Love- As Real As the Moon

45

Hayley

I wake up with a throbbing headache and an urge to vomit. I run towards the washroom and puke. The headache worsens. I take some toothpaste on my hand and rinse my mouth. I can't remember anything after running away from Nick. Again.  I splash some water on my face, walk out and look around. Wait. This is not my room. I run out of the room. This isn't even my house.My house is bright and cheerful while this place is calm. Classy with all the shades of monochrome.
What the hell happened? Is this a dream? I rub my eyes when I see a lady running towards me. She asks me if I'm okay.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"You are at Parker's residence mam. Here is your pill for the hangover."

THE WHAT NOW? Oh shit. Oh fuck. I got drunk and then. What happened then?! Then...... Nick lifted me and brought me here. What happened after? WHAT HAPPENED? DAMNIT! I do need that pill now.

"Thank you." I take the pill.

"Do you need anything else mam?"

"No. Thank you." I try to smile.

She nods and I go to the bedroom again. Where is Nick anyways? I fall back on his comfy bed which feels like a cloud and try to recall what happened but it only makes the headache worse. I smell alcohol from my dress, my headache levels up. I decide to take a shower but remember I don't have clothes. I walk towards his closet and open it. If my closet looked like this, I would never touch it again with the fear of messing it up. Everything is perfect and aligned. There are 10 shirts for each colour but there's not one shorts or bright colour in his closet. He really needs to go shopping. I take a deep breath and take out a white shirt slowly praying he doesn't get mad at me for this. I need to get out of here- I hurt him. Twice. And yet here I am in his room, taking his clothes.
I go to the washroom, remove my clothes and turn on the shower, making it hot enough to not burn me but enough to help with the headache.  There's a soap and a body wash on a stand, I choose the soap and sniff it like a dog. It smells so freaking good, I smell again.
It smells like him.

I wear my bra and panties after making sure they don't have the alcohol smell on them. I put on his shirt with shaky hands and walk to his bed and sit down. I start massaging my head which feels better, guess the hangover medicine is working. I close my eyes and it all comes back at once. I open my eyes wide. Shit. Fuck. I told him everything. Nick knows my deepest secret which no one knows-  not even Lucy.

Holy shit. How will I face him? What will I say to him? How will he react? Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I should go ho- My panic gets interrupted by the opening of the door of the room. I jump from the bed as he walks in. He freezes when he looks at me. His gaze moves all over me twice. Thrice. What catches my attention is his swollen cheek and a blue green spot near his lips. I run towards him when I see dried blood on his right hand. I take his hand in mine.

"What happened? Did you hurt yourself again?" I look at him with teary eyes.

"Because of me? Answer me Nick!"

"No." He moves past me towards the washroom and starts rinsing the blood from his hand.

"Your hand is bleeding, Nick. Jus-"

"I didn't hurt myself, Hayley. It was Dave."
My face goes pale. " What?"

"I hurt Dave. Punched that bastard till he was not in the condition to speak."
He closes the tap and wipes his hand using the towel. I don't know what to say. I just stare at him. He washes his face and slowly looks at me. He takes a step towards me and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"How's your hangover?"
My vision blurs at the softness of his voice. I blink at him twice and then my body involuntarily crashes into his. I hug him so hard we both move back an inch. I try to hold back my tears.

"It's okay, Moon. Let it out." He whispers. And just like that the tank of my tears breaks. I've lost count of how many shirts of his I have ruined with my tears. I've cried in his arms so many times and everytime it felt.........safe. He doesn't remove his arms from me till I stop crying. I take a few deep breaths and slowly break the hug. I don't look at him. I can't. This is the man who I walked away from right after he told me he loved me. The man who beat someone up for me even after I hurt him so much. He gently lifts my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes.
It's like he reads my mind as he says, "Don't feel guilty, Moon. It was not your fault."

"It was." It comes out as a whisper,. He opens his mouth to say something but I don't let him. "Nick, where is the first aid?"

"Hug me again."

I let out a shaky exhale and look away.
"Please, Moon. For me?" He moves his thumb along the outline of my lower lip.
I nod slowly and wrap my arms around him again. He hugs me tightly for a moment and then suddenly he lifts me up from my waist .I wrap my legs around him and rest my head on his shoulder as he walks into the room and sits on the bed without releasing me.

"First aid?" I ask him.

"Naomi." He raises his volume a little. The housekeeper walks in.

"Yes sir?" She asks sweetly, there's confusion in her eyes when she looks at me.

"Please get the first aid kit."

"Sure sir." She leaves and comes back within a minute and hands a first aid kit to me.

"Thank you, Naomi." I give her a small smile.

She smiles back and leaves the room.
I move my face closer to his and press my lips on the bruise on his cheek. I move to the bruise near his lips, he takes a sharp intake of breath. My lips graze his skin as I move down to the bruise near his lips not taking mine off his skin and gently kiss it. He tightens his grip.  I slowly take his hand in mine and kiss each bruise on his fingers and knuckles. I finally gather the courage to look into his deep brown eyes and slowly press a kiss on his forehead. He shuts them close as if he's trying to control himself. I take an ointment out of the first aid kit and start applying it to his cheek,he slowly opens his eyes.

"Does it hurt?" I ask.
He shakes his head. I move to his other bruise and whisper, "I'm sorry." He holds my wrist and stops me.

"Understand this, Moon. You are not going to apologise to me for anything. Ever. Okay?"

I shake my head. "No. I hurt you, Nick. And I will even fall on my knees and beg for your forgiveness if I have to."

"One day, I will have you on your knees for me, baby. But not for begging  for my forgiveness. I'd rather have you beg for something else of mine."

A flush creeps up my face and ears. I look away and start tending to his hand.

"Done." I say as I tape his bandage.

He nods and says, "than-"

I hold up my hand to stop him and narrow my eyes. "Don't you dare. I am the only one who needs to do the thanking here."

His lips twitch, then he gives me a once over. Something changes in his eyes amd he pulls me closer and breathes in my ear, "You should stop wearing your clothes, Moon."

My eyes widen. "What!"

"Nothing compares to how you look in my clothes."

"How do I look in your clothes?"

"Mine." His husky voice sends a shiver down my spine. "As much I as I love the sight of you in my shirt Moon, I need you to change now." He says softly.

I bring my face back. "Why? My clothes smell like alcohol."

"We are going to have a visitor and I've got you some new clothes."

I shrug. "Okay."