Marlboro Love [Billy Hargrove]

Chapter 16: Go Home

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-'ˏ Charlotte Anderson's Pov ˎ'-

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Cherry Lane
Saturday , 9:03 a.m
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When I wake up I immediately groan in discomfort. My head is pounding and I could kill for a glass of water.

Suddenly my eyes snap awake as I piece together the fragments of last night and the missing boy from my bed. I gasp as I sit up.

He must have left in the middle of the night.

I start to burn with embarrassment at being left like a mistress in the night. Dragging my hands down my face I sit criss cross and think about how to deal with this.

I have work in less than an hour, with the boy who somehow snuck out of my room probably regretting hooking up with me.

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-'ˏ Billy Hargroves's Pov ˎ'-

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Cherry Lane
Saturday , Flashback to 3:33 a.m
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A nightmare snaps me awake. I let out a gasp before reminding myself to be quiet and very still. Charlotte has flipped onto her side with her head on my chest. I'm desperately trying not to pant in terror as weird unstoppable images race across my mind.

A feeling of complete dread paralyzes me. One moment I am able to look down at Charlotte's deep breathing and want to stay here as long as she would let me, and the next I have a painful compulsion to get up.

My head and body aches.

I really don't think I drank enough to feel this way.

A very clear image of Brimborn Steel Works pops into my head.

I'm scared.

As if a switch flipped in my head every sense of emotion left my body terrifyingly numb. Like I have no control of my body and my brain doesn't care. I quickly shift out from underneath Charlotte and move to throw my boots and jacket back on.

"Wait, I have to tuck her back in." A small voice interrupts in the back of my head.

I lightly pull the covers up over her shoulders and smooth her hair back over the pillow.

As if the voice had never spoke I strode out of the door.

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-'ˏ Charlotte Anderson's Pov ˎ'-

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Hawkins Community Pool
Saturday , 10:00 a.m
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With my head down I walk straight back to the locker room. As if I have a boldened "one night stand regret" plastered across my forehead that everyone can see.

I rip off my shirt and shorts and angrily chuck them into my designated locker.

"Hi." I mumble to the nearest coworker as I throw my hair up into a ponytail.