gladly [haim] DISCONTINUED

xiv

Neely,,

The next day we were both headed to Waffle House with hangovers and hickies all over us. We sat on the booth across one another looking at the table holding our temples. "What may I serve you?" The waitress asked chirpy making us groan. "Coke and a chicken biscuit." I say looking up at her. "Same thing." Corey answered putting his head down. She chuckled knowing how hungover we were at the moment.

He had reached out for my hand with a smile on his face as he held it. "Is it worth it now? That drunk stage of last night?" He asked with a smile making me roll my eyes with a smile on  my face. I had stretched and in that moment he stood up sitting next to me. "You have bruises on those hips, mate." I looked down and noticed them, at the sight I began to laugh hiding my face in his chest. "You also have hickies everywhere." He added holding me in his arms. "All that is thanks to you." I told him, looking up. He smirked giving me a double wink. "I have some you left too. Don't complain." He said lowering his collar down showing them off. I bit lightly that part making him yelp. "No!" He said with a sarcastic tone in his voice before pecking my lips.

Going back to his spot as the lady came back with our food we began to eat as if we hadn't eaten in days. As we were about to finish we began to talk. "How's he hangover going?" He asked making me laugh. "Going down, you?" He shrugged taking the last bite of the biscuit. "I have to drop you off before your parents think bad of this all." I laughed covering my mouth with the hand holding the chicken. "I need ways to hide these." I say pointing at my neck; laughing he ran his fingers over them.

We talked as we finished eating the rest and once it was time to go, I decided to pay. I mean why not, he pays most of the times? Getting in his car I looked through the glove compartment for the concealer I once left in here. In the progress I found a few condoms and what seemed to be phone numbers.

Turning to look at him with the pieces of papers and eyebrows raised questioning the reason why they're there. "Those are old." He replied grabbing my hand with a small laugh. "Why is there so many?" I asked reading the names. "That was in my high school years. I stopped getting them once we hung out more. I'm a loyal dude." I nodded smiling as I put the numbers in my pocket. "I'm keeping them, hide the condoms." He laughed nodding as he took the box putting it under the seat. He parked in front of the house getting out to open the door for me. "Here- turtle neck sweater." It was his and it smelt like him as I put it on. Grabbing my arm to stand up- we walked to the front of the house. "I'll see you later?" He asked making me twist my lips. "Nah, I'll probably get in trouble for coming at noon." He nodded taking me into a hug. "I'll call you later instead." I looked up at him nodding giving him a small peck. "Okay, bye." He kissed the top of my neck then my cheek before whispering something. "See you tomorrow." I nodded smiling at him. He gave me one more hug and as that one lasted a bit longer, the door was open.

We separated as we saw my parents look at us. "See you tomorrow." I nodded as he greeted my parents before leaving towards his car. As we all went in- I walked to the kitchen getting mango juice ready to leave upstairs. "Stop and get down here." I breathed in knowing what this meant.

I sat in the couch with the sweater still on. It was covering the marks and that was fine. In fact it was big. "Why are you coming at noon?" My dad asked making me look at my hands. "We were at a party with Wil, Vivian, and the rest. We all stayed there, but then we decided to get breakfast once we woke up. So we walked to the park to get his car and then went to Waffle House." It was simple talk and if they believe me it would all be fine. The sex part shouldn't be mentioned. "Why at the park?" My mom asked making me look at her. "We went to the park first and then the guys came asking if we wanted to go to the party. So we left the car and went to it in Wil's car." They looked at each other and then back at me. "Who said you could go to the party?" I closed my eyes pinching the bridge of my nose before answering. "No one." I said lowly as I messed with my fingers.