"Bella! Open the fucking door!"
My head rested on my very comfortable, yet very firm, pillow. Dean's arm tightened around me as his nose tickled my neck. "Make him go away." His voice was laced with sleep. I didn't blame him either. We spent the whole night away, saying silent I love yous.
I smiled as I continued to trace my fingers on his bare chest down to his stomach. Unlike him, I was wide awake.
After our night, Dean and I just sat in the bath. At first I thought it would be awkward, but it was oddly comforting. I think I was too focused on the fact that I had just had sex to really feel insecure.
Honestly, I was still thinking about it.
Once the soreness had gone down, we laid in bed. I should've been tired considering it was an exhausting night, but I laid awake as I focused on Dean's breathing. I couldn't help but appreciate having him in my life. I was so lucky. He tried to stay awake but he kept drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Bella! If you don't open the door right now, I'm going to break it down."
Dean loudly exhaled against my skin. "Fuck off, Dylan."
I heard a very dramatic gasp. "I knew it! I knew it was true! Bella! Open it!"
Dean groaned as I slipped out of his arms. I pulled the blanket to his chest, not that he was naked. He was still in boxers. I changed into pajamas after my bath because I knew I'd feel weird to sleep completely naked.
I swung open the door to see a very pissed-off Dylan. His face was practically red. He looked at me in disgust before pushing through and going to my bed. Jasmine was in the hallway, covering her snickers with her mouth.
"What?" I asked suspiciously. There was no way he'd know... right? No. No way.
She shook her head and followed me back into the bedroom.
"Get up, pussy!"
"Dylan!" I scolded.
"Fuck, just let a man sleep," Dean groaned, holding on to the blankets for dear life.
"Why didn't you sleep last night?" Dylan mockingly asked before turning to me. "Will told me."
My face paled. Fucking Will! I didn't know he'd be a traitor.
Dean groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you going on about?"
"Don't play innocent," Dylan snapped, then his face twisted into a menacing scowl. "Or are you saying you regret it and don't ever want to speak of it again? Because I swear I will mess–"
"Dylan!" I yelped. "Can you relax?"
"No! I warned this fucker not to lay a finger on you and what did he do? Exactly that!"
Dean's face contorted into realization as his mouth formed an 'o' shape. Then his brows furrowed. "I don't regret anything," he said sincerely, looking directly at me.
Dylan's body stepped in between us, facing Dean. "So there's something to regret, then?"
I smacked the back of his head. "Listen to me. I'm going to shower and get ready for the day while we let Dean sleep in–"
"Because he had an exhausting night," Jaz interrupted.
"–and then me and you are going to have a nice chat, capisce?" The tone of my voice left no room for argument. After one last glare directed to my boyfriend, Dylan sulked out of the room and dragged Jasmine along with him. I locked the door before we had any more intrusions and flopped back into bed. Dean automatically snuggled into me. "Five minutes and then I'll get up."
"Okay," he chuckled, not believing me.
"If I don't, Dylan will castrate you."
He stiffened as he realized I was right.
~~~
"Dylan, I hate you," I grumbled as soon as I sauntered into the kitchen. My eyes landed on the IHOP bag sitting on the counter and lit up. "Okay, I only strongly dislike you."
Dylan chuckled as he nudged the bag toward me. "You're so predictable."
"Thanks," I sarcastically drawled before opening up the styrofoam box. A neat stack of waffles rested in there. My stomach grumbled as I drowned them in syrup. As soon as the warm goodness hit my tastebuds, I let out a moan.
Dylan, who was sitting on a barstool, eyed me nervously.
I sighed and stuffed another bite into my mouth before dropping the fork into the container and looking at him from across the island. Dean was upstairs showering right now so if he wanted to talk, now would be the time to. I didn't make any move to sit closer. I found the height difference intimidating on his part, so I stuck with it.
"Dyl, I love you, but you have got to stop butting into my sex life. I get that you're protective of me and whatever but believe it or not, I can handle myself."
"I know," he moodly grumbled before looking at the granite countertops. "I hate that I'm not the one you rely on anymore."
My brows shot up in surprise. Here I was, thinking Dylan had some weird virgin fetish, but in reality, it was something else. I decided to adondon my post and sat down at the stool next to him.
"What makes you say that?" I asked softly.
He shrugged before looking at me. "You don't call me when you're home alone anymore, we barely hang out, you didn't even ask me for a condom! You went to Will!"
"Because you would've killed Dean if I did," I snorted before softening. "As for the other stuff, I had no idea you felt like that. I thought you wanted your own time, away from clingy Bella."
He had a thoughtful expression. "You are clingy, aren't you?"
