Lina groaned as she slowly blinked awake, her body stiff from the awkward position she had slept in. Her limbs felt like fucking bricks, and for a second, she debated just staying in bed all day.
But the smell of last night's exhaustion clung to her skin, and that was enough to make her drag herself up.
"Fuck," she muttered, rubbing her eyes before stretching her arms above her head. Her neck cracked, and she winced. Yeah, sleeping without showering had been a mistake.
Without wasting another second, she got up and shuffled straight to the bathroom. The tiles were cold under her feet, a sharp contrast to the summer heat that had started creeping in through the windows.
The second she stepped under the shower, the warm water hitting her skin, she let out a relieved sigh. She took her time, scrubbing every inch of her body, washing away the sweat and stress of yesterday. The soap smelled like vanilla and something faintly floral—one of those cheap body washes she had picked up at the store, but it did the job.
Once she was done, she wrapped herself in a towel and padded back into the room. Her hair dripped water onto the floor as she dug through the small storage space in the corner, pulling out some clean clothes. But first—food.
She was fucking starving.
Her little kitchenette wasn't much, just a counter with a portable stove, a few shelves, and a mini-fridge that hummed loudly in the silence. She grabbed some eggs and bread, deciding to keep it simple. A quick omelet with some sliced tomatoes and onions, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper. She let it cook on low heat while she tossed two slices of bread onto a pan, toasting them to a crisp golden brown.
By the time she sat down to eat, the smell alone was enough to make her stomach growl. She dug in, taking slow bites, savoring the slight crunch of the toast and the soft, well-seasoned eggs. It wasn't a five-star meal, but fuck it, it was good.
She finished her breakfast in silence, her mind already wandering.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she had a day off.
No running around the office. No dealing with annoying clients. No feeling like she was seconds away from snapping at her superiors.
It should've felt like a blessing, but instead, it felt like punishment.
She had fuck-all to do.
Her first instinct was to call Bella. Bella always had something to talk about—gossip, work drama, some crazy shit happening in town. She was literally a walking news station.
Lina grabbed her phone and dialed Bella's number, propping it against her ear as she waited.
It rang twice before Bella picked up.
"Ugh, finally," Lina groaned before Bella could even say hello. "Babe, I'm fucking dying over here. Entertain me before I start talking to my toaster."
A dramatic sigh came from the other end. "Lina, please. Not this early. I haven't even caused chaos yet."
Lina snorted. "Lies. You wake up causing chaos. I know you. You probably already made some poor dude question his entire life choices this morning."
Bella laughed. "Okay, maybe. But he deserved it. Who the fuck wears flip-flops to a corporate job? Like, sir, this isn't the beach."
Lina let out a cackle. "You're actually evil."
"I prefer the term 'life coach.'"
"Right. Anyway, tell me something. Spill some tea. I need drama. I am begging you."
Bella let out another sigh, this time way too dramatic. "I would, babe, but I'm actually busy today."
Lina frowned. "Busy? Bitch, doing what?"
"Work, obviously. Some of us still have responsibilities, you know."
Lina gasped. "So you're really choosing your paycheck over me? Wow. The betrayal."
Bella snorted. "Babe, my landlord doesn't accept 'bestie time' as rent."
Lina groaned, flopping back onto the bed. "Fuck. So you're telling me I'm gonna sit here all day, bored as hell, while you go off and be a responsible adult? This is a hate crime."
"It's called life, babe. But hey, maybe use this free time to do something productive."
Lina made a face. "Like what?"
"I don't know… clean your room? Read a book? Stalk your situationship?"
"I do not have a situationship."
Bella snorted. "Right. So you're totally not obsessed with your rich-ass boss? Got it."
Lina sat up. "Oh, fuck off."
Bella laughed. "Alright, I really gotta go, babe. Try not to die of boredom, okay?"
Lina huffed. "You fucking suck."
"You love me."
"Unfortunately."
Bella cackled before hanging up.
Lina stared at the phone in disbelief.
What. The. Fuck.
So she was really just supposed to sit here? Alone? Doing absolutely nothing?
Hell. No.
She glanced around her messy room, contemplating cleaning up. But she immediately shut that idea down. Not today.
Then, an idea popped into her head.
Her parents.
She hadn't visited them in forever. Maybe she could use this boredom as an excuse to finally go.
Yeah, that was better than rotting away in her apartment all day.
She got up and moved to her small closet, flipping through her clothes. She had to be careful with this shit. Her mom was the definition of overprotective, and if she wore something even remotely tight or revealing, she'd never hear the fucking end of it.
It was summer, so it had to be something light, but also something that wouldn't send her mom into a fit.
After a few minutes, she settled on a simple white tank top, paired with loose beige linen pants that sat comfortably on her hips. It was breathable, casual, but still presentable. She grabbed a pair of flat sandals, slipping them on with ease.
Her hair was still damp, so she ran her fingers through it, smoothing out the strands before tying it up into a low ponytail. Light makeup—just some lip balm and a touch of powder to keep from looking like she just rolled out of bed.
Satisfied, she grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.
Her eyes flickered to the disaster zone that was her apartment. Clothes tossed on the bed, dishes still in the sink, a half-empty cup of coffee sitting on her nightstand.
She groaned. "I'll deal with this shit when I get back."
With that, she swung the door open and stepped out.