Chapter 52 I Looked Like A Mess
Phoebe
“Guys, wake up. It’s morning already.”
Tyra’s hand shaking my shoulder gently stirred me awake. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself wrapped tightly in a blanket. But when I looked around, none of my four mates were in sight.
Tyra grinned widely when she caught me scrambling to keep the blanket from sliding down my chest. The Nova costume I wore last night was hanging neatly on the closet door. Weird.
“They’re waiting downstairs, Sleeping Beauty. Mom made breakfast. Here, wear this.”
She handed me a loose pink t-shirt and matching shorts. I was mortified, especially knowing she could tell I’d worn her room for... well, us. The scent in there? Total chaos.
Once I was dressed and somewhat put together, I mumbled an apology to Tyra for the whole situation. She just waved it off like it was no big deal, even fixing my hair as we made our way to the Baker family’s dining room.
Leftovers from last night’s party still littered the yard. Inside, it looked better—two cleaning services were already clearing out the mess, scooping up trash from every corner.
“Hey Phoebe, I made you some baguettes. Hope you like them,” Ms. Baker said warmly.
“Thank you, Ms. Baker.”
Hayden stood and pulled out a chair for me, right next to him. Finley poured me some orange juice and handed it over, while Adonis gave me a soft smile, his green eyes squinting behind his glasses.
“I thought you guys ditched me,” I joked, grabbing a baguette from the plate.
One hand held the bread while the other tried to keep my hair from being eaten along with it. Apparently, my hair had grown long enough to tangle with my mouth.
Zion reached over, grabbed a hair tie from his wrist, and gently tied my hair into a messy little ponytail.
Tyra cleared her throat dramatically, watching the four of them fuss over me like I was royalty. I knew exactly what that look meant. Once they left me alone, she was going to roast me.
“You’re seriously making me jealous this early in the morning, Phoebe.”
“Speaking of which, I was thinking of visiting Phoenix this afternoon. Want to come?”
She agreed instantly. Just like the guys, Tyra treated me like a princess and didn’t let me do a thing after breakfast—not even rinse my plate.
“Go get ready. I’ll pick you up at the dorms. Boys, I’m borrowing your girl for a bit,” Tyra said, pulling me in for a side hug after loading the last plate into the dishwasher.
“Not too long. We’ve got practice after lunch,” Grey said, sounding like a strict dad.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Tyra replied lazily from her seat.
We left the Baker house around 9 AM. Honestly, I felt kind of guilty for not helping Ms. Baker clean up. We were definitely part of the reason her house got trashed last night.
Hayden gave me a ride back. I hadn’t realized he owned a car, but of course he did. And of course it was spotless and perfectly organized. I couldn't help but wonder how someone so neat and put-together like him ended up with someone like... me.
“I look like a mess, don’t I?” I asked, glancing at myself in the side mirror.
“Yeah, we’re all a mess, babe. But I happen to like the way you look when you’re sleeping—mess and all.”
“Was that you flirting with me?”
“I’m being honest. I don’t flirt. Since the moment I knew you were my girl, I’ve enjoyed everything about you. I’m used to perfection, but with you… I don’t mind breaking the rules a little. Weird, huh?”
“That’s a pretty solid excuse to say it wasn’t flirting. But thanks—for not complaining about how I look right now.”
I wiped the smudged mascara from under my eyes, watching his reflection as he smiled and turned back to the road.
“What kind of mascara did Tyra use? My lashes feel like they’ve been glued in place.”
Hayden just chuckled softly and let me ramble until we got to the dorms. I darted straight to the bathroom to clean up.
After my shower, I threw on a t-shirt with Phoenix’s favorite band on it and stepped into the hallway. I glanced at the doors to Zion, Adonis, and Finley’s rooms.
I could hear Zion whistling behind his door. So yeah, they were definitely back.
Adonis’s door was cracked open, and I heard him mumbling angrily, apparently looking for his hand warmer. Didn’t peg him as the forgetful type, but hey, we all have our days.
I jumped when someone tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Finley, his face way too close.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, squinting suspiciously.
“Eavesdropping? Spying? A little of both,” I said, grinning. “Adonis is losing it over his missing hand warmer.”
“That’s because I borrowed it.” Finley held it up like a trophy. “I was just returning it.”
“Is he usually this forgetful?”
“I didn’t tell him I took it.”
“Wow. That’s hilarious. Anyway, mission accomplished. You guys are back to normal.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I said with a laugh, already backing away.
I made my way toward the training room, smiling to myself. They were acting normal again. Not a word about last night. Maybe guys really are wired differently. Or maybe I’m the only one still obsessing over how wild things got.
But as I stepped into the training room, the mood shifted. And fast.
There she was—Lily, standing right in front of Hayden. And she did not look happy.
“Your father still doesn’t know about this, Hayden.”
“He will. I’ll tell him when I get back from Paris. I’ve got my mom’s support, and you and I are done, Lily. I don’t want you showing up here again.”
“Is that she-wolf here right now?”
“I’m not answering that. I’m asking you to leave, Lily. We’ve got practice.”
“What’s going on, Hayden?” I asked, loud enough for her to hear.
I wanted her to realize I was the she-wolf, but I wasn’t going to spell it out for her. Not yet.
“Nothing serious. Lily’s just leaving,” Hayden said firmly.
Lily stomped off, heels clacking angrily until she was out the gate. I relaxed a little, watching her through the window until she was gone for good.
“Is there something I should know, Hayden?”
“You heard everything. It’s over. Just forget about her.”
“I trust you. So, what’s the plan for today’s practice?” I asked, pulling out my phone.
“Same as usual. After lunch, let’s get to it—you’ve got a hospital visit after this, right?” he said, kneeling down to plug in a cable.
“Yeah, but I just had an idea.”
“What is it?” he asked, glancing up curiously.
“I want to introduce you to Phoenix. I know you probably already know each other, but I want to do it the right way. Would you be okay with that?”