❀Azalea❀
I don't remember my bed ever being this comfortable. I actually recall it feeling like a rock on my back.
I open my eyes and for the first time, it feels like I actually have energy. I let out a little evil giggle. I'm not going to be needing coffee today.
I stretch my limbs letting a groan out as my back arches and my buttcheeks shake from how good the stretch is.
I look around. I'm met with an unfamiliar room. The last thing I remember from yesterday was sitting on Grey's lap. After I told him about Jake.
Is this Grey's room? Gray, white, and black cover most of the room. Fitting.
Thank the good Lord he didn't take me home.
I look down at the black comforter and catch sight of how big this bed is. I could spend all day in this bed. I look at the foot of the bed and see a door, most likely leading to the bathroom.
I have to brush this God-forbidden bad breath away. I don't necessarily want to get up though. Or rummage through his bathroom. Good Lord only knows what I could find.
Preparation H? I hope not.
A wig? His hair better be real.
What if his toilet paper isn't Charmin Ultra Soft?
I'm sorry but I cannot wipe my butt with sandpaper.
I look at the other end of the room. The door to go out sits cracked open.
I could never live by myself.
I can never make an executive decision or any important decision at all. I always think of worse case scenarios.
If I go to the bathroom, who knows, Grey could be taking a poop and I'd walk right in on him.
If I go out the door, Grey might faint from either my breath or how I must be looking at the moment.
The door to the room bursts open. For a second I think it's the S.W.A.T coming to get me so I let out a frightened squeal.
Next thing I know, a friggin monster jumps on my bed and looks me dead in the eye. I'm left speechless, my eyes wide.
Maybe if I stay still, I'll survive.
"Bear," Grey's voice fills the room. Dang right this pup looks like a bear holy guacamole. 'Bear's' black fur almost perfectly blends in with the comforter and he towers over me even when I'm sitting up.
Bear doesn't listen to Grey and I can't take my eyes off of him. His puppy-like face lets out a little playful whine.
He jumps like a fox in the snow and I let out a little giggle. He's like a big fur ball. He plops his big body down on the bed and rolls over.
"He wants a rub," Grey's deep voice reaches my ears and I don't hesitate to rub Bear's belly.
"Is this your puppy?" I smile excitedly and for the first time look up at Grey. He's looking back at me, leaned against the doorframe. He gives a curt nod.
Growing up, I'd always wanted a dog. We never got one though. Both my dad and Jake were allergic.
Bear sits up suddenly and licks my face with his huge tongue. I wince a little at the force of it when his tongue goes over my bruised cheek.
"What kind of dog is he?" I giggle as Bear comes to sit right on top of me. And he's no small dog at all.
"Newfoundland."
I pull down my dress after realizing that Grey is getting a little bit of a show.
"Whatever you need is in the bathroom," he nods is head over to the door that I had spent quite a while deciding to go in or not.
Does that mean he'll be in there too?
I nearly slap myself in the face for thinking that.
I make my way out of the bed, now noticing my knee brace isn't on my knee. Thank gosh, that thing is not comfortable to sleep in. I feel Grey's eyes on me the whole time I do. I look over my shoulder at him.
He was checking out the goodies in my trunk.
His eyes travel from my butt up to mine. My eyes fall to his lips when his tongue meets the corner of his mouth.
The corner of his mouth turns up in a little smirk before his eyes dart back to Bear. He gives him a little whistle and the two exit the room. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
He makes me way too hot and bothered to just be a friend.
I just don't want to get hurt.
Within twenty minutes of the time we kissed, he called it a mistake and I felt like crying for a week. I just don't want that to happen again.
I mosey/limp into the bathroom and come to the conclusion that if this place is Grey's, then he's got some dosh darn money.
Can owning a single restaurant really give you all this? I might have to become an owner.
Oh my gosh, what if a stripper bar could get me even more?
I look at myself in the mirror. My hair is a wild mess. My blonde locks stick up with static and quite frankly, I just look like a lion.
After controlling the front, I turn to look at the back. My eyes catch my butt and the way my dress is slightly bundled in the back leaving the bottom of my cheeks fully open for viewing. Grey's viewing.
I feel my cheeks burn bright and I fix it quickly like that will make some sort of difference. He already saw it.
I fix the back of my hair, combing through it with my fingers. I look at the nice granite sink in front of me and spot a toothbrush in its package.
What a doll, getting me a toothbrush out.
I brush my teeth and wash my face before seeing the obvious bruise on my cheekbone.
