Seven.

Sid's POV

I wake up and stretch; you know, the kind of stretch that feels like heaven after a really hard work out, or in this case a nice romp in the sheets, which brings a smile to my face. I stretch my arm across the bed, hoping to tangle my hand through her hair, but instead I find the sheets cold. I open my eyes to confirm that the bed is empty before letting out a sigh and staggering up to find a pair of pants. This woman sure knows how to deflate a man's ego.

I paddle down the hallway towards the kitchen in hopes that I'll find her perched on a bar stool reading, but of course I don't. That only means she could be two other places; downstairs in the "workout" room or in the library. I cock my head to the side, but when I hear silence from the stairs I know she isn't running off some excess steam so I turn left and head down the hallway.

I walk around the corner slowly, and find exactly what I thought I might. She's sitting in the big over sized chair at the desk, but instead of facing toward the desk she's turned around looking at the bookshelf. This might seem ordinary, except the fact that it's not the bookcase that holds a slew of classic novels. It's the bookcase that holds her old school books.

I continue to stand there and watch her, and eventually she bends forward and picks up a book. I hear her chuckle to herself before she hurls it into the table at the end of the room, a lamp shattering to the floor. And then she takes another book, and does the same. And another. And another.

She slowly starts to sit back down before sobbing to herself.

"Rae?" I ask softly so she knows I'm there. She jumps a little and I know I've startled her, but she looks at me and an easy smile forms on her face. She continues to cry and can only shrug her shoulders while I make my way to her. "What's wrong?"

She points to the computer screen and starts sobbing even more. When I glance at the screen I see another denied work application.

I wake up to a body stirring beside me. I briefly note that it's dark outside before glancing over and seeing Rae. Her eyes are wide and questioning. She glances at me, the sheets, and then down at herself to confirm she has no clothes on.

"Fuck," she murmurs before sliding out of bed and reaching for the closest article of clothing she can find, which happens to be one of my button up shirts. "Ohhhhh fuck," she continues whiling starring at me. She looks like a deer in headlights, and I know that she doesn't remember all of the details from earlier, but she's quickly piecing them together.

"Rae," I begin.

"No... no, no no. Don't speak," she interrupts me. I start to open my mouth, but she cuts me off. "No, don't start," before adding "fuck" again quietly. She takes a deep breath to compose herself and then looks at me. "I need to go," she says before quickly searching the room for her dress, panties, and high heels. She's got them all bundled up in her arms before I can even slide out of the bed. As I do, panic crosses onto her face again as she realizes that I'm naked.

"No," she states firmly. "Stay there," she adds, as if I'll stay like an obedient dog would.

"Rae," I start again, walking towards her very slowly, trying my best not to startle her. "What is wrong?"

"What is wrong?!" she yell whispers. She thinks about answering her own question before just shaking her head. "Fuck," she mumbles again while shaking her head. "I need to go."

"No," I interject. "Not like this," I add. She looks at me, contemplating what I've just said, and I see a moment of hesitation, which is exactly what I need. "Just calm down for a second, okay?" She cocks her head to the side and moves her hand from the door knob. "Can I have my shirt back?

She smirks at me and I smile in return. She pulls my shirt over her head and throws it at my face, which would have successfully covered her naked body from my greedy eyes, except I have excellent reflexes and I catch it before it hits my face. My smile broadens as she shimmies back into her dress.

"Stop looking at me," she murmurs through a small smile while sliding her underwear on underneath her dress.

"You weren't so shy about thirty minutes ago."

She avoids my gaze and walks back over to my bed and sits down. "I'm going to loose my internship," she says while finally looking up at me and then gives a small shrug of her shoulders.

Rae's POV

"No, you aren't," he tells me confidently. I almost want to believe him. "Because we don't have to tell anyone," he adds while pulling on a pair of sweats.

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is," he counters. His crazy statement grabs my attention. "I have had to share a lot while growing up. Everyone always wants an "insider's view" into my life. But they don't need to know everything about me, and nobody needs to know about this," be adds while moving his finger back and forth, indicating the two of us.

"This?" I reply, copying his motions. "Sid, this can never happen again."

"You're right," he replies. "It should have never have happened like this to begin with."

It's like a knife to the upper abdomen.

I understand everything he's saying, because I know it's one hundred percent true, but I can't help but feel deflated at his comment. I look up at his gold-flecked eyes only to find him smiling back at me.

"Which is why you are going to let me take you out on a proper date."