Lovely
-The One Night Stand

I tangled my fingers in his soft, curly hair as he drove harder and deeper. I didn't know much about him, but I could be sure he liked when I played in his hair. The harder I tugged, the harder his hips pinned mine to his bed. He was driving me just as mad as he dragged his tongue slowly across the sensitive skin at my neck.

With every thrust, my voice broke as I moaned louder and louder until my orgasm took over. His movements became more erratic and faster and I could hear his deep breathing in my ear. I grabbed him by the hair, pulling me to him for a kiss as he came, moaning low and guttural.

For a moment, we stayed like that: kissing while the sweat on our skin cooled. Our lust-filled trance gradually turning into discomfited awkwardness. For me, anyway.

He pecked my lips a few times before collapsing at the side of me. With his eyes nearly closed, he pulled the covers over us. I covered myself with the thin blanket that smelled just like him and turned away from him on my side. He shifted behind me and came close behind me. I froze when I felt his body against mine and his fingers trailing my arm. He slipped his arm under mine, and his hand finally rested on my belly.

I still don't know why, but I relaxed when I felt him kiss my shoulder. I should've been leaving now, not relaxing. I decided I'd wait until he fell asleep to leave, but as I heard his breathing even out and become heavier, the day began to catch up with me. I couldn't move, and I hate him for it.

I hated him for touching me this way instead of walking me to the door. I hated him for looking at me in the eyes so intensely that I had to look away. I hated him for holding me so close now that I didn't want to leave. And that's when I fell asleep. In his arms, hating him.

~o~

Two hours later, I woke up with his tight grip still around my body. I had to get home, though, so I slowly removed his hand and rolled out of bed to find my underwear. They were under his thigh on the bed, and I cursed mentally before slowly slipping them from under him. I froze in place when he rolled over onto his stomach and clutched the pillow under his head. Quickly and quietly, I found my bra and jeans on the floor. I shimmied into them on, feeling as though I was at the home stretch. As I was looking for my shirt I heard his voice.

"You're leaving?" he asked in a groggy voice.

Shit, I cursed again. I cleared nothing from my throat and turned to see him laying on his back with the sheet barely covering him. I looked away.

"I need to feed Milo," I told him just as I'd caught sight of my shirt under the bed. I fell to my knees to retrieve it. I could see the used condom on his side on the floor and I groaned under my breath. When I raised my head, he was right there, propped up on his elbows.

"Who's Milo" he asked, brushing my hair behind his ears. I restrained myself from doing the same; his dirty blonde curls were all over his head like a frizzy halo.

"My cat."

"I didn't know you had a cat."

I snorted, "You don't anything about me, kid."

"I know that I'm older than you-" he said, smiling as he pulled me closer for a kiss, and I accepted. His lips were so soft and he was a great fucking kisser. I pulled away before I could lose myself again. I cursed yet again when I saw that arrogant smile on his face. I stood up and stretched into my shirt. "-so you can stop calling me "kid." Just give me a couple minutes, I'll put some clothes on and drive you home."

"The bus is just fine, thank you."

"It's three o' clock in the morning. Crazy people are crawling around here."

"I said I was taking the bus- not walking." I caught sight of him getting out of bed and slipping into a pair of black sweatpants before I went to the living room to find my shoes. I found my black boots in the kitchen of all places. I pushed my feet into them and went to the door just as he was trying to catch up.

"Angela, wait." I stopped and slowly turned around to see his confused face. "Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you or something?"

I hated him for this, too. For being so fucking concerned when he should just let me go. It was just a one-night-stand, for fuck's sake. These were supposed to be the easier. "No, you didn't do anything wrong," I told him, crossly.

"Well, okay." He ran a hand through his hair, half-attempting to tame it. "Take my number-"

"For what?" I asked, looking down at the ground. I couldn't handle the strange look on his face because I was coward.

"I had a good time tonight and- I dunno -I was hoping we could see each other again."

When I looked up, the hopefulness in his eyes, nearly floored me. "No," I told him simply.

"But-"

"Just leave it...okay, Jasper? I was just a fuck, so let's just leave this here, okay?" I turned on my heels and walked out of his apartment, pulling the door behind me.

~o~

Milo, my orange Tabby, came out of the shadows of my apartment and began to walk in and out of my legs as I put out food and water for him. He took a sip and a few bites before following me into the bathroom to wait for me on the floor while I showered. His slinky figure trailed me into the bedroom as I put on some comfortable clothes. The apartment was freezing and I couldn't help but skip around on the wood floors as I walked through the apartment with no shoes on. I brought his bowl from the kitchen into the room and got under the covers, shivering. Milo quickly ate then joined me on the bed. I half-covered his orange fur so that he wouldn't get too hot and stroked his fur. He began to purr as he warmed up. I took my cell phone from the side table and dialed Bella's number.

"Hello?" she sleepily answered after a few rings. I had clearly woken her up from her sleep, and I immediately felt horrible about it. She must've just gotten home as well.

Despite this, I still hesitantly asked, "Can you come up?"

"Are you okay, Angela?" The alarm in her voice was noticeable.

"I'm fine, I just…I really needed to talk to you, Bella. Can you come up?"

"I'll be right up, okay?"

I didn't deserve a friend like Bella. I didn't really deserve many of the great things in my life, but here they all were. I stroked my cat who had now stopped shivering and waited for the door to open. The front door opened first and I heard Bella curse as she shut the door and quickly ran into my room. She shut the door and hopped into the bed next to me. Milo hissed at first but when he saw it was Bella, he curled up next to her as she rubbed his belly.

"Edward's mad, right?" I asked, knowing she wouldn't tell me the truth. "For pulling you away so late."

"He understands that you need me."

"But he's mad, right?"

Bella sighed, "Angela…what's wrong?"

"Please don't judge me, okay?"

"I would never judge you."

She was right. Through all the stuff we've been through together, she's never once judged me for anything. I didn't deserve her.

"I went home with someone from the club tonight." She was silent and waiting for more. "We danced a few songs and then I told him to wait for him in the parking lot until I was ready to finish dancing. I didn't expect him to be there, but when I went outside, he was there, looking like he'd been there for a while, smoking a cigarette. We went back to his place and I was all over him, telling him to just fuck me, you know, but he wouldn't. He brought me to the bed and he kissed me so slow and soft and he didn't take his eyes off mine and-" I interrupt myself with a sigh. "He made me feel so good and for one second - for one fucking second, I thought of it as more than a one-time thing. I pictured us together, but that was a joke. One night stands don't turn into anything. It was just me living in a stupid fantasy world again, but…he looked so hopeful when he asked for my number. I knew that it'd be a waste. That I'dbe a waste."

"Angela, you're nota waste. You can't think so little of yourself."

I could feel the tears coming so I blinked them back. I was so tired of crying over myself.

"One-night-stand or not, all guys aren't like James-"

My breath involuntarily hitched at his name.

"I fucking hate him," Bella spat. "I can't even mention his name without you panicking." She stroked Milo for a while. "You don't know what it's like for someone to respect you so when a guy comes along who does, you shut him out."

"There was no respect or disrespect, Bella. Just sex."

"You know what I mean." And I did.

I didn't say anything after that, and I hadn't planned on saying anything more. She knew I could get like this so she didn't say anything either. She waited for me to speak again instead. I closed my eyes and cuddled closer to Milo. "Will you stay with me until morning?"

Bella settled into the bed. "Yes."

"What about Edward?"

She'd never say. "Goodnight, Angela."

I settled in and closed my eyes before falling deep into deep sleep.