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Day six - December 8, Saturday
Dear dad, who are you? You created me. I wouldn't be who I am if it was not for you. Yet, I cannot identify the man you are. I knew you as Samuel Johnston, loving father, husband, and friend. The businessman who works at a car sales company. Your favorite food is corn on the cob, and you have an affinity for superheroes. That's the man I used to know. You made corny dad jokes, and you protected us with everything you had. Now, everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I saw it with my own eyes. I heard the words you said that I thought you could never even think to say. I'm confused because I see glimmers of the man I knew, but the you that has been recently uncovered is much more prevalent. When I think of you, the man I saw yesterday is who I think of, but who is he?
The early morning light penetrated beyond the car windows during the time I awoke on top of a sleeping Banks. My eyes opened wide as the realization on last night's events came over me. Still, my body remained tranquil over his warm skin. A small groan descended from his lips as his head tilted to the other side. I closed my eyes and snuggled against him once more.
"Day, are you up?" He whispered and even though I was, I didn't reply. His body shifted underneath me when he lifted his head up to place a kiss in my hair.
I must have back dozed off because when my eyes opened again his voice and a reluctant shake to my back was the reason.
"Daya, you got to get up, babe," somehow his voice became even more velvety overnight. I shook my head, which resulted in a chuckle coming from him.
"Am I a good pillow?" He yawned in the most adorable way possible.
I lazily smiled up at him, "The best."
His lips reconnected with my hair, "Should I pursue a career in it?"
I giggled, "People would pay top dollar for this," I pinched his side.
"Ouch, we have to get up now. It's almost 10 o'clock." The smile that was forming on my face dropped as I popped my head up and off his chest. I looked out the window to see that the parking lot had about six more cars in it then it did last night, but they were all on the other side. If I wasn't too busy freaking out because the sun was up I would have had time to notice the amazing view of the early morning lighthouse. How the orange and blue of the sky ran together in perfect harmony.
"I didn't go home last night," my eyes were wide with awareness of what I had done.
He moved to bring the seat back up, "You just realized that?"
The seat jerked back up and brought our faces cheek-to-cheek. "I'm serious. I didn't tell my mom where I was. She's going to kill me," there was a fretful frown upon my face.
"Don't worry about it. We'll make up some type of excuse. You'll be fine, Day," he spoke without a care in the world.
I moved my head side to side frantically, "Where's your jacket?"
He shrugged his shoulder, "You're cute when you're worried."
He smoothed his hand over my cheek with his calloused fingers. My forehead fell on his, "My mom's stomach is probably in knots."
He sighed and pointed behind me. Turning my head around, I saw the varsity athlete jacket sitting on the car floor behind me. I smiled shyly and picked the jacket up from behind me.
"Did you sleep okay?" He asked while I collected my phone from his jacket pocket.
"Yeah, it was the best I've slept in months. It was nice, not having to stress about anything. You helped too," our lips found each other once again.
He laid his head on my shoulder at the same time I checked my phone. I wrapped one arm around his head as he traced his name into my back, "Yep, five missed calls and about twenty text messages and that's just from my mom. Dennis called three times and texted twice. I'm not going to survive the morning," I deadpanned.
"Tell them you stayed at Pipes." He said it like it was so casual and normal for him to be dishonest to his folks.
"Is that a good lie? Piper went to Neo's house last night," he pecked my shoulder.
Then, he kissed my jawline, "It's a lie. Tell Piper you're her excuse. She's done it for all of us."
I grabbed the back of his neck and peered deep into those blue eyes, "Thank you."
He held me closer, "What for?" He bit his bottom lip and quirked his eyebrow.
"Giving me a night off from my life." This may have been relatively small potatoes for him, but all of it was new for me.
He ran his thumb over my lip, "Any time, but didn't you already thank me for that." He looked at me with lustful eyes that rivaled my own. I held his chin in my hand before kissing him. It started with soft touches and then metamorphosed into something much deeper and salacious.
I tore our lips away receiving a whine from him. "I sent it," I said as I recuperated from what happened previously. "I texted Piper too." I threw him his shirt that landed in passenger's seat.
