Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Gen stretched languidly as consciousness slowly returned to her. Her eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the gentle morning light filtering softly through the window. Suddenly, she bolted upright in bed, clutching the sheets tightly against her chest as her heart pounded fiercely. The unfamiliar surroundings overwhelmed her senses, and memories of the previous night crashed back in waves. Had it truly happened? Had she really held a stranger as he wept? And, astonishingly, had he not made a single move on her all night long?

Her gaze darted around the unfamiliar room, but Matteo was nowhere to be seen. Her fingers traced down her bare torso, the only fabric covering her skin being the bra she still wore. She wracked her brain, trying to recall when she’d removed his hoodie. Rising from the bed, Gen began to search for her purse and phone. Damn it—they were downstairs, tucked away in his coat closet. She found her dress hanging in the bathroom and struggled into the tight fabric, pulling it up her body. Gathering her hair into a messy bun, she groaned at her reflection in the mirror. The dreaded walk of shame awaited her—at her own sister’s wedding, no less. Jada! She had no idea what time it was.

“Fuck,” Gen muttered under her breath.

She slipped quietly from the room, pressing her back against the wall as she listened intently. From below, the clatter of pans reached her ears, and the rich aroma of frying bacon wafted up the stairs. Carefully descending, she peered down the hallway and opened the coat closet to retrieve her coat and phone. Her screen lit up with 17 missed calls and 28 text messages. Hastily, she scanned through the barrage of texts—her sister’s frantic demands for her whereabouts and wellbeing.

The last message read:

Jada: That’s it, Genevieve Belle Sinclair! If you’re not here in thirty minutes, I’m calling the cops!