69Conner didn't want to get up. He just wanted to lie there in Melissa's arms until…well…forever. Sometime during the night they had shifted so that his breathe hit against her neck. His arm was dead from being under her side all night. Admittedly, he felt kind of like a girl, lying on her shoulder the way he was. Something about her was comfortable, like she was born with a nurturing instinct. The few times Connor had been cuddled by his mother, he had always felt a block between them, like she didn't really want him there. He didn't get the feeling from Melissa at all. It wasn't the best comparison but it was the only one he knew. For some reason, he knew their kids would be loved. At that thought his eyes snapped open. Where the fuck did that come from? This was dangerous territory he was getting into, they had only just met. Not really wanting too, he untangled himself from her, hoping he wouldn't wake her up as he did so. Just was he was getting up off the bed, her brown eyes fluttered open.
"Oh, hey," She said, stretching, he heard her back pop.
She was still wearing her white prom dress, which was now crumpled and wrinkled. However, the shimmering effect the dress had in the lights of the gym hadn't faded, at least to CJ they didn't.
"Hey," He said softly, surprisingly he hadn't slept that well in years.
"Sorry I asked you to stay here…" She sat up, pulling her dress down to her knees so she didn't show off anything, "I didn't think I'd fall asleep.
"It's cool," He smiled and put his hand on hers, "I fell asleep too."
They sat there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to say. Thoughts swam around CJ's head, he knew what to say after a one night stand, but this wasn't one. In truth, he didn't know what to call it. He wanted it to be more than just two friends falling asleep together. On the other hand, he wanted to pretend that it hadn't changed his feelings for her. It wasn't as if he didn't like her anymore, in fact they had become more intense. It scared him, not knowing how it had affected her. Did she feel something for him too now? Or did she just want to take it at face value? From her eyes, he could tell she was thinking about it too.
"So…" She drew out the word, "Do you want to go get breakfast?" Her words were slow, showing she was still tired.
His heart clenched a little, but took her lead of pretending nothing was different, he even managed a smile "Sure, I'm starving."
"I have to change first," Following her words, she got up off the bed, "We can stop by your room before we head down to the cafeteria." Pulling her phone out of the bodice of her dress, which looked a little painful, she started to text, "Wow, I can't believe my phone was in my bra all night. Sorry, I'm asking Tessa if she was at the dance when we left."
Peeking at the clock, CJ nodded, "Totally cool, it's still early, what do you say we go to town for breakfast?"
Mid-text, she stopped and looked at him in shock, "You mean, like a date?"
"Only if you want to make it one, I'd like to take you on a date." A smile grew across his face, "I don't think that time at the diner counted."
Thinking about it for a second, Melissa frowned, "I don't know… I might be forced into doing damage control with Tessa MIA for the day."
"We can go to Shari's."
He eyes brightened. Between babysitting her friends and going on a date to her favorite restaurant, CJ hoped he knew which one she would pick. As it turned out, he was right.
"I don't have any money." A smile broke out on CJ's face.
"I already told you I can pay!" CJ laughed and Melissa held the receipt booklet out of his reach.
It was about 45 minutes, a bus ride, and a rib sticking Shari's breakfast later since Melissa agreed to go on the date. As best as he could, CJ had tried to hide the amount of the meal from her. When he wasn't looking, Melissa grabbed it off the table. After seeing the price of the meal, Melissa had refused to let him pay all of it. Currently, he was reaching across the table to try and get it back but was laughing too hard to make an honest attempt.
"So? I told you I found a twenty in my pants, so I can help pay."
"No, this is a date, remember? The girl doesn't pay." He gave up reaching across the table but still smirked. It was time to change his tactic.
"Not if you're going Dutch, which we are." She still held the booklet high above her head.
He began slowly making his way around the booth to her side, "How about this," He put his arm up on the back of the seat and got his face close to hers, "You can pay me back?"
Her face started to flush a little, "It would have to wait until next month, that's when my mom sends me money."
He brought his hand up to her face and caressed her face with his thumb, "That's not what I meant." He spoke quietly, so only she could hear him as his thumb moved to trace her lips.