"You should be all good then," he pulled me back into his chest.
"We actually have to leave this time," I laughed in the most joyful fashion.
"Fine," he drawled. "First, we have to go to the store and get you some makeup."
I faked looking offended, "Do I look that bad?"
"Physically impossible, but you definitely don't look like you just came from a sleepover. You look like you're about to do the walk of shame," he joked.
"What did you do to me?" I picked my phone up from the dashboard and looked at myself in the camera.
"Ahh, Banks!" He laughed a laugh that only came from the pits of your stomach and under your soul. I had hickeys and red marks from my chest to the base of my neck.
"I guess we learned that you bruise easily," he was still laughing.
If it wasn't the craziest thing to say, I might of said that was the moment I realized love could be possible for me. "Fine, we'll stop by the store, but I'm not going in looking like this."
"I think you look perfect," he smirked and ran his finger over my still exposed skin making me shiver.
"Stop messing with me," I faintly shoved his shoulder.
"Perfect," he mouthed. I put my oversized plaid shirt back on but didn't button it.
"You're only saying that because you make up about forty percent of my body right now." The sound of his snort made me smile with glee.
"Okay, we're going to make one more stop after the store and then I'll take you home," he said quickly like I wouldn't notice.
"You can't hold me captive forever," I cupped both of his cheeks and shook his head.
He took me to the Dollar General once we got back in town. I waited in the passenger seat for him to return anxiously. My thought process was to scoot all the way down in my seat to keep any prying eyes from seeing me in that state.
A knock bumped against the window, "Day," he yelled. When I didn't poke my head up, he walked over to his side of the truck and hopped in.
"I didn't know what color to get so I got two. Do you think either will match?" I put both tubes of foundation in my hand.
"I'm darker than both of these," I nagged. "Who did you think you were giving all these hickeys' to?"
He chuckled, "It was dark."
I sighed, "I guess I'll use the darker of the two. Thank you for trying."
I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek to show my appreciation. "Button your shirt all the way up," he suggested.
"My mom will be suspicious. I never wear it like that," I protested.
"You just need to make it to your room or bathroom," he fumbled the last three words. He opened the bottle of foundation whilst I buttoned my shirt all the way up.
"I look like a farmer," I looked at myself in side-view mirrors. Red plaid from waist to neck wasn't really in style those days.
"I thought that was what you were going for," he started dabbing he makeup on my neck.
"It is a little light," I tilted my head to give him more access.
"Okay, unbutton it again," he focused on his work like it was a masterful piece of art. Maybe I was to him.
"You aren't stripping me down now, mister," I put my hand on his chest and grinned mischievously.
"I'm going to put some on your chest, just in case your mom asks about it." He slopped foundation all over my shoulders, neck, and chest.
"Are you blending? It needs to look natural. Every makeup artist is shaking in their boots right now," I teased him with a twinkle in my eye.
He almost looked lost for words, "This is just a test run. Let's just hope it doesn't transfer on your clothes."
I buttoned my shirt up again, "Okay, what second stop did you want to make before I have to go home and lie to my mom?"
He revved up the truck, "Breakfast."
"So, let me get this straight," he connected our hands as he drove down the quiet road.
"You want to take me to a Waffle House to eat breakfast, so I can have a few more minutes of bliss before my transgressions come back to bite me," I twisted my finger in the air.
He nodded, "Exactly!" He kissed my hand while ours were still conjoined.
"And you get nothing out of this. You're just being a Good Samaritan," I looked at him cynically.
Banks gazed at me using his peripheral vision, "Well, I do get to spend some extra time with you. So, it's in both of our best interest."
We arrived at the yellow atmosphere of the Waffle House. When we got out of the car, he put his varsity jacket around my shoulder. The door chime rang as he held the glass door open for me. It had a classic feel, like families come there in the mornings for shared experiences and to share stories. The smell of fast food hit us as soon as we walked inside.
At the front counter he ordered steak and eggs, hash browns, and a regular waffle with extra syrup and light whipped cream.
"Big boys gotta eat, huh," I teased as I hugged him from behind.
