Preacher Man // ross lynch + driver era

5

I glance back at him, my eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Dave's eyes staring at me with too much intensity. Ross snaps at him, "The fuck are you looking at?"

"Um... Hayley, how have you been?" Dave asks, too nonchalant for my liking.

Before I can even open my mouth, Chance rounds the corner. "What are y'all doing? Let's go!" I feel Ross grab onto my hand, intertwining our fingers and pulling me away far too quick before I could even think of answering. Ross continues walking and goes past the front door. Chance says, "Um this way?" Liv is standing near Kayla, telling her what just happened I assume.

Ross shakes his head, "We will be inside in two minutes" and continues pulling me until we are on the other side of the restaurant. I feel his hand drop from mine and push the hair from my eyes. "I don't know what he did, but I can kick his ass if you want me to."

I shake my head and exhale slowly. "Ex-boyfriend. Cheated on me. I walked in on him having sex with someone and I just left. That was the last time I heard or saw him. That was um... three months ago?" I mumble, my heart pounding just thinking about it.

He nods, "I'm so sorry. How long were you together for?" His hand is back on mine, his thumb rubbing gently over my knuckles.

I look at the busy parking lot and answer softly, "two years. But I'm fine now, I just got thrown off track for a minute. I'm okay. Let's go before the rest gets mad."

"Let's get dinner together, just you and me. C'mon."

I give his hand a squeeze and smile at him. "I appreciate it and I appreciate you so much. I want to show him that I'm thriving without him. I had my weak moment and now I have to be strong. I might ask you for the biggest favor in the whole world though."

"Kick his ass? I'll be more than glad to do it." Ross laughs.

I shake my head, "I want to show him that I'm great without him, that what he did phased me, but bettered me in some way. I know, I'm crazy, but I might be a little more flirty with you and show him that I have some hot new guy on my arm that isn't him."

"Oh, so I'm hot now?" His smirk takes over his entire face. "Come on, Princess." He winks and intertwines our fingers.

I roll my eyes at his annoying nickname that he insists on calling me. He leads me through the restaurant to the table that our friends are waiting at. We take the two empty seats in the booth and I immediately apologize, "I'm sorry for making you all wait. I had a moment and needed to get it out."

Ross wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in closer to him. Everyone besides Liv looks at us like we have ten heads. I lean in and tell everyone the synopsis of what happened and they all nod without an ounce of judgment in their eye.

We start talking about what we should do after dinner. Whether it was the movies or ice skating or do the third thing on whatever Yelp tells us to do. Someone clears their throat and says, "Hi. My name is David, I'll be your server tonight. What can I start you off with?" His eyes linger on me for a few moments and I drop my hand onto Ross' thigh before telling him my drink order.

He walks away a minute later to grab our drinks. I lean into Ross and whisper into his ear, "Thank you, I appreciate you." He smiles and as Dave is walking back toward us, he leans down and kisses the top of my head.

We devour our sushi within ten minutes. Everyone is full off the rice and random pieces of seafood. We are sitting there silently as we finish off the rest. "So... ice skating?" Liv asks, her plate cleared with a huge smile on her face. "I wanna learn, Rocky said he'd teach me," she says, glancing up at the man beside her.

"Let's go," Rocky adds.

Ross sighs, leaning back into the cushion. "I think I might skip out. Sarah, I mean Rydel, asked me to help her um move something."

I scoot more toward Kayla so I can look up at him. "No she didn't, you liar," Ellington scoffs.

"If you're leaving to go hookup with some chick, just say it. Nobody cares," I mumble and stare up into his hazel eyes.

I care. Why do I care?

He rolls his eyes and his sudden attitude appears, "I wasn't- that's not what I'm doing, fuck."

"You're messing up the whole car situation if you leave, you ass." Chance says. I like how nobody holds back when Ross' wild attitude appears. This makes him flustered and aggravated, I can see it in his face.

As if it is the only expression I constantly show, I roll my eyes. "Whatever, I'll go home early. I had an early shift and I'm exhausted." My roommates pout at me in response.

We pay and head out to the cars. Everyone calls Ross a party pooper and other joking names so he flips them off as we climb into the car. With the twenty-five minute ride home, the first ten minutes were in silence with the radio playing softly. "Are you alright?" I ask, Ross jumping when my voice is louder than the noise level we were accustomed to.

"I'm not even meeting up with Sarah. I didn't want to go ice skating and I'm sorry I dragged you out with me," he mumbles, his hand gripping the wheel. He glances at me as I stare at him a bit longer, waiting for him to actually answer the question. "Isn't it weird that sometimes you can be surrounded by so many people and still feel so alone?"

His question cuts through me like a knife. A feeling I am all too familiar with.

I nod. "I know how it feels and it sucks so badly. Loneliness is nobody's friend. I think if you are feeling that way then maybe you shouldn't be alone. Why don't you go see Sarah?"

He looks at me with bewildered eyes. "I don't want to see Sarah. She's crazy," he laughs with his eyes now fixated on the road ahead. "Maybe that's what I like? Crazy. I don't know. I'm frustrated."

"Movie and wine night?" I ask, smiling over at him from the passenger seat. "I promise I won't be crazy."

Ross nods, "I think I can settle for that." He winks and pulls into a liquor store so we can grab a bottle of wine.

Twenty minutes later, we are at my place. I change into soft comfy shorts and a tank top while Ross had a pair of gym shorts in his car that he changed into. He jumps onto my bed and lays down, his hands going behind his head. I smile and throw him the remote before climbing onto the bed with the wine bottle and opener in my hand. I struggle to open it then after a bit of struggle with Ross laughing at me with no help, I finally pop it open.

"Cheers," I say, nodding the top of the wine bottle to him before taking a sip. "Who needs cups?" I smirk. I climb toward him and hand him the bottle.

He takes the bottle from my hand, a smirk accompanying his face as well before taking a swig. I lay down beside him and flick off the light as we decide on some Lifetime romance movie. We constantly pass the bottle between the two of us until it is nearly empty.

Did anyone ever tell you wine drunk is the best drunk?

It makes me feel so happy and warm inside. Based off Ross' giggles and mood, I can tell it makes him feel good too. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm, good. This movie is absolute shit though. Thankfully you were the one who picked this one," he says, his eyes lazily looking into mine.

I roll my eyes and lean my hands down onto his chest so I can better look at him, "What? Now that you got some alcohol in your veins, are you gonna get a bit feisty with me?"

"Am I?" he questions before grabbing both of wrists and pushing me down onto the bed. He towers over me and I giggle, trying to resist his strong arms. "Am I gonna get a bit feisty with you?" He mumbles.

I try and wiggle from his grip, trying to gain some dominance back. A smile is taking over my face and I huff out in frustration, my one hand escaping and laying on his face before gently pushing his forehead to try and separate us more.

"Oh, no you don't, Princess." He slides my hands down onto his chest. I laugh and look up into his eyes.

Before I could even react, his wine flavored lips are on mine.