"Crud," I curse, looking around like he's going to have foundation in here or something. Of course, I find nothing.
Just keep your head down.
I tinkle before washing my hands and exiting the bathroom. I put my brace on that was sitting on his dresser then I walk to the door.
I poke my head out and there's a pretty friggin big hallway. I go left because why not? Not really any pictures are on the walls and I feel like it's a little bare.
I count a good place where there could be a little table with some flowers on it. I should be an interior designer.
I take a couple of turns, come across one living room with no one in it and so I turn around and go the other way. This must be an apartment or something.
I finally come to a living room that actually looks like someone has been in it. The television is on and playing some sort of show.
I walk further into it and I see a huge kitchen to my left. Bear comes running at me full force and I almost brace for impact before Grey whistles one short time and he's halting.
"He's a puppy; he's hyper," he comes into view from the kitchen. Just seeing him makes this place almost homely. And Bear of course.
"How old is he?" I pet his humongous head.
"Nine months," he looks down at him, his eyes soft. I nearly squeal at the thought of Grey being soft for a puppy. I can't imagine he's only nine months being as big as he already.
I look at the clock over his shoulder and see that it's nine-thirty. That's later than I usually wake up but I'm not complaining, I slept so well.
I see him take a step closer to me and I turn my attention back to him. His eyes are set harshly, his jaw clenched, and his eyebrows furrowed pretty angrily.
"Grey-" I begin to question him but I stop when his strong hands grip my face. I feel myself heat up when his finger brushes over the bruise on my cheekbone softly.
"Where the fuck did that come from?" his voice rumbles and I search my brain for a lie.
"I sleep wild, I probably hit myself in the face," I shrug, keeping my voice from shaking. I'm not sure it's possible to hit yourself in the face hard enough to get a bruise like mine but whatever.
Thank gosh I had makeup on it yesterday so that my lie fits.
He doesn't really look like he believes it.
"That wouldn't leave a bruise like that," his voice stays tense and strained.
"Well, I'm just super duper strong," I assure him, "Imagine the damage I could do to other people."
"It's okay," I give him a nod when he still doesn't look happy. At all.
He leans forward, placing a gentle kiss on the bruise. My heart swells up and my breath gets caught in my throat.
That's friendly, right? Sort of.
I don't care.
"Good?" his deep voice rumbles against me quietly. Speechless at such a gentle action, I just nod.
"Is your restaurant successful?" I question. Looking around, nothing that I've seen in this whole apartment looks cheap. I bet his shirt costs more than me and it's only a dark blue long sleeve.
I kind of miss seeing his tattoos.
And those forearm veins.
"Can you take your shirt off?" my eyes widen slightly at what just flew out of my mouth, "so your restaurant?"
"You want my shirt off?" he asks and I feel like he's just saying it to make me want to jump out of the window even more than I already do.
"Well, your restaurant and bar I guess," I keep the subject directed away from the whole shirt ordeal.
"Yes or no?" his eyes narrow in what seems like a teasing way as he tilts his head.
One-hundred percent yes.
"Yes or no? I don't know how to answer that question," I avert my eyes from his.
"I know you were looking at my gluteus maximus," I change the subject. Now who's turn is it to be embarrassed?
"Mhm. I was," he owns up to it looking the furthest thing from embarrassed. Now I'm at a crossroad.
"You liked it didn't you?" I blurt out before rolling my lips into my mouth to keep more idiotic things from coming out.
"Of course," he says without any shame whatsoever, a little bitty smile on his lips that nearly knocks the breath out of me.
I look at Bear for help. He just gives me a doggish smile back.
"Don't you have a restaurant to go to and do nothing at?" I question and if Bear could understand what I just said, he'd laugh.
"Where'd you sleep?" I question. I would've known if he slept in the same bed as me. I would've been hot all night.
He motions his head over to the couch and I feel bad. He lives here, he shouldn't have been the one to sleep on the couch.
"I feel bad," I wince.
"I'll sleep with you next time then."
Wait, with me?
Wait, next time?
Wait, I'm fine with that?
Wait, sexy time or sleep?
"Sex?" I blurt, "Don't answer that, it's not friendly."
"Whatever you want," he shrugs, ignoring the fact that I told him not to answer. My face heats up.
"Hungry?" he questions like he hadn't just suggested that we have sexual sexy time.
"For what?" Food duh, I cannot believe myself.
"You talk about sex a lot," he inputs, a smirk on his face as his hands come to rest on my sides. If he keeps on, I'm going to have a heart attack.
