Hailey lay perfectly still, watching Eric sleep in the soft morning light that filtered through her bedroom curtains.
"You look like you're plotting something," she whispered to herself, studying his face.
His dark hair fell across his forehead in messy waves, and his breathing was deep and even.
The memory of the night before made her cheeks warm.
"Get it together, Hailey," she muttered under her breath. "You're staring at him like a creep."
Eric stirred slightly, his fingers flexing against her skin. She held her breath, not wanting to wake him yet. But his eyes fluttered open anyway, blinking slowly as he tried to focus.
"Good morning," Hailey said softly, turning to face him.
Eric looked around the room like he had woken up on Mars. His gaze swept over her mismatched furniture, the books stacked precariously on her nightstand.
"Morning," he replied, his voice sounding like he had swallowed sandpaper.
He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up at impossible angles.
"Did you sleep okay?" Hailey asked, trying not to laugh at his hair situation.
"Yeah," Eric said, though he still looked completely lost. "I think so."
"You look confused," she observed.
"I feel confused," he admitted. "Where am I again?"
"My apartment," Hailey said, grinning. "Remember? You didn't want to go home last night."
"Right," Eric said slowly, like he was solving a difficult math problem. "Your apartment."
He propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at her.
"Are you hungry?" Hailey asked, suddenly feeling shy under his intense gaze. "I could order some food."
She reached for her phone, but Eric's hand caught her wrist gently.
"Wait," he said, his voice still rough. "Give me a minute to remember how to be human."
"That bad, huh?" Hailey teased.
"Worse," Eric groaned. "My head feels like there's a construction crew in there."
Hailey laughed. "That would be your hangover talking."
"Did you bring me here last night?" he asked, rubbing his temples.
"You don't remember?" Hailey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I remember bits and pieces," Eric said. "Like a really fragmented dream."
"You were pretty drunk," she said. "I tried to take you home, but you insisted on coming here."
"Why would I do that?"
"You said you didn't want to be alone," Hailey explained. "You were pretty adamant about it."
Eric closed his eyes, pressing his palm against his forehead.
"How much did I drink?"
"A lot," Hailey said with a small smile. "You finished almost two bottles of wine before I even got to the restaurant."
"Two bottles?" Eric's eyes shot open. "Jesus Christ."
"You also snapped at the waiter," she added helpfully.
"I what?"
She tried to suppress a smile. "And you tried to pay for dinner with what looked like half your wallet."
"Oh God," Eric muttered. "I'm so sorry you had to deal with that."
"It's okay," Hailey said. "Though you did give yourself walking instructions on the way out."
"Walking instructions?"
"Left foot, right foot," she quoted, trying to imitate his serious tone from the night before.
Eric stared at her. "I did not."
"You absolutely did," Hailey laughed. "Very solemnly, too."
"Kill me now," Eric groaned, covering his face with his hands.
"You also tried to take a nap in my hallway."
"Stop," Eric said, his voice muffled. "Please stop."
"I'm just getting started," Hailey grinned. "You told my couch you understood each other."
Eric peeked at her through his fingers. "Did the couch respond?"
"It creaked," Hailey said. "Which you took as agreement."
"At least someone was on my side."
He was quiet for a moment, and she could see him trying to piece together fragments of memory.
"Last night," he said slowly. "Did we..."
He left the question hanging in the air between them.
"Yes," she said simply, watching his face carefully.
Eric's eyes snapped fully open, and she could see something that looked like panic flash across his features.
"Oh shit," he breathed.
"But it's alright," Hailey said quickly, sitting up. "I'm okay."
"I'm sorry," Eric said, his voice heavy with regret. "I shouldn't have—"
"Why are you apologizing?" Hailey interrupted, hurt creeping into her voice.
"Because I was drunk," Eric said. "Because you deserved better than—"
"Stop," Hailey said firmly. "Just stop right there."
"But—"
"No buts," she said. "I told you I'm okay. I don't regret it."
Eric looked at her for a long moment, like he was trying to read her mind.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Hailey said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said finally. "I'm okay."
The answer made her smile with relief.
"Good," she said. "Now stop beating yourself up about it."
Eric ran his hand through his hair again, looking embarrassed.
"I really can't remember much," he admitted. "Just fragments."
"What do you remember?" Hailey asked, curious.
A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I remember someone sneezed when they reached their... limit."
Hailey's face went bright red. "Oh my God, you remember that?"
"Who does that?" Eric teased, his mood lightening. "That's adorable."
"It's embarrassing," Hailey groaned, covering her face with her hands.
"I thought it was the cutest thing I had ever heard," Eric said, moving closer to her.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down onto the bed.
"Eric," she laughed as he nuzzled her neck. "What are you doing?"
"Warming things up," he said, his lips brushing against her ear. "Making up for not remembering last night properly."
"Is that your way of asking for a do-over?"
"Maybe," Eric murmured against her skin.
His hands traced lazy patterns on her back, and she could feel his breath against her skin.
But then she caught sight of the clock on her nightstand, and reality crashed back into focus.
The red numbers glowed accusingly: 7:47 AM.
"Oh no!" she yelped, pushing against his chest. "What time is it?"
"Almost eight," Eric said, glancing at the clock. "Why? What's wrong?"
"I have to go!" Hailey scrambled out of bed, grabbing her clothes from the floor. "I have a morning queue at work!"
"How late are you going to be?"
"Very late," she said, hopping on one foot as she struggled with her jeans. "Walter is going to kill me."
"Who is Walter?"
"My boss," Hailey said, pulling a sweater over her head. "And he does not appreciate tardiness."
Eric sat up. "Hailey, wait—"
"I'm sorry," she said, rushing toward the bathroom. "You should find something to eat in the fridge."
She grabbed her toothbrush and started brushing frantically.
"There's cereal," she said around the toothbrush. "And some fruit. Orange juice too."
"I think I'll just go home," Eric said, watching her rush around like a tornado.
"Whatever you want," Hailey said, spitting out toothpaste. "Just put my key under the tree pot when you leave."
"The what?" he asked.
"The pot with the small tree," she clarified, brushing her hair quickly. "Right by the front door."
"Got it," Eric said, amused by her frantic energy.
She was heading toward the door when Eric called her name.
"Hailey."
"Yeah?" she said, turning back to him.
"Will Victoria be at the set today?" he asked.