The Summer I'll Never Forget.

13

I woke up and my head pounded as soon as i opened my eyes. Oh, i hate alcohol.
I sat up, ignoring the pain in my head and took in my surroundings. Lucas' top, alone in bed... what the hell had happened last night?

I walked downstairs and saw Lucas sleeping on the couch, Cameron sat on the other couch watching TV.

"Morning" i said to Cameron, who looked at me and smiled.

"You look like shit" he laughed, "here, sit. I'll get you some coffee"

I sat on the sofa and thought about last night. How good prom was, how I'd won against Kostas finally and the after party where I'd gotten way too drunk, again. I looked over at a sleeping Lucas and immediately saw the massive bruise on his neck, accompanied by a few smaller ones.

Then, like a dam breaking, it all flooded back to me. The cab ride...

"Oh, my, god" i said hiding my face in my hands.

"What?" Cameron said handing me my cup of coffee.

"You don't want to know" i said, embarrassed.

"Morning" Anna said, walking to where we were sitting. She took my cup and drank some coffee.

"Morning" i replied, not even bothering to comment on our drink sharing. "Where have you been?"

"Cameron the gentleman here, let me crash in his bed whilst he took the sofa"

"Such a gentleman" i said, grateful he hadn't decided to join Anna in bed.

"Why is he sleeping on the couch?" She asked gesturing to a still sleeping lucas. "Did y'all fight or something?"

"I don't think so" i lied. I knew we hadn't fought. But i don't know why he was on the couch.

"Ugh, my head is killing me"

I heard Lucas start to stir and braced myself for whatever was about to come.

"Morning alcoholics." He said, sitting up, rubbing his face in that oh so familiar way.

"What the hell is that on your neck?" Anna asked, speaking too loudly for me right now.

He raised his hand to his neck in attempt to hide it. "Nothing"

"That's not nothing." She said. "Who's been giving you hickeys?"

His eyes automatically landed on me, a playful smirk playing on his lips.

I'm glad someone found this funny.

Cameron coughed, "Well, clearly the after party was a good one. How about we go get some breakfast? You two go shower and we will go"

Anna listened, standing up to have the first shower.

"You're welcome" Cameron whispered to me, nudging my shoulder.

"You knew" i whispered back.

"I heard y'all come in last night, and he slept down here looking some type of way... if you know what i mean"

"Oh, my, god" i said closing my eyes in embarrassment. "Get out, go shower. Go... do something"

He laughed, but stood up and left us to it.

"Look" i said, not sure where to start. "I'm so-"

"Don't apologise" he said, trying not to laugh. "Don't worry about it"

"Why did you sleep down here?"

"Hayley..." he said, which brought a flashback from last night along with it. "Do you even remember last night? How we got home?"

"Bits of it" i said, "I remember the car ride" I coughed awkwardly, "and that's about it. I don't remember the details or anything, so ... enlighten me"

He seemed to contemplate whether to tell me or not, his decision making face all too familiar.

"You were... the cab ride was heated. You were on some mad one, and as much as i wanted to join in, I couldn't take advantage of you like that. I knew you wouldn't remember, and when it happens, i want you to remember" he winked.

I rolled my eyes.

"You weren't stopping and it was hard but i knew i needed to stop you or I'd be at a place of no return"

"You make it sound so one sided" i said, getting defensive of my drunk self.

"Believe me, it wasn't one sided. But I couldn't in good conscience join in or allow you to continue. Hay, you freaking asked me to get into bed with you. Do you know how much you tested my control?"

"I'm guessing a lot" i said sheepishly.

"Yeah" he scoffed, "I'd say"

"But, why didn't you stay upstairs."

"Hayles, when i say you were on one, i mean you were on one. I had to get you undressed and into my T-shirt, which was hard enough. How the hell was i supposed to lay next to you and do nothing with you when I know for a fact you'd be all over me"

"Oh, my, god" i said hiding my face.

"I wouldn't have been able to. So it was just the safest bet for me to sleep down here. Or I'm sure we'd be having an entirely different conversation right now."

"Luc" i sighed, still hiding my face. "I'm so sorry"

He came and sat next to me. "Don't apologise, i mean... I'm definitely not complaining or anything"

"Drunk Hayley is fearless clearly"

"We just have to get sober Hayley to catch up"

I smacked his arm, laughing. He laughed in return. My hand went to his jaw, pushing it back so i could see his neck better. "I really did a number on you didn't i"

"Oh, you did." He laughed. "Don't worry hayles. I'll just say it was one of the other girls who were all over me last night"

I scoffed, "huh, guess i would have been just another notch on your belt then"

His face went serious. "No, Hayley. You wouldn't have been"

I felt my face heat up. He was very sweet.

"Speaking of notches on a belt" he said, "i saw you and Kostas in a semi decent conversation last night... looked like you were going to leave with him at one point... what was that about?"

"We, uh..." i said, unsure of what to tell him, but i knew I didn't want to lie. "I won" i said, the words foreign to me. "He can't blackmail me no more. I won"

"How did you win? Blackmail you with what?"

"I, uh..." i said, thinking of how to word my next sentence. "I said I'd give in... that he can have his way with me"

"What?" Lucas said.

maybe I shouldn't have gone for the whole truth there. "I didn't, obviously. But I thought if i gave him what he wanted then he wouldn't be able to use what he has one me anymore... he'd leave me alone. I guess it paid off"

"What does he have on you?"

I looked at him, "no, Luc. You don't want, or need to know"

"I want to. I want to know all of you"

"No, Luc... i can't" I said, my voice catching in my throat.

"Okay, okay" he hugged me. "You don't have to tell me, but I'm here if you want to. I'll never judge you"

Oh, Luc. You would if you knew. You'd judge the hell out of me.