Orla
When I wake, the other side of the bed is empty, and kind of cold. I sit up, feeling uncomfortable. I can tell it's quite early. I don't feel as hungover as yesterday, but my mouth is drier than Gandhi's flip flops. 10 seconds later, the door swings open, and in walks Joe, fully dressed with wet hair and carrying a tray with toast, orange juice and a bowl of fruit.
"Morning beautiful." He puts the tray on my lap and I happily take a sip of the orange juice. "Sorry, I was hoping you wouldn't wake up till I was back."
"How long have you been awake?" I ask.
"About an hour. You look so cute when you're asleep." He kisses my cheek and gets up, beginning to towel dry his hair.
"Liar liar pants on fire." I state, taking a strawberry from the bowl and biting into it. So good. He puts the towel down for a second and comes up to me, taking the other half of the strawberry from me with his teeth. His hair is sticking up all over the place. He looks adorable, and he smells amazing. I'm suddenly aware of the fact that I must have awful morning breath, and I'm still in last night's make up. And little else.
"And you look ridiculously sexy now, too." He swallows the strawberry and kisses me gently on the lips.
"Now I know you're lying." I reply. "Could I maybe use your shower?"
"Course." He gets up again and grabs me a couple of towels, they're fluffy and soft and I want to wrap up in them forever. I wonder if I should invite him to join me. He's been a perfect gent but things look different in the light of day. I'm dreading facing Vince.
After I'm showered, I head back into the bedroom and look at my dress, crumpled on the floor. I feel like such a whore as I step back into it - still with no underwear.
"I can loan you something to wear if you want." He offers, probably sensing I'm dreading my impending walk of shame.
"No, it's okay. Really. Um ... How do I get back?"
"I'll call you a cab." He says. I panic.
"No, I - uh. Jeez. I don't have any money with me. It's okay, I can walk."
"It's too far. Trust me Orla it's fine, I've got this." He walks out the room and calls the cab for me while I put on my shoes and try to remove the scraps of make up that haven't been scrubbed off completely in the shower. He walks back in shortly after. "It's on its way." He wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses my neck. "I wish I didn't have this thing today, I'd much rather spend the whole day in bed with you." It is tempting, I have to admit. "You even look stunning without make up." He nips at my neck and I pray he hasn't left any lovebites.
"Are you blind?" I tease, turning to face him, and kissing him back. I wait downstairs until the taxi comes.
"I feel awful making you get a cab. I'd take you there myself but I really have to leave soon for the screen test. L.A. morning rush hour traffic."
"No, it's totally fine." I say. He kisses me and opens the door for me as I step in the taxi. He gives my address and a wad of money to the taxi driver, and waves goodbye as I drive away.
When I pull into Vince's, I'm terrified. My stomach's in bits as I knock and wait for an answer. When it opens, it's Turtle, with a huge grin on his face.
"JOHNNY! Press play!" I look at him, then I hear music in the background, blasting out. It's that awful Birthday Sex song. I cringe. Fuck. Not funny. Turtle does not share this opinion. He is cracking up laughing as he opens the door for me.
"Is it just you two here?" I ask as I walk in, hoping to get to my room and changed as soon as is humanly possible.
"Naw," Turtle replies. "Vinnie and Abi are here, though they're yet to make an appearance. E and Sloan went to get some breakfast. You just missed 'em." Fuck. I would kill to get five minutes of girl talk with Sloan. "Can't escape us though, Orla."
"You want some breakfast?" Drama offers, stepping out from the kitchen. He's even wearing an apron. Cute.
"No. I already ate, thanks."
"Yeah I'll bet you did." Turtle retorts with a wicked grin on his face. I just glare at him; I can't be doing with this right now. I barge past and go into my room. Asylum. I tug off last night's outfit and throw it into a corner. I pull on a skater dress, with a jumper over the top. Comfortable. Warm. No trace of the previous evening's events. I sit on my bed for a minute before deciding that this will get me nowhere. I decide to brave the front room again. Once I've done my make up. After that, I find three more pointless tasks (brushing my teeth again, reorganising a drawer of my things and trying six different hairstyles), before I give up and decide I may as well just face the music.
As I pass through, I am met in the kitchen by the blond bitch. Completely topless. She is in nothing but a pair of tiny knickers. Jesus. I recoil and cover my eyes immediately, but there is time to tell that her boobs are definitely not real.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." She lies. "You must be Orla." So he's been talking about me?
"Yeah - sorry - I -"
"Oh, don't mind me." She gestures her practically naked form. How can I not mind her? I give a weak smile and flounce in the direction of the couch. I curl up in a ball. Turtle is sat opposite. I don't look up but I know he's looking at me.
"Hangover?" He enquires.
"Something like that." I reply. "Think I might be revisiting my breakfast." I mean because of what I've just witnessed in the kitchen but Turtle doesn't get it.
"You really were slammed last night then huh?"
