-1Chapter Ten:
The first thing that registered in Daniel's mind the next morning, was the almost unbearable pounding of his head.
'What happened last night…OH!' Realization hit him like a ton of bricks and he sat up abruptly. He groaned loudly, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. Opening his eyes slowly, he willed the nausea away and tried to focus on the room. The television was playing on low; some daytime sitcom, and rain was pouring in sheets outside as lightening cracked through the clouds. The clock read that it was just after noon.
"Oh my God….oh my god…." Daniel moaned, rubbing his temples fervently. Last night came to him in blurred clips, whirring around in his mind. A particularly vivid image of Cassandra splayed in his arms caused him to wonder how much he'd actually had to drink; he'd gotten farther with Cassandra in one night than he'd tried to get in three months. Suddenly thinking of her, he looked beside him and found that the bed was completely empty. Her red clutch was still lying on the bedside table along with her little flip phone, but otherwise there was no trace of her.
He lay back down and curled up on his side, hoping to sleep away the piercing hangover. He had just fallen into a drowsy little half-sleep, when he felt a drop of water fall on his cheek. Brushing it off as a dream, he slept on. Curiously, the little pinprick of water caught him on the forehead this time, hanging precariously on his temple and then rolling across his cheek and the bridge of his nose. Just as he went to brush it away, someone did it for him. His breath caught and he dared not open his eyes or move. Cool fingers began brushing his forehead, pushing his hair back. Cassandra. He felt the bed shift as she settled down behind him. Her fingers went from his forehead to his shoulder blades and she began absentmindedly stroking down his back with two fingers causing him to shiver as his goosebumps burst from her touch.
"You know, it's really rude to pretend you're asleep when you're really not," Cassandra suddenly pointed out, withdrawing her fingers. Daniel froze, not knowing what to say, and not knowing whether he wanted to face her.
"S-sorry…" He mumbled and rolled over to look at her. She was wrapped in one of the hotel's complementary bathrobes, her hair streaming wet. Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup and her skin was still damp from the shower she'd apparently taken.
"How're you feeling?" She asked, squeezing the water out of her hair. Daniel shrugged, watching the water fall in rivulets from the ends of her hair, disappearing underneath the bathrobe.
"Pretty horrible. It's just my head…" he trailed off, rubbing furiously at his forehead.
"Yeah. Me too," Cassandra said, her face stark against her gleaming wet hair. "Do you remember anything you did last night?" she asked casually, leaning back against the pillows. Daniel watched the moisture from her hair soak into the pillowcase and wondered whether or not it was a trick question.
"I do remember some things," Daniel said carefully.
"Yeah?" Cassandra gave him a little half smile, and quirked an eyebrow. A particularly loud thunderclap caused both of them to jump slightly. Daniel smiled, and turned to look at the storm out the window. At the moment the next thunderclap sounded, Cassandra flopped on her side and began tracing his collarbone. He swallowed nervously. The storm raged on.