"You can get as much as you want... off the dollar menu," we both chuckled.
"Cheap!" I moved to his side with my arm still around him.
"I'm kidding, whatever you want," he pulled his wallet out and I noticed that there wasn't much money in it.
I stroked my chin, "Hmm, I want chocolate chip waffles and a cheesesteak omelet."
The old woman at the counter who looked so done with us croaked, "Do you want a drink?"
Banks looked down at me, "I'll just get an orange juice." I glanced back and forth between him, and the woman.
"Dark roast coffee for me please, ma'am." She placed the cups on the counter after telling us the price.
"I can pitch in on the cost," I offered and he immediately shut that down.
"No, let me do this for you." He reassuringly grinned at me and I accepted it.
She faked smiled at us, "We'll get that to you soon."
"Thank you for your assistance... Meryl," Banks said even though there was not a line behind us.
The Waffle House was mostly empty besides a few people who came in for their morning cup of joe and the workers. We sat in a booth by the window on the same side, of course.
"How did you know that waffles were my favorite breakfast food?" I laid my head down on his chest while he rubbed my arm.
"I stalk you frequently." He constantly said things that made me want to choke.
"I'm kidding. Lucky guess. It was the closest breakfast joint around. I could've taken you back to my house," Banks slowly crept his hand to the zipper of my jeans and pass that he snapped the hem of my underwear.
I cleared my throat, "And what would we have done there?" I shifted my pupils to look up at him with uncertainty.
As he removed his hand he said, "My little brothers would probably have made you their world-famous breakfast surprise."
"You have little chefs on your hands, huh," I smiled as I attempted to slow down my heart rate.
"More like little troublemakers. I bet they would like you." He kissed my hair again.
"This is so weird, but what are their names?" I barely know Banks, yet I have this urge to be around him and explore different parts of his personality.
"Huh, oh, Eric and Jude. Eric is eleven and Jude is nine. They're both much smarter than I am and have a new career path every day. Whereas I can't figure out one," he shook his head as if he was embarrassed.
"You know, a really cute boy once told me that I don't have to figure everything out right now. I think you should take his advice." I loved a good quote and I planned on hanging that one over his head for the rest of his life.
I put my chin on his shoulder and looked over at him, "Are you trying to make me jealous?"
Squinting my eyes I squeaked, "Maybe a little bit," with my voice octaves heightened.
"Day, can I ask you something that may upset you, but I don't mean for it to?" I picked my head up and looked at him cautiously.
Nervously, I drawled, "Yes."
"Are you using me as a rebound, because I'm fine with that... but you have to tell me?" I knew that he didn't want to ask me that, but felt compelled to.
A puzzled look crossed my face, "No, what do you mean?" I had just registered what he said.
"I mean, you said you don't want to date, and then I saw you with that kid yesterday and I saw the video. You clearly have feelings for him-" I cut him off.
"It's not that. I genuinely like you Banks. It's just so soon, from what happened with Jay. However, I haven't even thought about him since we've been together. I spent eleven years waiting for him to like me back. Maybe I just don't believe that a guy that looks like you or Brian would be interested in me if my own best friend wasn't." I felt misty-eyed.
He sighed and kissed my forehead, "I told you I didn't want to upset you. I like you and I want to have a fair chance without that situation clouding it or any of mine."
No tears fell down my face as his soothing touches calmed me. "I want that too," my voice broke.
"I'm not saying I don't want to date ever, I just want a few days to think things over," I said slowly.
"I believe you," he nodded. Was I letting Jay get in between us?
I looked at him with my doe eyes and held the sides of his neck, "I really, really, really like you too."
He leaned in liked he was about to kiss me when we heard, "Diya, Diya," Meryl called out.
"Yeah, go get our food, Diya," he laughed at Meryl's pronunciation of my name.
I scooted out of the booth and shook my head dismissively, "It's not that funny, Ollie."
*Guys, it's the beginning of Day six! I know it's been five months, but I feel like its went by so quickly.
Is Daya right to be hesitant with Banks? How do y'all feel about him asking if he's the rebound?
Please remember to follow, share, and comment! Tell me if you're enjoying it!*