Red

Chapter Seventeen

Chandler POV:

Veronica left to go to the bathroom, and I paid while she was gone. Oops.

She comes back and immediately realizes what's happened, and a sort of half-angry, half-defeated look appears on her face. I just smile at her as she returns to her seat, leaning back and taking a sip of the second Shirley Temple I've ordered tonight. "What's wrong, babe?" I tease.

"I said I was paying!" she says indignantly.

"Yes, but you left," I point out. "I'll take the opportunity if it presents itself, and it did."

"God damn it, Chandler," she mutters, crossing her arms. 

"Oh, come on." I reach over and push a piece of hair out of her face. "You can't stay mad at me."

"Sure I can," she replies.

I watch her for a moment, and she keeps that same expression on her face, trying her best to maintain the look. I smirk, leaning forward and pressing my lips against hers, cupping her cheek gently as I do so. When I pull away again, her cheeks are pink, and a small smile appears on her face. 

"That's what I thought," I say.

"I'm paying next time, though, okay?" she replies, exasperated.

"Fine," I say, laughing.

She takes a final sip of her drink, and then we get ready to leave. I grab my purse, and she grabs hers, and we walk arm-in-arm out of the restaurant. As we walk through the parking lot towards my car, I see an older couple staring at us. The man mutters something indistinguishable to his wife, but the look on his face makes it clear that he doesn't approve of us. I want to say something to him, but Veronica seems to take notice of him. She looks at him for a good five seconds before she pulls me in for another kiss. Her lips taste like cherries from the Shirley Temple, and I smile as she kisses me. The man and his wife both look appalled, but there's a proud smile on Veronica's face. I smirk, and she takes my hand, giving it a squeeze.

Once we get back to the car, I slip into the driver's seat and she gets in next to me. I give her another smile, and she smiles back. "That was great, Sawyer," I say. "How you dealt with them."

"I figured it's what you would have done," she replies.

I laugh. "You're probably right." I pause for a moment, looking at her. "You really do look amazing."

"Thanks," she says, and the blush appears in her cheeks again. She's the best girlfriend I could ask for. I told Mac about my mom... so why not Veronica? 

As I start the car, I realize that I feel guilty about not telling her. Maybe it's just because I'm afraid that Veronica will confront my mom. I'm still convinced that she didn't tell me something that happened on homecoming night. I know she was crying when she walked out of that gymnasium. If he hurt her at all, I swear to God I'll kick his ass. Since I am fairly sure that he hurt her, I really don't need her confronting my mom. He may be bad, but my mom is worse. She's abusive. She always has been. I know to avoid her to avoid getting hurt, but Veronica... Veronica doesn't know her like I do. She'll get herself hurt.

***

I'm still mulling over it when we get back to Mac's house. I pull into the driveway, turning off the engine. I get out, getting my purse and walking with Veronica up to the front door of the guest house. I reach into my bag and pull out the key Mac had given to me. I unlock the door for Veronica, opening it so that she can walk inside. She gives me a smile as she goes in, and I follow, closing the door behind us.

"So... are we watching a movie?" she asks.

"Tell me, Sawyer," I say, moving closer to her. She takes a step backward into the house, her cheeks turning pink again. "Do you really want to watch a movie?"