chapter twenty-two: morning after

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The morning sun barely peeked through the curtains when Tatum stepped into the living room, stopping in her tracks at the sight before her.

Adora was curled up against Stu, her head resting against his chest, his arm lazily draped over her shoulder. Billy sat on the other end of the couch, slouched with his arms crossed, his head tilted slightly forward as if he'd fallen asleep mid-thought. They looked... peaceful. Or at least as peaceful as they could be after the hell they had gone through the night before.

A slow smirk spread across Tatum's lips as she pulled out a camera from the cupboard behind her. 

Click.

The flash wasn't too bright, but it was enough.

Billy stirred first, blinking against the light as his muscles tensed. His head shot up, immediately alert, his sharp eyes landing on Tatum, who was grinning at him from across the room.

"Seriously?" Se muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Seriously." She shot back, waving the camera. "Had to get proof that you guys are actually capable of sleeping instead of just lurking around all night like a couple of creeps."

Stu groaned softly beside Adora, shifting but not fully waking up. Billy's jaw tightened as his gaze flickered to the stairs, knowing Sidney would be awake soon. That was his cue.

"I'm out." He announced, standing up and stretching.

Tatum rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we get it."

Billy ignored her, grabbing his jacket off the armrest. He spared one last glance at Adora before heading toward the door, his usual composed expression masking whatever he was thinking.

Tatum turned her attention back to the couch. Adora was still asleep, breathing softly against Stu's chest. His arm had tightened slightly around her in his sleep, as if even unconscious, he wasn't willing to let her go.

Tatum sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the doorway. "Have you told her yet?"

Stu blinked blearily, his eyes still heavy with sleep. "Told her what?" His voice was rough, thick with exhaustion.

"That we broke up."

That woke him up. He straightened a little, his grip on Adora loosening slightly. "Uh... I figured it wasn't, like, a priority with everything going on."

Tatum gave him a pointed look. "Stu. We were never serious, you know that. It was just for fun. And, honestly? I don't think either of us cared that much." She tilted her head toward Adora. "But this? This is different."

Stu opened his mouth, then shut it.

Because she was right.

Tatum sighed, walking over and nudging his leg with her knee. "You're crazy about her, dude. And she's already wrapped up in all of this. She deserves to know where you stand."

Stu swallowed, glancing down at Adora. Her face was relaxed, peaceful for once. He wasn't sure how long that would last.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I know."

Tatum gave him a small smile, ruffling his hair. "Good. Now, go back to sleep before you pass out in the middle of your big confession or whatever."

Stu huffed, but he didn't argue. Instead, he rested his head back against the couch, his fingers brushing lightly over Adora's arm, grounding himself.

Tatum shook her head with a fond smile before heading to the kitchen, leaving them there.

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A little while later, Adora stirred, shifting slightly against the warmth beside her. Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked away the haze of sleep, her mind slowly registering the steady rise and fall of Stu's breathing beneath her.

She tensed for half a second before the memories of the night before came rushing back—the fear, the uncertainty, the way Stu had held her when she thought she was falling apart.

Lifting her head slightly, she found Stu still asleep, his head tilted to the side, his arm still loosely draped around her. His usually animated face was soft in sleep, completely relaxed, free of the usual cocky smirks and over-the-top expressions. He looked... different like this.

Safe.

Adora let out a slow breath, shifting carefully so she didn't wake him up just yet. As she moved, she spotted Tatum sitting at the dining table, sipping from a mug of coffee while flipping through a magazine.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Tatum greeted without looking up.

Adora groaned, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"

"Late enough that I was starting to wonder if you were planning on hibernating through the rest of the day." Tatum smirked, closing the magazine. "You looked comfortable, though."

Adora's face warmed as she realized just how close she and Stu still were. She cleared her throat, sitting up more and running a hand through her hair. "We were just tired."

"Uh-huh." Tatum leaned her chin in her hand, watching her with a knowing look.

Adora stretched her arms above her head, the stiffness of the couch settling into her muscles. As she shifted, Stu groaned beside her, blinking awake. His head lolled to the side before he looked up at her, a lazy, sleep-drunk grin spreading across his lips.

"Morning, sunshine," he murmured, voice thick with sleep.

Adora narrowed her eyes, but she couldn't fight the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Morning."

Stu stretched with a dramatic groan before flopping back onto the couch, rubbing a hand over his face. "Did I miss anything?"

"Nah." Adora shook her head, missing how Tatum gave Stu a pushing look, silently telling him he had to talk to Adora.

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Be sure to comment and vote if you want. I love reading them and your support keeps me so motivated!

Okay last chapter for today, but it's weird how motivated I've been for this book lately. I love it <3

Katherine x

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WORDS: 973

POSTED: WEDNESDAY APRIL 02, 2025

WRITTEN: WEDNESDAY APRIL 02, 2025