"Shut up," I grinned as I lightly nudged his shoulder. "Look, things are different now because I have a boyfriend. You can't just sleep in the same bed as me or act all flirty. But we can continue the platonic stuff."
"It won't be the same," he dramatically huffed.
I patted his shoulder. "I know, buddy. But, hey! At least I won't cockblock you anymore."
"You never did." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll back off."
"Thank you," I smiled appreciatively. "And hey, just because Dean's in my life doesn't mean you're out of it. You're still my best friend, okay? You still have to deal with this clingy bitch and shoo away the bad boys."
"Like Drew?"
"Especially Drew."
He nodded, looking lighter. "Deal."
"Cool," I grinned, reaching across and dragging my waffles closer.
"So," he drawls, propping one elbow on the counter and holding his chin in his hand. "How was it? Do I need to give him some tips?"
I scrunched my nose. Talking about sex was one thing, but going into detail was something entirely different. "Good and that's all I'm saying."
"Did you bleed?"
"Dyl," I groaned. "T.M.I."
Also I wasn't entirely sure if I did.
He threw up his hands in surrender. I triumphantly smiled and changed the topic before he said something stupid. "So, any plans for tonight?"
He pursed his lips in thought. "Haven't hit Skylar in a while. Maybe she'd be down."
My stomach dropped as I recalled a particular event from my party last night.
"What? Why do you suddenly look sick?" he asked, concern thick in his voice. "Are you hungover? Do you need to puke?"
I shook my head and wiped my stray hairs away from my face. "No, it's not that. It's just that last night I saw Skylar and Reece making out."
Saying this made me nervous. I knew Skylar and Dylan were no longer a thing, but deep, deep down I felt that maybe they'd realize how stupid they were and decided to date. Maybe Dylan still harbored feelings for her. As I braced myself for his heartbreak, he did the unexpected.
He grinned.
"Hey! That's great!"
My stomach dropped even more. I always got my hopes up, didn't I? "Oh?"
"Yeah. Considering they're in the same gang and stuff. I figured they'd grow close enough," he continued with a genuine smile on his face. "Good for Reece. That fucker has been alone for too long."
"Agreed," I mumbled, still slightly confused. Was he seriously not upset? Skylar was the longest 'relationship' in his life. Was he really giving up so quickly?
Sad.
Upon noticing my distraught expression, Dylan sighed and put a hand on mine. "Bella, it wouldn't have worked anyway. She'll go back to wherever the hell she's from and so will Reece."
"You mean Chicago?" I asked in amusement.
He waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. Either way, it wasn't meant to be. Besides, we both know I'll never settle down. I love women too much to be tied down."
I grimaced. I really, really hoped that wasn't the case.
With one last squeeze, he let go of my hand and stole my fork in the process. I yelped my protest but he smugly picked up a waffle and gobbled it down before I could do anything about it.
Dean sauntered into the kitchen then, looking all cocky until he noticed Dylan. He paled slightly and his eyes darted around for the nearest escape.
"Relax, I won't do anything," Dylan muttered bitterly with a mouthful of food. I glared at him to swallow before speaking. Once he did, he evilly smiled. "But if you hurt her, again, then I won't hesitate to rip off your balls and feed them to Ryder."
"Noted," Dean sighed before standing behind me and putting his hands on my shoulders. They began massaging my muscles. I closed my eyes in a blissful state and leaned against him.
"That's my cue to leave," Dylan frowned. Just as he was getting up, footsteps could be heard on the stairs. It was then that I remembered all my friends were still here.
Oops.
"Morning," Emma yawned, wearing only Will's shirt. It engulfed her tiny frame completely.
Will smirked at me. "How was your night?"
I innocently cocked my head at him. "Oh, you mean after you told Dylan you lent me a condom?"
He paled slightly as his eyes drifted to Dylan, who looked completely casual. I snickered in my palm.
"I'm gonna grab some cereal," Will awkwardly mumbled as he headed over to the cabinets. Yeah! You do that! I can't believe he snitched on me like that!
Emma winked at me, mouthing 'later' so we could have a nice chat about the details. I smiled and watched her follow her boyfriend.
Then, being the classy lady she was, Jasmine ran into the kitchen excitedly. "I don't hear screaming. Is it time for the steamy details?" Her light eyes landed on me as she practically bounced off the walls.
"God, Jaz, have some class like the rest of us and ask her in private," Emma teased.
Jaz huffed and crossed her arms. "We've all been waiting for this for forever," she whined.
"Okay," Dean finally interrupted. "As much as I enjoy having you guys talking about our sex life, it's Valentine's Day and you're all either whores or couples so maybe get a move on it?"
