Chapter 26: Hot Tub
A fake smile never left Riley's face while she's listening to Lotte's experience when she accepted the offer for being a model all of a sudden.
She admitted that she wanted to be happy for her best friend but she just can't get enough of the bitter feeling that coated her mind, heart and soul.
This feeling is new to me.
They were sitting near the sea when the night came with their batchmates. They have different worlds but they were in a circle while burning a marshmallow on the bonfire.
"Hey, Riley, are you listening?"
She blinked three times. She came back from her reverie when Lotte spoke.
"H-Huh?"
Lotte winced and shook her head. "Nevermind. Anyway, Professor Liam said that there are two guests that will spend the night in our room since there are enough two vacant beds." She bit her marshmallow.
Riley nodded. Still spacing out. She had no energy to talk. In fact, she just wanted to lie on the bed to sleep and if possible, when she woke up, all her negative thoughts vanished.
She stood up and bid goodbye to the others. She reasoned that she's tired and sleepy. Lotte said she will stay for some fresh air and to heaten up in front of the bonfire.
While walking to the corridor inside the boutique hotel and spinning the key on her index finger, she noticed something was off.
She stood five meters away from the door of their room. Her eyebrows tugged up when the door was slightly opened. Like the resident left it open.
Holy crap!
Thinking that a thief entered their room, she kicked the door so hard causing it to slam to the other side and making a loud sound. Good thing it didn't break down.
"Oh mah god!"
"J-Jake?" She grimaced when she just heard his British accent.
"Hey," Jake was stunned.
Riley couldn't say a word. She was just stunned too to see him here in their room.
"Uhm, are you lost?" She glanced around the room and pointed to their unpacked luggage. "Those are mine and my friend's. So practically, this is our room." Her brows tucked up. "Why are you here?"
Jake pointed to the vacant bed. Across her bed. "This is where we gonna spend our night. And hey, there's no room left for us so please don't throw us away. We don't want to sleep on the sand." he chuckled.
"W-Wait… We? Us? You mean there's one more?"
Her eyes moved to the other vacant bed. And yes, there's a toothbrush, toothpaste, hair gel, razor and men's stuff scattered on the bed.
Holy moly!
"Yep. Me and Jay hyung." Jake replied.
Shit! How could I even forget he's with Jake?
"Oh, okay."
She went beside her luggage on top of the bed and started to get her toothbrush, toothpaste, towel and a pair of pyjamas. She hid her underwear inside her shirt when she felt Jake's eyes staring at her.
She stood up and cleared her throat. "I'm just going to take a half-bath. I felt sticky all of a sudden." She pointed to the door she kicked. "Could you please guard the door for me? And sorry for what happened earlier. I just panicked. I thought that there's a thief stealing our things."
Jake approached her and messed her hair. "It's okay. What you did earlier was the right thing to do. What if I'm not the one you saw earlier?" he sighed. "Maybe I should hire a self defense instructor to teach you basic self defense. Don't you think so?"
Riley shook her head numerous times. "Just save your money and don't use it for useless things. Now, guard the door and if someone knocks and you see it's a girl, let her in. She's my friend and our roommate."
She left him and walked towards the bathroom. She gasped in awe when she saw there's a hot tub.
In the mansion, she always soaked her body in. She hung her clothes and left her stuff near the shower. Now that there's a tub here, she combed her hair, twisted it and did a bun.
She kinda feels a heavy feeling so she'll take her time and soak in the water to relax her body.
"WHAT'S UP, my brothers?"
Jake called his brothers on Skype. Ethan and Hoon. They're in the mansion and didn't know that he took Jay with him without his permission to replace the male model on their commercial photoshoot.
Instead of scolding him for doing that, Ethan and Hoon laughed hard.
"I can't imagine his grumpy face while you dragged him there." Hoon teased and copied Jay's grumpy face.
"Good thing he obliged." Ethan said.
"Hahaha! Yeah. He said he's bored and has nothing to do in the mansion. So partly, he conceded."
Jake tells them all what happened the whole day. Even Jay who felt so awkward beside the female model. He's lying on top of his bed while talking to them.
When they looked for Jay, he told them that he went out for some fresh air.
They took almost an hour talking before Ethan bid goodbye because his business partner just emailed him.
Jake hid his phone in his pocket. His eyebrows furrowed when he realize that Riley hadn't gone out of the bathroom. He was walking back and forth beside his bed while waiting for her to come out.
He swore to God that he didn't see her go out.
What took her so long?
He felt worried so he couldn't help but knock on the bathroom's door.
"Riley? Are you okay?"
No answer.
He knocked again. "Riley? Are you okay? Please answer me."
Still no reply.
He tsked. "Okay I'm going in."
He found a very thin thing that could fit in the door lock. When he found a hair pin, he immediately picked the lock.
It was a success because he was now inside the very neat bathroom.
"Riley!" He shouted.
He found Riley soaking in the hot tub. Half of her body was soaked in the water. Her eyes were closed. Not just closed like the type that she closes her eyes to relax. But the type that she lost in the world.
Jake carried her and lifted her up in a bridal style. His eyes avoid looking at her half naked body. Good thing she's wearing undergarments.
He sitted her on the sink to dry and wrapped the towel around her body then carried her towards her bed and deposited her.
He went back to the bathroom to get her clothes then he went back to her.
"Oh God, please forgive me."
While her body was covered by a towel, Jake started to remove her undergarments inside the towel. He was carefully removing her undergarments and clothed her with dried clothes.
He was doing everything he could not to look and touch her skin even the single of his fingers. He highly respects her of course. He just had no choice. Calling someone to help him with her would be a waste of time. The most important thing was Riley wore dry and comfy clothes.
When he's finally done clothing her, he instantly grabs his phone and calls 911. He sighed in relief when they said they were on their way.
He checked her temperature first and get a small towel then soaked it in cold water and he placed it on her forehead.
Jake set aside the strands of her hair that covered her angelic face and caressed it.
"Why do you always bring yourself to trouble? I was beyond worried when I saw you unconscious in the hot tub." He sighed and stared at her face. "Don't make me worry again, Riley." he softly caressed her hand and kissed the back of his hand. "I'm always here for you whenever you need me. I'll do everything for the girl I like. I love you, Riley."
~amph1trite~