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Hazel
The headache I woke up with pounded harder and I winced as I rubbed my forehead. I’d unexpectedly woken up at Jess’s place with her cat, Reina an inch from my face. I was pretty sure the bengal kitty hated me after I screamed and she jetted off the bed and out of the room.
I groaned as I checked my watch one more time. I was going to be late to work. I finished brushing my teeth with the toothbrush and toothpaste Jess had in a little basket on the counter.
One of my shoes was still missing and there was no way I was going outside in the freezing cold with one shoe. The first one had been by the guest bedroom door so I assumed the other one was still in here. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled around the deep-pile cream carpet and checked under the bed and dressers to no avail.
This had been an awful idea to sleep here. I vaguely remembered Jess insisting I come to her house for the night even though I’d been in my own home. Well, not mine. Jareth’s, I reminded myself.
Jess must have dropped off clothes I found on the dresser before we both passed out for the night. The gold sequined pants and cream silk top were a little much for the office today, but so close to the holidays, no one would think anything of it.
I sat on the floor, rubbing at my temples. This is why I rarely drank.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” I said in a whisper-shout, not wanting to aggravate my head any more than I had to.
Alden, Jess’s boyfriend, who she called by his given name James, popped his head into the room. “I thought you might want this.” His hulking 6’4” body towered over me as I sat on the floor. I gave him the widest grin I could muster when he held out a glass of water and painkillers.
“Gimme, gimme. My head is pounding, and knowing Jareth, he won’t let up today just because I have a hangover.”
Alden frowned. “Jareth is a dick most of the time, but he seems to have a soft spot for you. I think it’ll be fine.”
I popped the pills into my mouth and swallowed them with a chug of water. “Any chance you know where my other shoe and phone are?”
“You took off a shoe at the front entrance, and Jess took your phone for safekeeping based on the mumbling she did last night.”
I laughed. “We had way too much to drink.”
“I think it’s okay to let loose sometimes. Until recently, Jess hasn’t had an easy time finding girlfriends she can trust. You’re one of the good ones, Hazel Finley.” He was a stoic guy and this was the longest conversation I’d ever had with him. His intimidating size and stature had originally made me nervous, but once I saw him around Jess I realized he was a big teddy bear.
“Thanks, Alden.” I scrambled up off the floor and checked the bedside clock. “I really need to check in with Jareth. I can’t remember if I let him know I wouldn’t be home last night.” A faint memory of Jess telling me she took care of Jareth floated through my mind. I walked toward the door, grateful I only had a headache today.
“About that… ”
I stopped mid-step and slowly turned around. “What do you mean about that?”
“Jess has been in contact with Jareth,” he answered. “I just want you to remember that when Jess ‘helps’ you, it’s because she loves you.” The air quotes only made his words worse.
“No, no, no, no, no. What did she say to him?” Oh, God, I let Lacey set me up on a date for tonight. I wanted to be the one to tell Jareth. “Forget it. Where is she?”
“Kitchen.” I took off running the moment Alden answered.
I made my way down the hall that seemed far longer than it normally did and then into the living room. I was huffing partially from the panic building in my chest and the unexpected run. Just before I took the corner into the kitchen, my attention caught on Jareth standing by the front door, arms crossed over his broad chest, eyes staring daggers at me. “Hey, Jareth, I just need to… ”
What the heck?
I slid on the tiled kitchen floor, my stocking feet ensuring a sudden stop was impossible. I wheeled my arms for balance and squeaked in surprise. Jareth? At that exact moment, I noticed Jess sitting at the large granite island sipping her coffee.
“Morning, Hazel. I guess you saw the fucking statue by the door.” Jess’s voice grew louder with the last sentence, clearly hoping Jareth would hear.
The loud grunt from the other room only confirmed it.
“What is happening right now? Why is Jareth here?”
She shrugged, a guilty look flashing across her face. “It might have to do with this.” Jess then slid my phone across the countertop.
My hand shook as I reached for it and tapped the screen. I started scrolling through my notifications, going faster and faster as I saw the number of messages Jareth had sent me the night before. I quickly looked toward the entry on the other side of the wall past the living room. “Oh crap, Jess.”
