A/N: Meh. I'm not motivated to update anything. I'm going into a slump, I think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, by the way. It made me happy. :)
I woke up when something crashed. My room was almost uncomfortably warm, the sunlight coming in from the window telling me it was very early in the morning. Practically dawn. I yawned and rolled over, opening my eyes sleepily to a gorgeous woman standing in the doorway of my bathroom.
I stretched up on my side, my mouth hanging open as I blearily watched her bend over the counter, toward the mirror wall. Her tiny foot lifted off the ground for balance, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Darcy," I rumbled, feeling the back of my throat throb. "What are you doin'?"
She turned to me, startled. She capped the lipstick in her hand. "Oh. Shit. I didn't know you were up."
I nodded. "Yeah. What time is it?"
She checked the unclasped watch hanging loosely around her forearm. "A little after seven."
"Why don't you go back to sleep? It's early."
"I... I gotta split, Hardy." She smiled apologetically, fluffing her hair. "I have things to do."
"Why? What do you have to do this early?"
"I don't know. Things."
I sat up, worried. "Darcy - "
"Look, Hardy, I just... " She sighed angrily. "Good-bye."
I threw the covers back as she bustled out my bedroom door, grabbing the pants I was wearing the night before so I could go after her. I tripped over Lucas, who was curled up outside the door, and he yelped, sassing me for locking him out last night. "I'll give you a treat later," I said distractedly, hurrying to the front before Darcy left.
Jeff and Jill were sound asleep on the couch. I passed by them quickly, walking into the foyer while Darcy hastily slipped on her heels. "You mind tellin' me why you're rollin' outta here so quick?"
She looked up and swore under her breath, thumping her foot to the ground noisily. "Look, Hardy, this can't happen, okay? Just leave me alone."
"Darcy - "
"Hardy, just forget about me, okay?" She grabbed her hat and turned to the door.
I grabbed her arm. "Darcy. Please. What's the matter?"
She jerked away, glaring at me angrily. She looked like she was trying to think of something to say, but her eyes glazed over and she just bit her lip, looking away painfully.
I stepped closer. "Darcy... "
"You weren't supposed to wake up," she hissed. She pulled on her fedora and clacked down the front steps of my house, breaking into a quick jog to her car.
I watched her drive away, screeching onto the main road.
I don't really know how long I stood there, hand on the doorknob, waiting for her to come back, to explain why she left in the first place. But she never did. The sun rose a little higher, disappearing behind the clouds. The wind picked up.
There was a storm rolling in - I could hear it thundering a couple of miles away.
"Is the door open?"
I wait a second, just in case she was going to drive back. When she didn't, I sighed, turning to the voice. Jeff was looking around, trying to figure out where the brisk breeze was coming from. I could only see his head lifted above the back of the couch, twisting every which way. I shut the door loudly.
Jeff jumped. "Matt?"
"Yeah."
"Was the door open?"
"Yeah."
Jeff frowned. "You okay?"
I came up to the couch, leaning my hands against it. Jill was cradled against Jeff's side, sound asleep, and he was rubbing her belly in long, even strokes. "I don't know," I said quietly.
"Where's Darcy?"
"She left."
"Oh." Jeff raised his eyebrow. "What time is it?"
"I don't know."
Jill shifted against Jeff, and he stopped moving, whispering a soft sorry in her ear. She wasn't even awake, but how could he know that? He continued running his hand across her stomach when she started breathing evenly again. "Maybe you should go back to bed," he said, looking up, but not at me.
I straightened. "Yeah. I guess."
"Hey, man?"
I looked back at him, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah?"
Jeff just shook his head. "Don't worry."
I blinked, not too sure what to say to that. The door to the deck opened and I glanced over, just in time to see Kyle stumble in, holding her head like it would fall off if she didn't. I smiled slightly. "Rough night?"
She looked up, groaning. "I slept on the deck. How do you think my night went?"
"Where's Shannon?"
Kyle licked her lips. "I... I'm not too sure. Hot tub?"
"Hot tub?" I went past her, out onto the deck, stopping abruptly at the sight before me. Shannon was in the hot tub, his naked upper half bent awkwardly over the side of it, so his head hung and his hair flopped limply. I felt Kyle come up behind me, her hand pressing against my back.
"He's out," she said roughly, her voice deeper than normal.
"Looks like rain." I looked at the sky.
"If he gets electrocuted, he deserves it. Can I sleep in your bed?"
I glanced back at her, nodding. "Yeah. Come on, I'll get you set up."
"You're not going back to sleep, right? I don't want to take your room if you're - "
"No, I'm... wide-awake."
Kyle followed me down the hallway to my room, stopping to rub Lucas's neglected head. He licked her hand and barked angrily at me. "Oh, shut up," I growled, throwing the covers back for Kyle.
There was an open condom wrapper on the sheets, glinting in the light. I stared down at it, stunned, completely forgetting what I was doing or where I was. I could hear Kyle in the background, cooing to Lucas, and that sorta snapped me out of it. I snatched the thing and stuffed it in my pocket, turning to her with an awkward smile on my face.
"Can I sleep with your doggy?" she said like a baby, cuddling him to her neck. She hopped into bed and snuggled up with him, pulling the covers around herself. "Good-night, Matt."
"Lights off?"
"Please."
I flicked off the lights and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
I couldn't have slept with Darcy. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Not with her. She was supposed to be a different, something special. Not a cheap, drunken party fuck. She was worth so much more than that.
I scrubbed my hands over my face, reaching into my pocket to throw that piece of shit away. The lipstick on my mirror stopped me in my tracks.
HARDY, IT WAS A MISTAKE.
I blinked and leaned forward, trailing my finger through the red make-up, watching it bleed and smear onto my skin. Is this what I was supposed to find if I hadn't woken up when I did?
I fingered the wrapper in my pocket.
The thought alone made it harder for me to breathe.
A/N: UH OHHHHHH. Review. I'll update later.
