To Kiss Kate

13. the aftermath

Jackson Michaels Point of View:

I woke up in my own bed to a pounding headache and a pounding on my door. I sat up quickly, inducing an even sharper headache. Something moved next to me, and I realized it was Kate. Fuck.

"Jack!? Hello? It's 9:15. We're leaving for church in 15 minutes. You better be ready." My mother yelled from outside my door. Kate turned and realized her surroundings. Fuck. A blurry scene of last night quickly replayed in my head. I wasn't sure what she remembered, but I hoped it was the good parts and not the others.

"Good morning." I said softly, reaching and touching her hair. She smiled a little, her eyes still shut. "We need to talk, I know that. But I have to go to church in Rocky Harbor with my parents." She nodded slowly, her eyes still shut.

"They can't know that I'm here, right?" She mumbled into my mattress. I let my fingers run through her hair again.

"Right." I whispered, hoping to lighten the blow. "I'm gonna get ready and then you can leave after we do. Okay?" She opened her eyes and sat up.

"Okay. Do you have ibuprofen?" I chuckled a little, but thankful for her suggestion. I went into my bathroom and grabbed the bottle, taking two and handing her two more followed by a plastic water bottle which was next to my bed. She seemed to examine my room and her surroundings. "I'm sorry to be this person, but do you have a sweatshirt I can borrow? I look kind of trashy wearing this at 9 am." I smiled wide.

"You look perfect, Kate." I handed her a sweatshirt off the back of my desk chair and kissed her forehead. She picked up her phone and began to look at it as I was supposed to be getting ready, which reminded me. Where was my phone? I glanced at my night stand and checked the pocket of my jeans. Nothing. "Do you know where my phone is?" I asked her. She giggled for a second.

"Hendricks texted me and said he had it. But then he put it in the kitchen at Alex's and left it." Great. That was a fun situation.

"I can pick it up for you if you want. I'm gonna walk to Genny's and get my car. Alex's isn't far from there. I'm sure I'll see you later." I began buttoning a light blue shirt.

"Yeah. For our talk." She nodded and repeated after me. "Do you have to work?" She pressed her lips together.

"I'm gonna call in. Not worth it today." She seemed unsure but serious all at once.

"Sunday's are like the busiest days aren't they?" I asked.

"Exactly. Not in the mood. I'm working evening shift anyways, not happening." I buttoned my pants and slid on my socks.

"Okay so lets make a plan since I don't have my phone..." She smiled. Everything seemed okay so far.

"Let's meet at the park at like 2? When do you get out of church?" I looked in the mirror at my hair disappointedly.

"I'll be home around 12. Let's meet at 1." Her wanting to meet in a public place wasn't too much of a good sign in my opinion, but I guess she was used to Jason's volume. I was nervous, I wanted to talk now, but I couldn't. She nodded.

"Sounds good." My hair seemed to be fixed, and besides the fact that I still looked terrible, it would work.

"Okay so we're leaving at like 9:30. I guess like 9:50 leave... The code to the front door is 0068. I'm really sorry." She smiled, unfazed.

"It's really alright." I pecked her lips and left my room.

I wished that I could talk to my friends about last night before I talked to her. I needed advice, bad. I had no idea where we stood. My lack of a phone would make that even worse.