The Wounds We Heal

Settling In

After throwing on some black skinny jeans that accentuated the curvature of my hips and butt nicely, I moved to find my favorite worn out band tee I had cropped just above my naval. It was an old Metallica t-shirt that had holes starting in the collar from the wear and tear of use. I dug through my overflowing closet lined mostly with black and gray clothing to find my leather biker jacket. I found my maroon doc martins and pulled them up and over my sock clad feet before grabbing my brush off of the desk and pulling it through my still wet hair. Brush in hand, I made my way out of my room and to the living room where I knew my best friend was waiting for me. I found her sprawled out on my couch scrolling through Ticktock with her feet propped up against the arm of the couch. I was a bit surprised and relieved to not see William as I set the brush in the bowl by the entrance retrieving my keys in the process. She let out an airy laugh before slapping her phone down and looking up at me through her long lashes. "f*****g finally Missy. Some of us are trying to leave."

I rolled my eyes and smirked before smacking her boots off of the couch while I made my way to the front door. "Come on loser. I'm buying," I shot over my shoulder at her. The wink was implied heavily in the tone of my voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was sometime in the early hours of the next morning and I was obliterated. Alexis on the other hand was, either way less drunk than I was or a great actress. We were on the dance floor of the club as she lean into me. "We're going to have to wrap this up soon love." She was screaming over the people and the music. The electronic sounds reverberated out of the speakers. The base rattled inside of my bones like a scared bird locked in a cage. "Mason is getting antsy." Her giggle vibrated over my skin.

"You're going to leave me here by myself? For some boy? Who will I dance with?" I crossed my arms as my lips pulled tightly into a pout and stomped my foot like a child at her.

She laughed again. "You and I both know he isnt just some boy." The implications hanging heavily on her words made me visibly gag. I did not want to think about the dirty things they did behind closed doors. She softly but firmly grabbed onto my upper arm partly guiding me through the sea of people and partly keeping me steady on my feet as I felt the floor swim under me. She looked me up and down with one eyebrow c****d up. A sly smile spread over her lips as we made our way out of the dance floor. "There is no way in hell I'm leaving you here alone like this. I already called you an Uber." She was using her mom voice. It pissed me off but it also felt like a warming sensation just under my skin as if someone was wrapping me in a tight hug.

My head lolled back and bobbed a little as we walked while a groan squeezed its way out of my throat. My eyebrows knitted together as I whined. "I don't want to go home." I knew I was being a child but in my drunken stupor, I couldn't care less. I just didnt want the party to end.

She laughed and sent me a pointed look before pushing the front door of the club open and pulling me outside with her. "You're such a f*****g child Missy."

I stuck my tongue out at her as she rolled her eyes and opened the back door of a blue sedan. She stuck her head in. "Uber for Hart?"

"That's me." The man replied giving her a polite smile. He was an older man with a medium-length peppered beard and slight wrinkles settled at the edges of his eyes displaying years of laughter. The tip of his nose was rose pink bitten by the cool air as it sat perched perfectly center his cubby face accented with his perfectly round potbelly. His hair was short and thin with the onset of balding. The hair that was left compared to baking soda with its stark white color. A considerable contrast against his rose tinged complexion. I suppressed a giggle at the thought that Santa clause was my uber. She then swiftly shoved me into the back seat. I fell hard against the soft upholstery with a loud thud and a groan. Suddenly, the world began to spin and I thought about how many shots we had drank.

"Good f*****g luck with this one." She said to the man amusement laced heavily in her tone before turning her attention back to me. "No funny business. Straight home Missy." She then looked up expectantly at the driver almost searing the I'm not kidding look into his eyes. He gave her a gentle nod before she sighed and pushed my feet that were dangling out of the side of the car further into the seat to shut the door.

I lay there face in the fabric trying futilely to make the world stop spinning. "K love you," I let out only for it to be muffled against the upholstery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The car come to a gentle stop before the man reached back to shake my shoulder lightly as he spoke. "Hey. This is you, no?" I push myself up to look out the window to see my apartment building before me. Smiling I struggled into a sitting position as the space was much too small to move around in. I opened the door before shuffling in my purse and shoving a random bill at him. "Keep the change." I was surprised at my ability to speak the words so clearly as the alcohol swam dizzily in my head. I rummage quickly in my purse before my hand found exactly what I was looking for. My hand grasped against the cool metal of a flask before I pulled it out and a large child-like grin threatened to c***k my face in half.

