I woke up to the same warm vanilla smell I had the very first night I'd spent here. Immediately a smile broke out on my face as I rolled over, stretching out. I turned facing the other empty side of the bed, where the sheets lay disheveled and pushed back. I blushed, sitting up straight and rubbing my eyes.
"Morning gorgeous," his raspy voice said.
Just like last time, I walked into the kitchen to Lincoln shirtless, flipping pancakes, a huge smile plastered on his face.
"So did you take it off before you fell asleep last night or this morning before getting up?" I smirked.
"Guess you'll never know," he winked, opening up his arm to me. "Either way, it's already gone."
I walked over and wrapped around him, his skin warm under my touch. He pressed a kiss on the top of my head and leaned on me.
"I can't hold you up, I'm not strong like you!" I laughed, trying to keep his body straight as he playfully sank more and more onto me.
He laughed, catching himself before falling, pulling me in once again. "Why can't you have more days off?"
"I have to pay for the apartment I'm not currently living in somehow," I said, fake smiling, walking around the counter and sitting on the stool. I rested my elbows on the counter, and my chin on my hands. "Plus, I have to pay for the damage repairs."
"I already told you, Donny's gonna worry about it, it's gonna be expensive and he wants to help," he reminded.
"But Lincoln, it's not his responsibility," I stated.
"But he's your friend, and he wants to help," he repeated. "Please Aerie, it's no more than that."
I sighed. "I just don't know how I could accept that much of favor, it's really above and beyond what friends would do."
"Then sorry to say, but you've had some pretty awful friends," he laughed lightly. "Speaking of which, is it safe for me to come pick you up or do I have to worry about blondie?"
I shot him a glare. He laughed.
"I'm just gassing you up, not to worry!" He grinned. "Shay, right?" I nodded. "And she still doesn't know?" I nodded again. "Hm."
"I don't know how she'll react, I mean, she thinks you're a right golden boy from what I've told her," I explained.
"You talk to her about me?" He asked, a cute grin pulling at his cheeks.
I blushed. "Here and there."
He nodded smiling, looking at the ground.
"Are you ever gonna tell her?"
"Tell her..."
I looked at my, an intense look in his eyes. "Who I really am."
"Lincoln, it's not like you're a criminal!" I laughed. "She just doesn't know what happened that night."
The more I thought into it, the more I realized I still didn't even know what really happened that night. Besides the obvious, but still. He nodded, looking distraught.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just don't want your friends to think I'm some goon," he confessed.
"Are you kidding, they think you're an angel!" I exclaimed. "Shay just might be surprised when she puts a face with a name. But either way, I don't care what she thinks, she's no control over me."
He nodded, looking a little more enthused that my 'friends' opinions didn't change the way I saw him through my eyes.
But it brought me back to that day we went back to my flat to pack more clothes, Miss O'Daly. When she saw him, she immediately ducked back into her home without another word. I pondered.
