The song this time is She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5.
When Honey finally makes it home, it's after midnight and she knows that even as tired as she is, sleep won't be easy. Instead of parking in the driveway beside her moms' Cadillac and her dads' motorcycle, she reaches for her phone and searches her contacts for anyone she could talk to.
Happy. She couldn't talk to him without the guilt coming back full force, the thought of disappointing him hurting more than being alone.
Devon. She hadn't even seen Devon since the morning after Justins' party when she had told her off. No doubt she was still upset.
The only other numbers in her contacts were the guys and Tara. Her finger hovered over Tara's name for a moment before she thought better of it, locking her phone and slumping down in her seat exhaustedly. 'I don't have anyone who would understand...'
And then, as if on cue, her phone rang. Happy's name lit up on the screen and she frowns, wondering if she should answer it or just let it ring. Before she could make the decision, her finger moved on its' own and hit the green answer button.
"Hey..." She mumbles, her voice hoarse from the hours spent in Justins' garage. After she had accidentally called out Kips' name, Justin had been rougher than ever, shoving her into things and twisting her into positions she would've thought were impossible for anyone to accomplish. The few beers they had shared once they finished had only gotten her tipsy enough to lose her fragile hold on her emotions and she had fled before she did anything else regrettable.
There's a moment of silence before his gruff voice comes over the line. "You did it again, didn't you?"
A sob builds up in her throat as she lays her forehead against the steering wheel, feeling like the lowest scum on the earth. "I-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." She repeated in like a mantra until she breaks down in a crying mess, unable to catch her breath through her sobs and hiccups.
Happy sighs and says softly, then raises his voice a bit to be heard over the crying. "Honey...Honey! Come to the house, are you okay to drive?"
"Y-yeah..." She chokes out, raising her head and catching a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her cheeks were red and puffy, wet with tears, and her hair was stuck to the wetness, the long locks slightly greasy and tangled around her head. "I can drive..."
"Come over." The call disconnected and Honey tossed her phone into the passenger seat, her hands trembling as she reaches to turn the key in the ignition.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Happy opened the door as soon as she reached the door, her arms wrapped around herself as if holding herself together and her head down to hide her eyes. After opening the door, he grabs her hand and pulls her inside, shutting the door with a quiet click.
They stand in an awkward silence for a moment before he brushes the hair away from her forehead. "You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really..." She bites her lip softly then looks up at him, frowning when she sees the bruises and cuts on his knuckles. "What happened?"
"Just a little boxing." She couldn't tell if he was lying or not, he turned away and walked towards the couch before she could decipher his look. "C'mon, I know you're tired."
She follows him, perching beside him and cringing as she realizes how sore she is. "Fuck..." She hisses under her breath as she feels the bruises on her hips throb against the rough denim of her jeans.
Happy watches her with dark, knowing eyes as she tries to position herself better. Finally, he reaches out and grabs her waist gently, popping the button open on her jeans and pulling them down. Honey shrieks and tries to hold onto them, blushing as she's left to try to cover the angry purple bruises on her thighs and hips.
"Who did this?" His voice is eerily calm as he stares at the hickeys and hand shaped bruises on her pale skin. His fingertips gently and tenderly touch one of the bruises and Honey flinches, making his frown deepen.
"I asked for it." She mumbles, pushing his hand away and moving to stand. He loops one muscular arm around her waist and holds her down, shaking his head.
"You didn't ask for this." He declares, making Honey tense up in his arms.
"Yes, I did. I'm tired of people acting like I'm a child who can't handle heavy shit." She glares up at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying so much already. "I wanted him to fuck me like he meant it, and he did."
"There's a difference between wanting it rough and wanting someone to hurt you, Honey." He looks down at her sternly, his free hand smoothing her hair back away from her face as she stays quiet, her eyes falling to the tattoos on his bare chest. "Why do you want to be hurt?"
"I don't..." Her voice is softer, less confident now. "I don't want hurt...I want to forget."