"I have sex a lot."
With who?!
His grip tightens and his eyes turn dark as his eyebrows furrow almost unhappily.
"Do you" he states, not even in question form, pulling my body closer to his.
"No," I catch sight of my hair tie on his wrist and smile a little. It's a little tight on his large wrist considering the difference of our wrist sizes. He's no small guy.
He lifts me up and I gasp. I feel my butt sliding onto his kitchen counter and my heart palpitates. He grips my waist, pulling me flush against him.
Memories of the time we kissed floods my brain as he starts leaning forward, his eyes set directly on my lips.
Another one.
I don't want to be another one in here too.
I wrap my arms around his neck and just hug him. He tenses for a second before relaxing and wrapping his arms around my torso.
"I'm sorry," he rumbles.
"For what?" I question softly, pulling away to look at his mesmerizing dark eyes.
They're actually not black. Being so close, I see that they're only brown.
"Everything. I was bad to you," his thumbs draw circles in my side, admittedly tickling me a little bit but I try not to show that it is.
"That was before we re-introduced ourselves," my fingertips feel the strong muscles of his back and I almost blush.
He was mean.
"For saying that kissing you was a mistake," adds, "it fuckin' wasn't."
He tucks a piece of my hair behind my hair, now seeing my whole face.
"For not being friendly ever," he refers to how he almost just kissed me. And a few other times.
"You deserve better," he says.
"We started over, remember?" I remind him.
~~~
"I'll only be a couple of minutes," I give him a smile, climbing out of his Jeep carefully.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing when I shake my head automatically.
"N-No! I'll be quick," I shut the door and make my way to my front door. Now that dad has lost his job, I'm guessing he'll be here always. That only adds to how much I never want to go home anyway.
I open the door nervously before stepping inside. I look around the living room and the kitchen for any signs of him but I don't see him.
Maybe he's sleeping in his room.
I walk up the stairs carefully, making sure not to make too much noise just in case he's not sleeping.
I walk into my room and find it completely trashed. My bed is off of the frame, my covers strewn all over the place, my dresser is turned over and the mirror built into it is shattered on the floor. My closet doors are broken off their hinges and the clothes that were once inside, are all over the ground.
Stupid tears flood my eyes.
The only safe place I thought I had is destroyed.
I find my father sitting on the ground, a bottle of some sort of alcohol in his hands.
"Where've you been all night?" he slurringly mumbles. I stay pressed up against my door frame, too scared to go near him.
"A friends," I answer quietly.
"A boy wasn't it? Don't think I've forgotten about that hickey you had," he sneers and I flinch closer into the doorframe.
"Your brother would be so disgusted by you whoring yourself around." A tear falls down my cheek at the mention of Jake.
He starts standing up, falling over himself twice before actually standing straight and towering over me.
"Exactly," he slurs, "you smell just like a man."
He bumps his large body into mine walking out, knocking me to my side. I hurriedly shut my door behind him and lock it, letting out a deep breath.
I look around my trashed room and bite my wobbling lip. Not wanting to keep Grey waiting for long and also worrying that my dad will see him in the driveway, I quickly pick out clothes to wear.
I put on a pair of black shorts, a white sports bra because my boobs need a break from wearing a tight bra all night, a hoodless, slightly large Tennessee sweatshirt, and my beloved pair of flip flops.
I step into the bathroom, grab another hair tie and a scrunchie to put on my wrist, and blink my eyes rapidly to make them less red from crying.
I find my charger meddled in with my comforter on my floor and then open my door. I take a peek around and say freak it.
I walk down the stairs and catch sight of my father laying on the couch. As quietly as I can, I walk to the front door and let out a relieved sigh once I'm closing it behind me.
I open the car door and climb inside carefully, letting out a breath as I struggle slightly.
"Where're your pants, Lilah?" he questions sincerely. I just walked out here without them.
"I'm not wearing any," I tell him, shrugging my shoulder a little bit. He stays quiet, I think surprised or something. I just turn up the radio.
AC/DC reaches my ears and I bite my lip excitedly. I mouth the words to You Shook Me All Night Long, a classic but still one of my favorites by them.
My favorite by them is without a doubt, Big Balls. Not just because of the name, but because the actual lyrics are dirtier than the name. The whole song is an innuendo. It's not about the male part, it just sounds like it is.
Gotta love Big Balls.
That's what she said.
We come to town square and Grey parks. He climbs out smoothly and I get a little jealous. Next thing I know, my door is being swung open. He unbuckles my seatbelt and turns my body to him.
