Sorry by Halsey
"But I still know your birthday and your mother's favorite song."
April 2019
Jade woke up at her own will for the first time in a week. The screaming baby of an alarm clock was away at her dad's for the next seven mornings. The start of days without Viola were normally rather uneventful, but today was different. Today, Jade woke up to a naked man in her bed. This was a result of the night before, where her girl's night with Nell turned into a search for a rebound. She couldn't exactly call the man next to her a stranger, they had made slightly more than small talk, but she couldn't remember his name. He had only said it to her once. She was sure it had started with a D. David, Daniel, Dylan?
It had been a while since she had been in this sort of situation. Whoever he was had been the first person she slept with since she had broken up with Matty and she felt weird about it being some sort of milestone. Normally, one-night stands would be gone before she woke up, or she would leave their place before they woke up; but right now, her eyes were open and she stared at the wall in front of her sideways body while his arm was wrapped around her waist. He was asleep. Out of fear of awkwardness, she stayed there and waited for him to wake up.
After about fifteen minutes of her mind racing and thinking about how time is a made-up concept, the man shuffled around. He let out a yawn. She pretended to be asleep and let out one too. He nuzzled his face into her neck. "Good morning sleepyhead," he said. She felt like they were both too old now to be using that phrase. She hadn't bothered using it on anyone since she was twenty-three and even then it likely had a hint of irony. He seemed serious.
"Good morning," she responded.
"Last night was magical," he stated. It wasn't hard to hear the smile forming on his face.
"Uh huh," she agreed, abstractly. It certainly was something, but she would disagree with magical. Average would probably be a better word. She squirmed out of his grip. "I'm going to make some coffee." She intentionally left out asking him if he wanted a cup. He seemed to her like the type to ask for it.
"Would you make me a cup?"
Bingo.
She hated her need to be polite. "Sure," she answered as she turned to him with an admittedly very fake smile. She sat up in her bed and brought her feet to the ground. Her right foot had brushed against something that was peeking out from under her bed. "Shit," she exclaimed under her breath. She bent down to grab the stuffed animal giraffe or Giraffey as she and Matty called it. Giraffey was Viola's favorite toy at the moment and Jade couldn't help but wonder how Matty was faring without it.
"Is everything okay?" the man asked.
"Yeah. It's nothing. Just my daughter's toy."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yeah, I do," she smiled at the thought of her, "she's at her dad's right now."
"How old is she?"
His questions were eager which annoyed Jade, but she couldn't pass up an opportunity to talk about her.
"She'll be a year old next month."
Her mind started to disengage. She stood up and walked over to her dresser. Her focus was now directed towards throwing on a t-shirt and sweatpants. There wasn't much concern over looking good for the man in her room. From the moment she met him, she had made the decision that this was merely a one-time thing. In the background, she had heard him say some comment about how adorable Viola's age was or something. She didn't work too hard at making it out, realizing that this man seemed attached. Personal details weren't going to help him leave any quicker. She left the room without saying anything and didn't bother to acknowledge his presence either.
YOU ARE READING
About You. (Matty Healy)
Romance"Well, I wrote a song about you." It had been a long time since she heard him say those words. Maybe she was relieved to hear him say them again. Maybe this is what she had been missing. #1 in mattyhealy on 4/23/23