"You want to forget what it feels like to be in love. To be loved." He murmurs, his arms loosening around her waist as he realizes she isn't going to run.
Reluctantly, Honey nods, her shoulders slumping as she whispers, "It was so amazing, Hap. I wish I could forget it."
"Honey, fucking around isn't going to make you forget being happy. If anything, it'll only make you want it more because after you get fucked, there is no cuddling or 'I love you's, you're alone and miserable again." His jaw remains clenched as he looks at her, his hands curled into fists on his thighs.
"So I'm just supposed to let him go? Be content with the fact that I wasn't good enough?" She mumbles nearly too quiet for him to hear, rubbing her eyes to relieve the burning.
He shakes his head, laying back and gently tugging her to lay between his legs. "No, but you can't let him destroy you. I know it hurts but you can get past it. I'm here whenever you need me, all you have to do is call."
She curls up on his chest, pressing her face against his neck and nodding slowly as she whispers, "I love you, Happy."
He grunts quietly and looks over at the tv, reaching for the remote as Honey burrows against his chest, letting his strong heartbeat lull her to sleep.
-o-o-o-o-o-
The next morning, Honey woke up to a strong hand holding her thighs, her body pressed against Happy's tattooed, muscular chest. Slowly, she stretches and lets out a soft yawn before opening her eyes and smiling when she sees Happy's dark, sleep clouded eyes staring back at her.
"Morning...want some food?" She sits up, careful not to knee him as she climbs off and smooths her tshirt over her stomach, forgetting momentarily about the bruises on her legs.
He nods, sitting up and cracking his neck as he reaches for his rumpled black tshirt thrown over the back of the couch. She smiles and walks into the small, tidy kitchen, glancing into the cabinets and grabbing the bread to pop into the toaster. Happy watches from the doorway, arms crossed as he grumbles, "How's the wrist ink holding up?"
She glances over at him and smiles, cracking a couple eggs into the pan warming on the stove. "It's pretty good." Making sure the eggs are frying alright first, she walks over and lets him examine the still vibrant black letters on her wrist. "Think I can get another soon?"
That made him grin as he reached into the fridge for the bottle of orange juice. "Depends."
"On?" She turns back to the eggs, flipping them with a spatula.
"Whenever you can stop doing this to yourself, I'll give you any ink you want." His dark eyes bore into hers as she looks back at him, biting her bottom lip softly before nodding.
"Okay..." She murmurs as she stares down at the eggs sizzling in the pan, poking at them with the spatula. "I'm going to be better, Happy. I swear."
"Okay." He steps up behind her, his hands gently resting on her hips as he murmurs near her ear. "And if he tries anything with you, all you have to do is say the word and he's done." He didn't clarify which he he was talking about, but something told her it wasn't Justin.
Honey nods slowly, then frowns as she cranes her neck as far as possible to look behind herself at the tattooed man pressed against her back. "You have to work today, don't you?"
"I can call Clay." He leans down and presses his lips against her forehead, making her relax and lean back against his body. "Garage shouldn't be busy today, the prospect can cover my hours."
She missed the way he sneered the prospect as she turned to face him, his muscular arms resting on the counter on each side of her and caging her in. It didn't bother her though, she nibbled on a piece of toast and gazed up at him, feeling incredibly small compared to him yet safe all the same.
"Happy?" She murmurs softly, her head tilting slightly as she dusts the crumbs off her fingers and throws her arms around his neck. He raises an eyebrow, stepping closer and letting her lean against him as she grins. "Let's go for a ride."
She took his noncommittal grunt as an agreement and hurried into the living room to get dressed.
-o-o-o-o-o-
"What do you mean Hollywood?" Gemma sat up in the desk chair, one hand resting absentmindedly on the scar between her breasts.
Her daughter's voice carried over the line through the sound of wind and the people around her. "Happy and I are in Hollywood! Y'know, the stars on the sidewalks are a lot dirtier than I thought they'd be..."