His lifts my sweatshirt looking down at my legs.
"What if I wasn't wearing any shorts?" I raise my eyebrow and he looks up at me, a little smirk pulling at his lips.
"I'll just keep my thoughts to myself," his tongue swipes over the corner of his mouth. His hands grab the top of my shorts and he tucks a little of my sweatshirt into my pants.
"You're skinny," he observes my stomach which is more on the flat side (except for the fact that I'm sitting and there's a little roll I've graciously named Pat) and I find myself blushing a tad bit. Gosh dang if that's not what a lot of girls would love to hear.
"You're hungry a lot?" he questions and I let out a loud laugh.
"Let's eat," he decides, lifting me and placing me gently on the ground. With burning cheeks and his large hand swallowing mine, he leads me to his restaurant making sure to walk a little slowly so that I can keep up.
"I ate a whole pizza by myself, I eat enough," I smile, remembering that delicious pizza.
"It was a small," he offends me.
"Is that a challenge?"
He takes a glance down at me, raising one of his shoulders.
I might have to shove a few slices in my bra but I'd still finish it. He holds open the door to his restaurant/bar and I walk in. Jai sees me immediately and gives me a smile. Then he sees Grey and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
~~~
Eating my amazing waffles, with syrup this time, I watch as Grey's hands stretch and fiddle with the hair tie I gave him yesterday.
The hair tie snaps and he just looks at it in his hand like 'what do I do now?'
I eat the last piece of my waffle, a little smile on my face. After sitting down my fork, I stand from my seat. His eyes dart up to me and he watches me as I come to sit right beside him in the booth, never once taking his eyes off me or moving the hair tie in his hands.
"Did you break it?" I already know the answer but I'm kind of curious to see what he'd say.
"I didn't mean to," he replies quietly, his jaw clenching as he visibly becomes annoyed with himself.
I literally have them all over my room. My once neat and tidy room.
"It's okay," I smile. I take it from his hands gently and remove the scrunchie from my wrist. Good luck breaking this one buddy.
"This won't break and look," I move closer to him showing him the color, "It's gray!"
"It's pretty soft too," I run my finger over the fabric of it and then turn my attention to him. He already looks at me.
I've probably got syrup on my face.
I hold it out to him and he takes it. I watch as he feels around it, getting used to the difference between the scrunchie and the regular hair tie.
"All done?" Jai's voice comes from beside me. I look up at him, the smile from looking at Grey still present on my face, and I nod.
He picks up the plates, gives me a sly little wink, and returns to the kitchen.
"You can have that," I nod to it, "and if you put it on your wrist, it won't make a mark like the other one; it's not as tight."
I picture Grey with a scrunchie on his wrist and I smile a little.
I find the neckline of his shirt. Just barely over the edge of it, on the very top of his collarbone there lies a part of a tattoo.
A tattoo that I want to see more than anything.
How many tattoos does he have? Does he have more than just his sleeve?
"I used to want a tattoo on my butt," I blurt out. I recall being twelve and wanting a tattoo of a little butterfly at the top of my butt.
Of course, I would never actually get it. Or an actual tattoo.
After all the needles and IV's I've had in my arms, I've definitely had it with any sort of needles.
"Show me where?" he glances at me, his eyebrows slightly raised.
Is-Is he teasing me?
Lost in my own world called 'what-the-heck-just-occurred' I didn't notice Jai come back until he speaks.
"Bill?" he questions. Grey owns this place.
"Fuck outta here," Grey waves his hand, his eyebrows scrunched. I giggle a little when Jai chuckles.
"Tip?" he questions.
"You're not getting shit," Grey nudges my side and I stand as he gets out the booth. I start feeling bad but Jai's smile doesn't falter.
I sneakily grab a twenty dollar bill out of my phone case. When Grey is turned the other way, I nudge Jai handing him the money.
"No, no," he shakes his head, not taking it.
"I'll cut it into tiny pieces and shove it down your nose," I give him a shy smile, "take it."
His eyes widen a slight bit before his lips form an amused smirk. His eyes dart over to Grey. Jai shakes his head and finally takes it.
Walking away, I hear him mutter something almost inaudibly.
Something along the lines of:
'God, what a match.'
Whatever that means.
♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦♢ ♦
Thank you for reading!
P.S. Y'all please listen to the song Big Balls by AC/DC. You seriously will not regret it at all.
*Not edited*
Word count: 3929
-Ashlyn Montgomery