"Miss this is a $100 bill you sure?" I didn't answer him before slamming the car door in his face. The lid tapped against the cool metal as I took a large gulp or two. My face scrunched up at the bitter taste of Vodka. I knew Alexis has switched out my drinks for kiddy cocktails in the second half of the night trying to keep control of my intake. I giggled to myself about my secret flask and how despite her best efforts, I planned to get even more drunk before the night ended. I began making my way up the stairs and inside the lobby before stumbling into one of the elevators. The doorman eyed me quickly before shifting his gaze back out the large glass front doors. He had to be used to this by now with how regularly occurring of a thing it was. Probably more than I'd like to admit. I pressed the button for my floor and fell back with a large thump against the cool metal walls. A groan escaped my throat before taking a large drawn-out gulp from the Vodka in hand. As it ascended the world spin suddenly. I gripped my forehead trying to make everything still as the elevator stopped before the doors opened gracefully inviting me to step into the empty hallway. I managed my way down the long corridor before stopping, hand on the wall to steady myself, and finishing the contents of my flask. Continuing my drunken journey, I found myself in front of the apartment and fumbled in my purse for my keys to unlock the door. They slipped out of my hands with a jangling thud. As I went to pick them up from their resting place on the soft carpet in front of the door, I lost my balance accidentally head-butting the door. Groaning, I used the door to steady myself as I got up trying to unlock the door again. This time, I found success but lost my balance between opening it and stepping through the threshold. I felt my whole body collide jarringly with the hardwood floors of the front entryway. There was only the dense thud of my body onto the floor and two voices ring out harshly from the living room to the left.

"s**t!" I heard a male voice breathe out. There was a faint sound of a belt buckle tingle and shuffling.

"Who is that?!" A girl ask incredulously.

"Mother of fuck." I groaned from my spot on the floor. I couldnt tell if the hangover was starting to enter my head or if I gave myself a concussion as the world began to spin a little harder. Pressure began building behind my eyes and at the base of my skull. I hear more shuffling before the male voice spoke again.

"You've gotta go." I heard the male say almost annoyed. I couldnt tell if his annoyance was aimed at me or his company.

"What?!" She was almost shrieking. I closed my eyes and groaned as I felt the sound squeeze my brain.

"Leave." He said with a crude level of finality. I heard more shuffling and the harsh sound of bare feet slapping angrily across the hard flooring. I felt someone step over me before the front door opened pushing my legs to the side and slammed shut. I was still on the floor trying to catch my bearings when I hear the male again. "Smooth entrance."

I raised my hand to flip him off unsure of his physical location as I lay there and the world spinning violently. I heard him chuckle before his hands reached up around my waist to flip me on my back gently.They lingered sending shock waves through my body. When I was brave enough to open my eyes again, I was met with a shirtless William. His belt hung loosely around his waist and his pants were still undone. My hand came up to my forehead as a pathetic attempt to nurse my injury. I looked him in the eyes trying to resist the urge to laugh like a maniac at my predicament. "Why are you n***d?"

"Are you complaining?" He smirked at me but his eyes still held the same level of concern as before. He looked at what was in my hand before a smile tugged at his lips. He reached up and gently removed the flask and my keys from my hands before extending up further to place them on the small entry table.

"Do you want me to?" He laughed as his eyes found my face again before pulling me up and carrying me bridal style. I was too drunk to protest physically. "William you w***e! I'm not going to sleep with you!"

His chest vibrate as he laughed. "I'm not trying to sleep with you! Plus," His lips brushed my ear, the feeling sending electricity through my body causing a shockwave of shudders to race out through my muscles. A warmth shot down my spine and to my loins. It was a different kind of warmth from the maternal nature of Alexis. This. one was more primal. "I don't think I'd have to get you completely inebriated to have s*x with me."

I stirred in his arms trying to shift away from him and huffed annoyed with the effect he had on my body. "f**k you and f**k off William."

he laid me on my back over the soft duvet of my bed. I heard him laugh again before feeling him lay down next to me. "I would but now I have to make sure you don't die in your sleep. You hit your head pretty hard. Are you okay?" I heard his voice soften as his tone shifted. The playfulness he previously displayed was replaced with concern.

An overwhelming amount of discomfort rang outweigh that made my stomach churn violently. My discomfort wasn't that I was scared of William. I felt oddly safe with him. The discomfort came from behind the walls of my fortress like the screech of sudden unwelcomed danger. "I'm fine. You can go."

His arm snake over my waist before his breath hit the back of my neck. Tiny hairs stood on end as good bumps raced out over my skin."Sorry princess, you're stuck with me tonight."

A wave of frustration swim under my skin brushing the synapses between nerve endings lighting them on fire momentarily. It felt like electricity skittering just beneath the skin. "Can you at least roll over?" I growled it out with a lot more venom than I had anticipated while shoving his hand off of me.

He shift as he laughed. "You have such an inviting personality, Missy." His voice held an air of amusement as his breath fanned over the nape of my neck. I resisted the urge to shudder at the sudden warmth of his breath on sensitive skin.

Groaning, I reached up to rub my forehead. The hangover began to fill the cavity of my skull in a slow torturous drip. The pressure built against my sinuses as it squeezed my brain from the weight of the alcohol trying to process in my system. "William, do me a favor and shut the f**k up."