𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐌𝐄 // Billy Hargrove

The bruise

My school day ended, and I was now walking with Steve towards my car.

"So, I was thinking chocolate flavored ice cream? And maybe some strawberry too?" Steve asked me.

"Oh...yeah, about that...I'm going to have to raincheck." I said giving my best apologetic smile.

"Oh, really? Why?" He asked me a bit disappointed.

I look at my car and see who's parked right in front. Of course. Billy is leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. As soon as he saw us, he did a little wave which made chuckle.

"No. No, no, no, no. God, no!" Steve said as he looked between Billy and I.

"Steve, please calm down." I said, holding his shoulders so he would look at me.

"You're seriously gonna dump me over him. Really?" He said a little mad. Not because I was ditching him, but because I was ditching him to be with Billy.

"It's not like that, Steve. We're just going to hang out. After last night I really owe him one." I said trying to make him understand my point of view.

"Alright, do whatever you wanna do. Just remember this: if he ends up breaking your heart, that's not on me." He said sternly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'll call you later." He said kissing my forehead, leaving towards his car.

I took a deep breath before I went to Billy.

"Hey there, princess." He said smirking at me.

"Hey, Cali. I thought it was established by now that I was the Queen." I said raising my eyebrow.

"Oh, and you are. Princess is just more fun to say." He said before taking a big drag on the cigarette.

"Well, okay then." I said smiling lightly.

I walked over him and leaned against his car, next to him.

"You have your little brother today?" He asked me.

"Yup. I gotta take him home before going to... hang out, with you." I said looking at the middle school building.

"Calm down, I don't bite." He said laughing. "Only if you want me to." He whispered in my ear. I slapped his arm playfully which made him laugh.

"Billy!" I exclaimed with a joking serious face.

"I'm kidding! Kind of." He said and we both chuckled.

A few minutes went by and Dustin and Max were nowhere to be seen.

"Screw it. The little shit can skate home." He said throwing his burned-out cigarette to the floor.

"First of all, don't talk like that about Max. Second of all, what about Dustin? I can't just make him walk home." I said almost scolding him.

"He can take a ride with his friends, can he not?" Billy asked as if it was obvious.

"I mean, yes but-"

"Then let's go." He said opening his car's door.

"Well, what about my car?" I asked him.

"I can just drop you off here and you can your car to whatever you have at 5. Sounds good?" He asked me.

"Sounds good." I said opening the passenger's door.

Billy and I were in the car listening to his rock mixtape as usual, when suddenly he reduced the volume.

"I have been meaning to ask you something." He started. I nodded my head for him to keep going. "What the fuck actually happened last night? When I got to the bathroom, Rafe was already on the floor unconscious. How did that happen?" He asked me.

I knew this was going to come up eventually, I just didn't expect for it to be today. I glanced at my wrist before taking a deep breath.

"So, basically, he was all over me, touching me, kissing me..." I hesitated and he placed his left hand on my knee for comfort. "I don't really know what happened next, I just remember being able to push him off of me. I guess he must've slipped and hit his head on the door, I'm not really sure. I wasn't paying much attention after he got off of me." Technically I wasn't not lying, so don't come for me.

"Oh, okay. I guess that's understandable." He said, dropping the subject. Thank God.

I knew he had more questions, but I wasn't really ready to answer them right now.

"Where are we?" I asked him as he parked the car. We were near a cliff with the view of the whole city. I've been here for 4 years and never knew this existed.

"The only good place this shithole has." He said as he left the car, making me do the same.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked him as we leaned against his car facing the view.

"Because just like this place, you're the only person here I can tolerate. Be happy about that." He told me.

"Yeah, I'm exploding with joy." I said rolling my eyes, trying to hide the fact that I actually was happy that he said that about that.

"I know you are." He teased.

"Jerk." I said playfully.

"Baby, I know." He said before winking, making me roll my eyes.

A few minutes went by and we were singing along Highway to Hell by ACDC. He stretched and when his arms when up, his shirt did too. I, of course, looked but I never expected to see what I saw.

"Billy?" I called.

"What?" He asked looking down at me.

"Who did that?" I said pointing at his bruised area that was again covered up by his shirt.

"Did what?" He asked playing dumb.

"Stop playing dumb." I said before I pulled up the end of his shirt, revealing the purple bruise. "Holy shit." I said under my breath as I took a better look at it.

"That was just-" He started as he tried to make me let go of his shirt but I didn't budge.

"Don't even try saying that it was Rafe because we both know that he could never do a bruise like that. So, I'm going to ask you again, who did that?" I asked looking him straight in the eye.

"No one. Drop it." He spat, grabbing my wrist tightly so I wasn't grabbing his shirt.

"Billy." I warned. He realized how strongly he was holding my wrist and he let go.

"Sorry." He said after a minute of silence, avoiding my stare.

"Billy, please tell me who did that." I pleaded.

"I can't, so just drop it." He said, finally looking at me but this time with glossy eyes.

"Oh, Billy." Out of impulse I did something that I didn't think I ever would. I hugged him. I felt his tense muscles relax under my touch as he hesitantly hugged me back. When he finally did, he hugged me tightly, almost like he needed this hug for a while now. "I'm here... I'm here for you." I whispered as I played with his hair trying to sooth him as he silently cried on my shoulder.

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Hey guys!! How are you enjoying this book so far?

I'm going to update another chapter, so I'll see you there!