You're Welcome

Chapter 7

Sally wakes with a groan to grey sunlight lighting the room and the sound of snoring in her ear. For her that sound was worse than waking to a construction site. She rolls over and comes face to face with Noel. She sucks in a breath, a thrill running through her as she remembers last night. She bites her lip watching him sleep, his eyelashes brushing his cheek as he breathes steadily, snoring loudly. She winces, smiling. She sighs quietly, unsure of what to do. She doesn't know whether she should leave. She doesn't know if she's just another one night stand and she feels her heart crack a little at the thought. She knows she should leave. In her opinion, he deserves so much better than her, he deserves someone who was whole not broken, he doesn't deserve damaged goods. It was nothing to do with the way she looked, she was modest but she felt that she was pretty. It was how she was on the inside.

She reaches out tentatively and touches his soft hair, gently brushing his fringe to the side in his usual style, smiling to herself. His breathing hitches and she snatches her hand away, scared to wake him up. With a silent sigh, she creeps out of bed, frantically searching for something to cover her naked body. She finds the silk dressing gown and pulls it on, looking around for the bag with her clothes. She curses as she picks it up, realizing that she's going to have to squelch home.

"Where are you off to?" Noel's voice makes Sally jump guiltily and she turns to face him startled.

"I didn't mean to scare ya," he says softly his voice croaky from just being up and Sally forces a small laugh. He looks her up and down, clutching the bag with her wet clothes.

"Don't go," he whispers, blinking up at her with big blue eyes and smiling reassuringly. She can't help the smile in return and she crawls back into the bed, Noel wrapping his arms around her and squeezing. Lying on their sides, she buries her head in his chest inhaling his smell and she's surprised by how quickly she recognizes his scent. Noel kisses the top of her head tenderly, holding her tightly to him.

"Sally..." Noel voice rumbles in his chest and Sally feels the vibration in her cheek.

"Last night... Well I -... fuck I'm no good at this," Noel sighs and Sally tenses, waiting for him to ask her to leave.

"I'd like for you to stick around. Stay wi me," Noel says shyly and Sally remains silent.

"Sally say somethin, please," He groans pushing her away slightly to see her face. Sally bites her lip, looking away from him. She looks up at his pleading eyes and she kisses him hard, throwing herself into him, feeling how soft his lips are against his, the way his body encloses hers, the heat of his skin against hers and his wonderful smell, his calloused hands on her smooth skin. She pulls away breathless and he looks at her with wide eyes.

"I don't know," she whimpers and gets up, leaving Noel in a state of shock as she dresses and squelches home, the look of hurt and confusion on Noel's face branded behind her eyes.

***

A couple of days later and Sally is still in her bed. When she'd got home she just curled up and stayed there, not eating, not drinking. Noel is all she can think about, how amazing he'd made her feel and how empty she feels now. She feels hollow. He's like pure cocaine, the high was nothing like Sally's ever felt but now she's coming down and she's coming down hard. She couldn't get out her bed and she didn't want to. She just lays there, listening to him sing and arguing with herself. She wants to go to him, just run all the way to his hotel, pay any cost and inhale him in, to calm her shaking and the beginnings of her addiction to him but she can't.