♡ ink ♡ lrh ♡

♡ seven ♡

♡ ♡ ♡ s e v e n ♡ ♡ ♡

♡ ♡ ♡ g e m m a ♡ ♡ ♡

Luke left late Tuesday night, but I wasn't sad about it. I kind of knew it was going to happen, but I liked that I actually got to say goodbye to him this time. It was a nice goodbye, he kissed my forehead and he told me he hoped to see me soon. While I was walking him to the door, he told me it was best if I didn't tell Rocky. I agreed with him.

Now, Wednesday night, I'm walking into work at 8pm. My uniform was concealing a secret—the five hickeys Luke left scattered all over my chest and neck. There was even a hickey on my nipple, I didn't know that was even possible. It was the first time I ever thanked the fact that my uniform was high-collared. It hid all but one, and I knew it was sure to raise some eyebrows.

I planned on concealing it before work, but then I took a nap and woke up late and didn't have any time. I decided I didn't care enough to do it at work, so I foolishly left my makeup at home. That choice proved to be a mistake, as my anxieties about Rocky seeing it rose. It shouldn't matter. I shouldn't be thinking about it so much. But what was I meant to say when Rocky asked about it?

I hung my bag and coat in the backroom, trying my best to cover my neck with my hair, and said a quick hello to Tim before joining Rocky on the floor. It was pretty busy, the dinner rush hadn't died down yet and there were still a few waitresses sticking around to help out. I started covering the tables in my station.

Bouncing from table to table, I made stupid mistakes and served the wrong food places and cost myself good tips because I was so caught up in my head. My thoughts weren't centered around Luke necessarily, but more the feeling I got from him. The feeling of finally not feeling alone. I don't know what to call it. But that's what it is.

♡ ♡ ♡

It was 2am and we were bored to tears. I was laying on the booth bench, my hair falling over the edge. Rocky was pacing the floor, texting Ashton all the while. I watched her, upside down, her boots clunking with each step and her pail fingers twirling her red hair.

"This sucks," she groaned, stopping in front of the table and looking down at me. "What's that?" she asked.

"What?"

"On your neck." She went to point, but I shot up.

"Shit." I thought about covering it with my hair, but there was no point.

"You little slut!" she teased. "Who gave you that?"

"The guy from the bar," I sheepishly told her, not wanting to admit it was Luke.

"No way! He texted back?"

"Yeah... Well, no. I texted him. I was drunk. He texted me back, and I asked him to come over." Shrugging, I tried to play it off like it hadn't ignited my anxiety.

"I love it. I absolutely love it."

"Oh shut up."

"I'm seeing an all new Gemma-" I cut her off.

"No you're not-" Rocky held up a finger, stopping me.

"It's a beautiful thing. Stop hiding from it." She gave me a knowing smile and returned back to her phone. "Hey, would you mind if I dipped out early?" she didn't look up from texting. "I've got a headache, and I really just want to see Ash."

"No, that's totally fine." It wasn't.

I didn't want to be stuck here alone for the next 30 minutes, but I knew how bad Rocky's headaches could get. And she's let me leave early more times than I could count. I guess I owed it to her, and that was painfully obvious as she grabbed her bag and left the diner. With nothing else to entertain me, I started to clean the tables.