"Quite literally, I imagine?" Drama joins in. I glare at both of them. They have the common sense not to ask any further questions. I stare at the TV for maybe half an hour, before giving up and going back to my room. I stay there sat on my bed for an hour or so, staring at the wall. I hear Abi shouting goodbye, the front door slamming, and I remain on my bed. What now? I can't imagine walking around the house topless on my own, let alone if several people were in. Did she just not have any shame or something? I try to pull myself out of my funk. I don't even remember putting my ring on but clearly I did because when I look at my hands it's there. I tug it off, put it back in the box and throw it down. I have to stop sinking.
I give it another half an hour before I decide I should fix this, now that Vince is alone. I collect my courage, and walk back out. Turtle and Drama are on the couch, smoking a doobie.
"Is Vince around?" I ask.
"Sure. He's just outside." Drama replies. I take a deep breath, and go looking for him.
He's on a sun lounger. It's not amazingly warm but I don't think he's here for the weather. He barely glances at me as I take the chair opposite him. A few moments pass before I pluck up the courage to talk to him.
"Vince, I -"
"Don't apologise, if that's what you're about to do." He interrupts.
"Really?" I can't help myself. "Because I am sorry. And frankly, it's hurtful that you're not too." He looks at me for a second, before looking away again. I sigh. Why is this such hard work? "You don't feel weird about last night?" He says nothing. "I guess it didn't mean anything to you, then." This gets his attention. He finally keeps my gaze.
"You can't be serious."
"No, you can't. That was intense for me, then five seconds later you're just getting off with some random slut? I'm not sure I've ever felt less significant in my life." I spit out. I'm furious again. How dare he make out like I'm the only one in the wrong? If he hadn't copped off with that random tart, we wouldn't be in this weird situation now.
"That didn't stop you from going off with Joe." He states. I stare at him.
"What would you have done? Honestly. If you were in my position." He considers me, but doesn't say anything. I take a deep breath.
"What do you want from me?" His words are like a punch in the stomach. What do I want from him?
"What do you mean?"
"I've given you a place to stay, a birthday party, a new outfit. What else do you want?" Fuck. He can't be serious. I feel like I could throw up. The way he's looking at me ... I feel like he hates me.
"Nothing." I say truthfully, feeling more pathetic than ever before in my life, like my body is draining. "Not any more." I get up and start to leave but he gets up too and grabs me, pulling me back. He forces a kiss upon me, and I'm about to submit, but then I taste ... Oh Jesus. No. "You fucked her again this morning." I state. He looks at me. He doesn't need to say anything else. I take my leave, walking as fast as I can. I slam the back door behind me and storm through the living room.
"Whoa, Orla, you okay?" Turtle shouts after me but I ignore him. I walk out of the house, and down the road. As far away as I can get. I don't even know what's happening, or how I feel any more. Just worthless.
I walk, and walk and walk. I have no idea where I'm going. I don't have anything with me - no money, no phone, not even a jacket if it gets any colder. My face is dripping wet so I assume I'm crying but I can't feel it anymore. I don't know why I'm so upset. I think I just feel like I've run out of options. Things seemed to finally be picking up and I'm right back at square one. There's a bench nearby, so I throw myself down on it. I've got no idea where I am. I give in to everything I'm feeling. Worthless, empty, useless, homeless, unloved, desperate. I'm just thinking that I may as well admit defeat and get the next plane home, when I hear someone stop in front of me.
"Orla?" It's Sloan, and she's with E. Oh thank God. "What's wrong?" Her arms are around me in a second and I sob into her shoulder for all it's worth. She rubs my back and lets me cry it out. Human contact is enough. I finally start to run out of tears. I haven't quite caught my breath, so I can't talk just yet, but she understands. E sits on the other side of me, but I don't look at him. "Has someone done something to you?" She asks. I shake my head.
"Vince." Is all I say. She pulls me back towards her and hugs me again. God, I've really missed my girlfriends back home. I wish more than anything right now that I could speak to them.
"Fuck." I hear E say quietly next to me. "I warned him, Sloan. I said, don't fuck it up." I don't look up. I don't dare. I don't know what he's talking about, but how can I face Vince's best friend when I'm in this much of a mess?
"I know baby." She says quietly. "So what exactly happened, Orla?" I wipe my eyes and take deep breaths.
"I tried to talk to him, to make amends, and he basically accused of me being a gold-digger and demanded to know what I wanted from him." My stomach lurches again as I think about it. I hear E swear under his breath.
"He doesn't mean that." He says. I turn to him - he knows Vince better than anyone.
"Are you sure? Because it sounded like he did. He could barely look at me. So I get up, and then he grabs me and kisses me, and I could still taste fucking Abi's pussy on his mouth."
"Jesus." Sloan keeps an arm around me, and I can tell E is pretty appalled too.
"He's not always such an ass Orla, I swear. It's just cos he likes you so much."
"He's got a funny way of showing it, if that's the case."
"Let me talk to him." E pulls out his phone and I don't argue.