Chapter Five: Hashbrowns

When Lara Jean woke up the next morning and cracked her eyes open, the room was spinning. She shut them immediately groaning. "How am I still drunk?" She asked herself before pulling the blanket over her head.

She felt a wave of nausea hit as she attempted to roll over and realized she was still fully dressed and immediately got uncomfortable. I was wasted last night if I slept in my jeans.

She groaned again and slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. She had to pee and possibly throw up. As she came to her senses bracing herself to move, she finally noticed the smell creeping into her room. Is that bacon? Jeanette never cooks.

She sighed before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and softly moved to a standing position. Even though she was careful, as soon as she stood up the room seemed to be moving in all directions. This was a hangover that would last her all day. She tiptoed to the bathroom careful not to rattle her brain too much.

When she sat down on the bowl, she mindlessly kicked her pants all the way off. She was tired of feeling so constrained. It was a little strange at first but now Her and Jeanette often walked around half naked comfortable with each other. She yawned before cleaning herself and standing up. She lazily swished her hands under the faucet before taking a look at her appearance in the mirror. One of her tank straps had fallen off he shoulder and her hair was in a messy heap. The only thing she appreciated was her underwear choice, cheeky boyshorts with food printed on them.

She shuffled down the hallway towards the kitchen lead by the smells, "Jeanette, how are you not dead right now?" She called, "Can you make hash browns too?" She reached the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks "P-Peter?"

"Good Morning, Sunshine," Peter said before looking up from the pan and taking in her appearance eyes widening.

"What are you doing here?" Her head was punishing her for yelling.

"I uh," he nearly dropped his spatula, "uh I brought you home last night…. I, I slept on the couch," He added the last part quickly seeing her face contort.

"What? Oh my god." Thoughts from the previous night began to pop into her mind, "oh..oh no..I hate tequila," she moved forward and lean over laying her head on the kitchen island.

"Hey don't worry I got a hangover remedy drink that will make you feel ten times better. Trust me." Peter added slowly regaining his composure and trying not to stare at Lara Jean's lower half currently on display.

Lara Jean peaked up at him sighing, "You slept here last night?"

"On the couch." he repeated again slowly, "Jeanette and Jer left us to go to my house. I brought you home and I just didn't want to leave you here alone."

"...well thank you…for taking care of me." She stood up and made a mental note to kill Jeanette. Peter filled up and glass and handed her some water grinning.

"Anytime." He replied and opened the freezer, "hash browns coming up," he said pulling out the bag of frozen potatoes.

She slumped into one of the chairs and continued to sip her water, "So where is this hangover miracle drink?"

He tapped the lid of a mystery pot boiling on the stove, "Almost done don't you worry."

"Do I even want to what's in there?"

"You definitely, do not."

She nodded, "I'm gonna lay on the couch for a bit," she said sliding off the stool.

"Hey, Covey?"

"Hm?"

"Not that I mind or anything, but just so you know, you're not wearing any pants."

Lara Jean looked down immediately and seemed to finally wake up. She screamed and tried to cover herself, "Peter, why didn't you say anything?"

"I just did."

"No I mean, aaah. Turn around so I can run to my room!"

"I've already seen everything. I don't know if you remember but I used to see a lot more than this."

"Peter!" She glared at him.

"I'm cooking, I can't ignore my meal!"

Through gritted teeth, "Turn. Around."

"Ok ok sorry, not funny," he raised his hands and turned away from her chuckling as he heard her feet scurry to her room.

—-

When she returned a while later she had on her set of long sleeve flannel pjs.

"Damn maybe I shouldn't have told you about the pants thing. You went full nun on me."

"Not funny. Peter," she sat down at the island again because he was plating her food. He then moved to pour a chunky looking drink in a glass with ice cubes.

"Kind of funny though, right?" He sat the plate in front of her and put his hands on his hips feeling accomplished.

"Thank you," she murmured reaching for the hangover drink.

"Ahh I would recommend enjoying your food first, before tackling that bad boy."

"Noted," she dug into her potatoes and moaned and said "this is so good,"

"Again not that I'm complaining, but you probably shouldn't moan like that when I still have the image of you from this morning fresh in my mind," he leaned on the counter eating a piece of bacon.

She nearly choked, "You can't say stuff like that."

"I'm just kidding around," he said still grinning.

"Well kidding or not it's….disrespectful."

He scoffed, "You feel like I'm disrespecting you?"

"Well not me really, but my relationship." She stuffed more food in her mouth quickly not making eye contact.

Peter rolled his eyes, "So we're still going with this story then?"

"What do you mean? What story?" Her heart sped up and she pushed her hair behind her ear nervously.

"This boyfriend story,"

"I have no idea what you're getting at."

"Come on Lara Jean. I've been up and down your Instagram. There's no guy except coworkers and your dad. You don't talk about him, he's conveniently absent from hanging out. You haven't even told me this guy's name!"

"Is it a crime to want to keep my relationship private. I'm not obligated to share every detail about him with my ex!"

"Well you weren't super worried about him last night," Peter scoffed.

Lara Jean racked her brain trying to remember last night but everything was foggy. " What do you mean, did we? Did anything happen between us last night?" she began to panic.

Softening he said, "No, no. I didn't mean that. I swear Lara Jean I would never take advantage of you like that. I was practically sober the whole night. I just brought you home." She visually relaxed thinking about how she woke up fully clothed. "I just meant you were saying a lot of things."