Staring at him curiously, she asked, "Isn't this how the chick from Pretty Woman started in the business?" Her breath was warm against his thumb.
Having never actually heard of the movie, CJ laughed, "What?"
"Pretty Woman, it's a movie. This really rich guy hires a prostitute to basically be his girlfriend for a week, but they end up falling in love and all that stuff. It has the dude from Shallow Hal in it. Not Jack Black, the other guy. Julia Roberts plays the hooker."
"Never heard of it," CJ quickly grabbed the booklet from her while she gaped at him, "Ha!"
"Butt-face!" Melissa teased, reaching back for the booklet.
"Not a chance." He said, "I already told you I was going to pay."
This time he held it out of her reach. To his surprise, she didn't give up. She reached across him so far she was practically in his lap. The table hadn't been designed for two people to sit comfortably on top of each other, so Melissa had to turn sideways, her chest bumping against CJ's in her quest to grab the check back. Unable to help himself, CJ stole a peek down her shirt then mentally slapped himself for doing so. Friends didn't check out friend's cleavage. That was all they were, friends. For some reason, the word dug into CJ's chest and didn't let go.
Marcus couldn't believe the sight in front him. The love of his life was practically crawling onto the jackass she'd gone to the dance with last night, trying to reach for a check booklet. The asshole must have taken her money and was refusing to give it back. Damn it, why couldn't she pick guys that at least treated her right? Sure, he had cheated on her, but that was months ago. He started to take a step toward the door of Shari's when Blane, of all people, grabbed his arm."
"Dude, don't do anything I would normally let you do." Blane said.
If not for the pounding hangover kicking his ass, Marcus would have listened to his younger brother. But Blane had that fucking cocky smile on his face, the one that looked too much like Dad's. Marcus wanted to punch it off his face. He tore his arm away and staggered a little, the hangover making him dizzy.
"Shut the fuck up, Blane. It was your idea to come here. If she just happens to be here than I'm going to fucking talk to her. At least in public she can't through shit at me."
"Come one Marcus," Evan said, his voice hoarse from the impromptu concert he sang at last night with his old band, "You can't seriously still be on that shit. Mel has moved on, fucking deal with it."
"He's on it like a crack head!" Avery laughed. He even pushed his band mate toward the squabbling duo behind the glass, "go get yo' fix, motha' fucka'."
Turning on his heel, Marcus pushed Avery away from him, not in the mood for games, "Don't fucking touch me." He ran a hand through his shaggier than ever hair, "Anybody got a smoke?"
Silently, Blane pulled a pack out of his jacket pocket and pulled out one for him and his older brother. Nobody questioned where he got it from or why he had it, even though long ago he promised his brothers he would quit. The attention was on Marcus right now, which suited Blane just fine. He half listened to the conversation between Evan and Marcus. It was old, drawn out drama. The same shit Marcus had been bitching about for months. Taking a long drag, Blane thought of the promise he'd broken.
Last night, he'd broken his promise to Leah and didn't see a reason to stop now. It didn't help that he had gone knocking on her door in the middle of the night begging for her to take him back. He could hear her cry loudly through the door and it had killed him, until he heard the male voice on the other side comforting her. Anger boiled up inside him and he tried his best to kill it with a drag on the cigarette. At the moment, any promises he had made her could go fuck themselves. At the moment, he needed somebody to be as pissed off as he was. At the least something funny to take his mind off of how pissed he was. He caught Dave, the guitarist for Evan and Marcus' band standing in front of the window, his big frame blocking any sight to the other side. Blane leaned back and spit on the ground, also stealing a look around the big senior.
"Looks like Mel really has moved on." He said, happily enough to know it would piss off Marcus.
"What?" Marcus whirled, before Dave could get in the way, and saw the couple kissing. Being closest, Blane knew he should have stopped his brother, but he pretended to let his brother push past him. Oh yeah, this was going to be fucking hilarious.
Sorry this is such a short chapter after not uploading in forever. I got really tired of this story ark and am just trying to get it moved along and into the next one, SORRY!