missed hearing his light-hearted laugh and to be able to hear it again is such a relief. I'll never take his laugh or him for granted ever again.

"Did you get a peek?" he asks me and I blush.

"No! Although, I did see your butt. You didn't leave me much of a choice," I admit embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure I remember you saying it was big. Or were you referring to my-" he starts and I smother his words with my hand. He licks my hand and I quickly pull it away and wipe it down the front of his hoodie I'm wearing. He gasps dramatically and I can't help but laugh.

"That's what you get for licking me. Now enough about your naked body parts. This is no time for that," I scorn him playfully but when I think about what happened only hours ago, the smile drops from my lips. "Do you think she drugged you?" I ask, wanting to know more about what happened.

"Yeah, it's the only thing that makes sense. I've been drunk before and what I felt when I had that last glass of whiskey she poured me was awful. I'm pretty sure she slipped something in my drink but I promise you, nothing happened between us. And I mean nothing," he reassures me.

"I know. I trust you. Promise. I'm just glad she's gone now," I tell him and give him another bite of salad. He quickly chews it and opens his mouth for more. I feed him the rest of the salad in silence and that's when he finally speaks up again.