"Listen, I know you didn't really experience her, but drunk Lara Jean says a lot of things she doesn't mean," she said quickly, "which is why I shouldn't have taken the shots," she held her head.

"What's his name?" He asked in a low voice.

"What?" She asked

He leaned forward on the counter, "What's. His. Name?"

"Why so you can find and stalk him on Instagram too?"

He snorted, "Alright Covey. I'll play your game."

"Game? Seriously? What you think that I'm so pathetic that no one would want me after you?" She put her fork down on her plate folding her arms.

"Woah Woah, that's not what I'm saying."

"Really? Cuz that's what it sounds like." She replied bitterly.

"Lara Jean I'm sure you've have had plenty of guys coming after you since we broke up. I have no doubt in my mind about that." He spoke slowly trying to get back into safer territory. "After we broke up do you know how many guys asked me for your number?"

"Hm," she was genuinely curious about the number of guys but refrained herself from asking.

"I just thought it was odd that there's no trace of this guy. I didn't mean to insult you,"

"Well it's not like you've been around me that much," she said picking up her fork, "I mean things may seem to be moving pretty fast because you're already in my kitchen making breakfast, but we're just getting to know each other again. How do you expect to know everything about me in detail?"

"I guess you're right...I'm sorry...does he know about me?" He said quietly.

"What?"

"You know, that we've been hanging out? Like he's cool with it?"

"Of course he knows, why would I keep that a secret from him?" She was avoiding eye contact but digging into her eggs.

"It's not every day your girl just starts hanging with an ex. I don't know if I could be cool with that If I were him."

"But you're not him." She looked up at him suddenly becoming more frustrated that this conversation was dragging on. "You're not him. You're the ex and he's cool with it, because he's not insecure and has no reason to feel threatened by you." She knew she was being harsh especially when this boyfriend didn't exist, but she was also angry at him for feeling so entitled to her.

A look of hurt flashed briefly across his face but he quickly masked it. "Right. Alright well, I should probably do the dishes and get going." He began to move pots to the sink.

"Don't worry about it. I can't handle it."

"No I made a mess I should clean it up," his back was to her while he ran the water.

"Peter, I got it. Just...just go," she murmured.

He sighed before turning off the water. He turned around smiling but Lara Jean could see it didn't reach his eyes, "Alright if you insist. I hate dishes anyway," he moved to the living room to collect his belongings. Once he got everything and put on his jacket he went to the apartment door, "I'll uh. See you around."

"Thanks again for the breakfast," she mumbled.

When Peter opened the door he was greeted by a fumbling Jeanette.

"Oh thank god, I could not find my keys and my phones dead!"

Lara Jean peaked towards the door, "Jeanette, why didn't you knock?"

"Because I'm an idiot," she says defeatedly, "Ooh do I smell breakfast?" she walked past Peter into the apartment.

"Yeah there's enough for one more," Peter replied.

"Not staying for breakfast Peter?" Jeanette already had a piece of bacon in her mouth and was shoveling eggs to her plate.

"No, I gotta head out. See you guys later!" With that, he shut the door behind him and both Jeanette and Lara Jean let out a sigh for different reasons.

"Mmm bacon, this is hitting the spot."

"Here take the rest of mine too, I can't eat anymore," Jeanette accepted her food happily.

Lara Jean took a small sip of the hangover drink, "Oh my god this is disgusting."

"Oh is that the hangover miracle? Jeremy made me one this morning. That shit is definitely the grossest thing I've ever tasted, but I feel so much better than when I woke up this morning."

Lara Jean decided to give it another try, "Hey speaking of Jeremy. Thanks for ditching me last night," Lara Jean rolled her eyes.

"I didn't ditch you! You had Peter!"

"Do you really think it's the best idea to leave a drunk girl with her ex? Or any guy for that matter?"

"Well, I didn't know you were that drunk, because I was also drunk. But you were telling me all night how you wanted to go home with him!"

"What?!"

"Yeah every time me and you went to dance or to the bathroom, all you were talking about was Peter this, Peter that. Oh, he's so handsome, oh I missed him. Do you think he still likes me?" she said in an annoying voice.

"Oh my god. Did I say anything like that to him?" She cringed.

"I don't think so but who knows you were with him by yourself sometimes. Maybe you should say something to him about you feel though..."

"Tequila. Never again." She said ignoring her friend's suggestion.

"Noted. I'm sorry I abandoned you, I really wasn't thinking."

"No it's ok it's not your fault. Did you and Jeremy have fun?"

"Oh yeah, maybe too much fun." Jeanette winked.

"Spare me the details for now, I still feel nauseous."

Jeanette laughed, "what happened with you guys. I could definitely feel the tension when I walked in."

"It's complicated...but nothing happened between us last night. He slept on the couch."

"Hm ok. Well, at least you got a free meal out of it?"

"Yeah and apparently a hangover miracle," she raised her glass "cheers!"

—-

A/N: Alright guys another chapter in the books! It's slightly shorter than the others but I kind of wanted this morning after to stand alone. What do you guys think of the tension between LJ and Peter?

Next chapter we will get a glimpse of life at Lara Jean's nonprofit job and I will be introducing an important new character. Stay tuned!

I wish there was a way I could like check-in between chapters to let you know where I'm at in the writing process or at least reply to comments. If you guys have any suggestions please let me know!

See ya next time :)

Peace,

Pink