Frightful Reunion

Ch4

You bolt upright in bed, but immediately regret it when your entire skull starts pounding. Cradling your head in your hands, you take deep breaths until it passes. With a sigh of relief, you glance around your room, struggling to remember the previous night.

Brief flashes of Jerry's hands on your hips bring a blush to your cheeks, and more pain. Taking a few more deep breaths seems to relieve it, bringing more flashes of Jerry's lips on your neck, but then it all goes blank.

Feeling a dull throb through your entire body, you throw off your covers and get up to move toward the bathroom. As soon as you flip the light switch, you catch your reflection in the mirror; you're wearing the same clothes as yesterday, with the exception of your jacket.

"What the hell?" Leaning forward over the sink and notice your eyes looking darker than usual. Turning slightly side to side, you also notice a light bruise forming on your neck.

With a sigh, you turn on the shower, cranking the heat way up before stepping in.

The hot water relaxes your tense muscles, and the steam seems to ease your headache. However, you still can't remember much of last night, especially not how you got back to your room.

Wrapping a towel around yourself as you step out, you decide to check the mirror again. Wiping the steam away with your hand, you lean forward, happy to see that your eyes seem back to normal. Your neck however... may have gotten worse. Pursing your lips, you run a finger along the tender skin, wishing you could remember exactly what had happened.

Throwing on some clothes, including an oversized hoody to pull up around your neck, you make your way downstairs.

Before you can escape out the door, you hear your dad call out for you from the kitchen. Taking a few steps back, you manage to give him a smile from where he sits sipping his coffee at the counter.

"When did you get in last night?"

He offers you a cup, but you shake your head. "I can't really remember to be honest, but I think I left my jacket at the neighbor's so I was gonna go pick it up."

With a sly smile, he leans back in his chair, wiggling his eyebrows in insinuation.

"Yeah, no." You narrow your eyes at him in warning. "Nothing happened dad."

"Well you seem to be spending a lot of time together." He shrugs, and then motions to the counter beside you. "Your phone was ringing earlier by the way."

Assuming it was one of your business partners calling with an emergency, you check it immediately, but it's from a new number and there's no voicemail. Opening your messages, you notice 3 new messages from the same unknown number.

'Hey it's Jerry, checking to make sure you made it home safe.'

'I'm assuming you fell asleep. '

'Hey I have a huge favor to ask.. '

Assuming you had gotten his number last night and just didn't remember, you type out a quick message in reply: 'Sorry I definitely knocked out last night. What did you need help with at 3 am??'

Shoving the phone in your pocket, you rummage through the pantry to find a protein bar for a breakfast snack. You dad pretends to not be watching, but you know better.

With an exasperating huff, you turn to him again. "What is it?"

He sips his coffee innocently.

"Dad...."

"Did you ask him to the party?" He asks curiously.

Groaning, you roll your eyes. "Yes, I asked him."

He leans forward, waiting patiently, but before you can say anything else, your phone dings with a new message.

Jerry: 'Design advice again.'

Your phone dings again with a second message. 'Would you be able to come over for a bit?'

Glancing up to your dad, you notice you must have been smiling at your phone, because there's a huge 'I told you so' style smirk plastered across his face. Rolling your eyes again, you type out a quick response. 'I can be over in a few minutes.'

Jerry: 'I'll be in the basement. Feel free to let yourself in.'

With a quick goodbye to your dad, not waiting to listen to his questions about the strange neighbor he knew nothing about, you grab a bottle of water and your keys.

It only takes a few minutes to get to Jerry's, as promise, and you decide to text a quick 'Here.' before moving to let yourself in. But you can't help but smile to yourself as you notice the newly painted porch; he had taken your suggestion.

The house still seems in a state of disarray, but you distinctly notice 2 wine glasses by the sink, along with an empty bottle of wine, and several beer bottles. That could definitely explain your foggy memory... Although you could have sworn you didn't drink anything.

Moving around the corner, you call out, "Jerry?"

It doesn't take long to hear his somewhat muffled voice. "Down here!"

Turning in the general direction, you find an open door with a staircase leading down. You take the first step, but Jerry comes around the corner, a broad smile forming as soon as he sees you.

"Hey there." He easily takes the stairs 2 at a time, coming to stand beside you. Seeming to notice the hoody and your less enthusiastic greeting, his brows turn up in slight concern. "You feeling alright?"

Shrugging, you shove your hands in the pocket of your hoody. "I just woke up with a headache, and last night is a bit foggy."

With a chuckle, he moves into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and tossing it to you before grabbing another for himself. "Always helps when I'm hungover."

You set the apple on the counter, pulling your protein bar and water out of the big pocket that makes large hoodies your favorite thing in the world.

He shrugs, rubbing the apple against his shirt with a smile on his face before leaning back against the counter to watch you.

"So..." Motioning toward the wine and beer beside the sink, you look to him in question. "I really am a bit fuzzy on last night."

Seeming to ponder an explanation, he takes a bite of his apple, keeping his eyes on you as you hop up onto the counter and crack open your water.

"Where does it go blank?" He takes another bite, seeming very nonchalant and unconcerned with your memory loss. Which you suppose should be comforting, it at least meant nothing too serious happened.

Warmth rises in your cheeks as you tug off your hoody, exposing your bruise.

His brows turn up in concern again as he tosses his apple in the trash and then moves closer, running his thumb gently across the discolored skin. "Does it hurt?"

You shake your head. "Not really, but I don't remember much after talking about the party. Something about you wanting to dress up as vampires?"

He smirks, tugging the collar of his shirt down to reveal a bruise just below his collar bone. "I suppose you don't remember returning the favor then?"

"I don't even remember drinking anything." Pursing your lips, you begin to feel a light throb return in your temples.

Jerry seems to notice. He places his hand under your chin, tilting your head to the side so he can get a better look at your neck. "Are you sure this doesn't hurt?"

"I just keep getting these weird headaches."

He leans in closer, pressing a soft kiss to your bruise. "Maybe you should lay down."

Before you can protest, he places another kiss, then another, each more eager than the last, until you forget about your headache. In fact, everything seems so warm and comfortable. Fuzzy even...

You barely even register when his tongue trails along your pulse point.