I let out a sigh of relief. Knowing Jaz, she wouldn't drop the subject and I wasn't going to talk about last night with Dean around.
Instinctively, Will tensed up and Emma looked up at him with eager eyes. It didn't take a genius to know he forgot to make plans. The only one who didn't seem to notice was his girlfriend, ironically.
Oof.
"Oh, Will, can I talk to you for a second?" I innocently asked. He slowly nodded, detaching from his girlfriend and following me into the living room. Surprisingly, Dylan followed along. I turned to Will with what I hoped was a disapproving smile. "You didn't plan anything, did you?"
"I was so busy with your party that–"
I held up a hand, silencing him. "No excuses. Will, you know dating Emma asks you of one thing, and that's gestures. How is she gonna feel when you don't have anything planned for today?"
"I got this," Dylan interrupted. When I gave him a confused look, he shrugged. "I'll get you into a fancy restaurant tonight. My dad's friend owns the place and I'm sure he can squeeze you in."
Will's face lit up in appreciation. "For real? Thanks, man, I owe you!"
"Don't worry about it," Dylan smiled and patted Will's back. "Go in there and tell her to dress nice."
"Thanks," Will repeated gratefully before going back to the kitchen.
I turned to a sheepish Dylan with a curious expression. "Your dad's friend doesn't own a restaurant..." As the realization dawned on me, I gasped. "You're giving him your reservation! You were going to take a girl out tonight, weren't you?"
Once again, he shrugged. "Ah, it was just going to be a random girl who probably didn't deserve it anyway. It's better that it goes to someone who wants it for more than sex."
I blinked at him. "Why?"
"I slept with his girl. It's the least I could do."
And there, ladies and gentlemen, was Dylan's caring side that I hardly witnessed. Unable to hold back, I wrapped my arms around him. "Good to see you have a heart."
"Don't expect to see it again," he grumbled, his arms tightening around me.
I smiled into his chest. He was wrong. He was one of the most caring people I knew.
We went back into the kitchen, Jaz throwing us suspicious looks. Maybe it was because I was goofily smiling. Maybe it was because Dylan was sulking – pretending, might I add. I could tell he would rather Will have this dinner.
See? Sweetie.
"Okay, well we have a lovely picnic planned so we should head out," Kim said, clinging on to Jasmine's hand. I didn't even notice when she got here. "Bye, Bella. Happy birthday again!"
"Thanks," I grinned at the two.
"See you later," Jaz added with a wink before skipping off with her girlfriend.
"And I have to get ready for my fancy dinner!" Emma chirped, looking impossibly excited. Will looked down at her lovingly. Aw!
"Emma, it's only like ten," I snorted.
She paused her happy look to glare at me. "Perfection takes time."
I threw up my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Go have your fun."
The second couple left and soon it was just Dylan, Dean, and I. Dean was snooping around for some breakfast while Dylan was staring at me, half-amused and half-smirking.
"What?" I finally asked.
He casually stretched and leaned back in his chair. "You do realize that your house is still a mess, right?"
I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "And all of my cleaning crew just left me, didn't they?"
"Yup."
I inwardly groaned, even though I felt like doing much more. Not only did I have to clean the usual mess, but I had to rid all of the halloween decorations as well. What the hell was I supposed to do with that anyway? Donate it? I'd love to keep it but we didn't have much space in the garage.
A pair of arms rested on my shoulders from behind. "Don't worry about that right now. I have a day planned for us."
I tilted my head back to look at Dean. "Really?" I asked, surprised.
He pursed his lips and nodded. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
I shrugged and looked straight ahead. "I just didn't peg you at the planning type."
He scoffed as if I said the most offensive thing in the world. It was true though! I don't think we ever really went on a real date, let alone having him plan any gestures for me. The most romantic thing he's probably done is confessing his love for me last Valentine's Day.
Grinning, I turned to face him. "It's been a whole year since we confessed to each other."
"And basically since you were torn apart again," Dylan unnecessarily added. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off before focusing on Dean again.
"Well I tried to plan our first night together but someone was acting impatient," Dean said, referring back to the earlier conversation.
This time I turned to Dylan for my aid. "Dylan, if a girl said she was planning something special for your first time having sex, and then waited more than two months to initiate it, what would you do?"
"Move on," Dylan snorted.
I gestured toward him while giving Dean an exasperated look. "See?!? Did you want me to move on too?"
"No," Dean grumpily mumbled.
Sensing his off mood, I put my palms flat against his chest and sighed. "Whatever. It's done and it was perfect. Now, let's focus on today."