"Hold up, why are you and Happy in Hollywood?" Gemma frowns, glancing out the window and rolling her eyes seeing the only bike in the parking lot was the prospect's. 'Guess I have no help today too.'
"We were going for a ride and we were going to go to Disneyland then remembered we're broke and Happy scares small children so we took a little detour and boom, Hollywood." Honey giggles softly then shrieks in excitement, sending a sharp pain straight to Gemma's head. "Oh my god, we're standing on the Backstreet Boys!"
"Elizabeth Honey Teller, I swear to god if you don't get your skinny ass home-"
There was a scuffle and the sound of the phone being passed off before Happy's voice rumbled, "She's okay, mom. We'll be home early tomorrow to help finish getting everything ready."
Gemma lets out a heavy sigh before pursing her lips and nodding slowly. "Alright...keep her in line, okay?" 'Because god knows I'm an inch from wringing her scrawny neck right now.'
"Okay." The call disconnected and she scoffs, rolling her eyes before leaning back in the chair and rubbing her forehead in exasperation. 'They both have shit to do and they're off prancing in Hollywood like kids...'
It was already Wednesday and if everything was going to be ready for the fourth of July barbecue and party on Friday, she needed all her Sons and her daughter's full cooperation. As usual, Honey hadn't thought about her responsibilities and Gemma was already planning the lecture in her mind. 'She can kiss the rest of her summer goodbye as far as I'm concerned.'
-o-o-o-o-o-
Honey grinned as she crouched beside the star emblazened with John Lennon's name, her fingers in a peace sign in front of her as she gazed at Happy through her Ray Bans. 'Today was the best day ever.' Once Happy had taken the photo, she stood and walked over to him, taking her phone back and slipping it into her back pocket. "Wanna eat now?"
"We can. There's a sports bar a few blocks over, we could get a burger." He brushes his fingers over the soft skin between her black crop top and her high waisted shorts, making her smile as she nods.
"Okay." Her smaller hand slips down and wraps around his much larger one, lacing their fingers together as they walk along the star studded sidewalk leisurely. "Hey, Happy?"
He glances down at her and is surprised to find her staring up at him. "Yeah?"
"Thank you." Leaning up, she presses her lips against his cheek, her lips brushing the corner of his as she leans into his side comfortably. "I know I've been a brat lately."
"Yeah, but you're my brat." He shrugs then grins when her elbow digs into his side just below his rib cage. She smirks and shakes her head slightly, her wavy hair falling over her face slightly as she looks down at the names on the stars beneath their feet.
A few blocks later, Happy led her into the small bar situated on the corner of the street, his arm wrapped protectively around her slim, bare shoulders as the small group of men inside stared at them. The three at the bar quickly returned to nursing their beers, realizing the biker at her side would have no qualms about a bar fight over her. The two younger men, no older than 25, who had been playing a friendly game of pool off to the side of the tables were not quite as wise and one of them began to approach the booth Honey had chosen.
"Hey, I'm Daniel, that is my cousin Lance. I was just wondering if you'd like to join us for a quick game of pool?" The tall, charismatic brunette gave the young girl a bright grin, making her smile and giggle softly as Happy glowers at the men from her side. 'Wow, they have balls coming over when Happy is in protect mode...'
"Actually," the tight, possessive hand on her hip made her smirk as she nods at the men. "I'd love to. You might have to teach me though, I've never played." She could practically feel the annoyance in his eyes as Happy stared down at her, warning her silently.
"I'd love to teach you a few things." Daniel's eyes slipped down to her cleavage and she smirked, giving Happy's thigh a soft squeeze under the table before standing up. Happy rolls his eyes and heads to the bar to order a drink, keeping a watchful eye on Honey as the two boys crowd around her, showing her how to play.
Honey catches his gaze and winks before bending down, lining the pool cue up and missing horribly then frowning at Daniel. "Wait, aren't we supposed to bet?"