"Barf. I need to get laid before you guys make me permanently impotent," Dylan interrupted again, standing up this time. I rolled my eyes at him before releasing Dean and walking him up to the door. When I did, he told me to wait and jogged to his car. Seconds later, he came back with a bouquet of flowers.
Every year, he always gave me, Jaz, and Emma flowers. Last year he skipped out on Emma because she had a boyfriend. I didn't see him give any to Jaz this time, only me even though I had Dean.
Still, I smiled as I took them. "Thanks, Dyl."
He ruffled my hair. "Course."
I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me back.
When he finally left me with a messy house, I made my way back to Dean. He was spooning mouthfuls of cereal while checking his phone at the same time. There was a slight furrow in his brows, which immediately set me on edge.
"Is everything okay?"
He jumped at the sound of my voice but quickly put on a smile. "Yeah."
"Okay..." I suspiciously trailed, sitting next to him and putting my hand on his thigh. "You don't look okay."
"Am I really unromantic?" he blurted out.
Uh oh. This wasn't a good sign.
I cupped his cheek gingerly. "No! Not at all. What makes you say that?"
"You don't see me as the planning type," he explained, looking troubled.
I waved a dismissive hand. "Please. Going with the flow is so much better. Besides, plans are overrated. It just leads to disappointment when it doesn't happen."
He smiled now, looking more relieved than seconds ago. "I love you, you know?"
"Oh trust me, I do," I grinned before connecting my lips to his.
~~~
"You so enjoyed that movie," I teased Dean as we walked out of the theater hand in hand.
"I barely paid attention," he scoffed.
I rolled my eyes and squeezed his hand. "Please. I saw your eyes keep moving to the screen as we were making out."
"Hey! Why where your eyes open?" he playfully scolded before pulling at our hands, making me crash into his chest. For a second, it was just us two against the world. I didn't care about the crying baby that was sitting in the theater with us or the incredibly sick lady who kept sneezing. It was just me and Dean.
"Hm, this is the second-best Valentine's day I've ever had," I grinned before standing on my tippy toes to kiss him. He deepened the kiss like we didn't just spend the entire movie doing this. I couldn't help but grin against his lips.
He loved me. He said it with words but showed it with actions too, whether it be sitting around a two-hour, shitty chickflick, or just by kissing me like I'm the only girl in the world. I could only hope I reciprocated the feeling.
"Dinner?" he suggested when we took a breath break. I'm 99% everyone else in the parking lot didn't enjoy a bunch of teenagers shamelessly making out, so I nodded. "Not Mel's though. I can't take my hands off of you and I definitely don't want my family witnessing that."
I laughed, tilting my head back. "You're absolutely insane."
"But you love me."
I booped his nose. "That, I do."
He grabbed my hand and eagerly tugged me to my car. He held out his palm for my keys and I smacked them in his palm without thinking. It was the norm by now. I didn't mind, especially if it prevented me from riding that death trap he called a motorcycle.
"Are you sure we can't go to Mel's?" I asked once we were on the road.
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "How are you not sick of that place?"
I shrugged. "It's your fault for taking me there in the first place. Plus it would be fun! It's like our spot." When he still looked unconvinced, I added, "And I've finally gotten around to wear some of that fancy lingerie so if you behave, maybe you'll get to see it." To add to my point, I slipped down the sleeve of my shirt to reveal a lacy red bra strap. When he glanced over again, his Adam's apple bobbed as he took a large gulp.
I smirked as I looked out the window. Boys were so easy to please.
I was practically bouncing in my seat when we pulled up to the neon diner. He chuckled in amusement and grabbed my hand as we walked to the door. He abruptly stopped and flashed me a sheepish look.
"I forgot my wallet in the car."
"It's not like you're going to pay," I snorted.
He rolled his eyes. "I just don't want anyone seeing it on the seat and breaking into your precious car. Go inside and I'll meet you there in a second."
"Fine," I grumbled before pushing his head down into a kiss that ended up being much longer than I anticipated. Oops.
When I finally got around to going inside, Nat wasn't standing at the counter as she usually was. Maybe she and Ethan had some special V-day plans as an official couple. I smiled at the waitress and looked around for a potential seating spot. Since it was a holiday, there were a lot of couples here. Most of them were older; at the age where they didn't care about how expensive the food was. They just wanted a good, romantic dinner with their loved ones.
Ew, were Dean and I acting old?
Luckily a few booths were open. I opted for one far in the corner. If Dean wanted privacy, this was the most we'd get away from his family. Hopefully, it was good enough.
I was about halfway there when I heard it.
A gunshot.
My hand instinctively when to my arm, where I had a bullet-shaped scar. My heart rate increased, my palms clammed up, my breathing picked up.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm myself down.
Then I heard the scream.