Daniel stares at her for a moment before nodding slowly, a grin on his thin lips. "We can. How about this: $100 per ball and if I win, I get to take you home tonight?"
Homey smiles coyly, pretending to consider the offer as she steps close enough for her stomach to brush against his. "Sounds good. You wanna start?"
He nods again, his hand coming up to brush against her hip before she pulls away and leans against the wall to watch him. Lance sits down at the closest table, sipping a glass of beer as Daniel takes his shot.
After almost sinking his ball into the corner pocket, he turns to Honey with a bright grin. "Your turn, babe."
"Thanks." Honey smiles and bends over the edge of the table, arching her back so that her ass is in the air. Happy snorts softly as he shakes his head, knowing she was only riling them up as she takes her shot and sinks one of the striped balls easily.
Within 15 minutes, she had won the game easily and was waiting for Daniel to fork over his money. He runs a hand through his dark hair, cussing under his breath as he grabs Lance's arm and walks towards the door, clearly not intending to pay up. Happy intercepts them, crossing his arms as he stares the angry young man down, rumbling, "I believe you owe her some money."
"The bitch hustled us!" Daniel spat, attempting to shove past the larger man, only to be knocked to the floor.
Happy glares down at him, fist clenched as he repeats, "Give her the money."
"Fuck no!" Daniel clambers to his feet and swings his arm out in a wide arc, giving Happy enough room to grab his wrist and twist, earning a sickening crunch. "Shit, you broke my wrist!" He clutched his arm, kneeling in the floor with Happy staring down at him.
"Unless you want more broken, give the girl what you owe her." Daniel scowled and forced himself into a standing position, holding his arm to his chest.
"She fucking cheated, I'm not paying her a dime!" Happy swung this time, landing a solid right hook to the man's jaw. Honey watches the fight, leaning casually against the wall out of the way until she sees Lance come over to defend his cousin.
"Nope, two against one just ain't fair." She smirks before kicking him, laughing softly as he crumples to the ground holding his crotch. Quickly, she kneels and searches through his pockets while he's incapacitated, just as the bartender rushes over to Happy.
"Hey, cut it out!" Happy steps away, his fists smeared with blood as Daniel stays down, clutching his stomach with his uninjured arm. "All of you, get out! The boss doesn't like fighting, this is a clean establishment."
Honey sidles up to Happy, crocodile tears in her eyes. "We're sorry, sir, my boyfriend here was only defending me."
"Well he can defend you all he wants outside of my bar. Go on, get out. You're lucky I'm not calling the cops." The elderly man cast a suspicious glance at Happy, making sure not to get too close.
Honey nods, tugging gently on Happy's arm as she gives the man a grateful grin. "Thank you so mych, sir. I'm so sorry for any inconvenience."
He grumbles at them until the door swings shut behind them and Happy shakes his head. "Ass kisser."
She giggles softly and nods, kissing his cheek softly before holding a wallet up between her pointer and middle fingers. "Let's go find a hotel room, compliments of Lance Gleason."
"Oh, you're a pickpocket and a pool hustler now?" He raises an eyebrow at her, smiling when she shrugs and walks ahead, swaying her hips with exaggerated confidence.
"What can I say? You're a bad influence."
-o-o-o-o-
"C'mon, dance with me?" Honey stood in the middle of their hotel room, wearing Happy's black tshirt and holding her phone as she let her Youtube playlist play.
Happy laid on the bed watching her, a cigarette dangling from his lips and his arms crossed behind his head. "I don't dance, little girl."
"Well I do, so come on. It won't kill you." She crawled up the foot of the bed until she was sitting by his side, her legs tucked beneath her. "Please? Just one song?"
He stares at her a moment before sighing out a cloud of smoke and leaning over to snuff the cigarette out on the phone book laying on the nightstand. "One song only." He grumbles as he stands up,
Honey grins and sets her phone down on the bed, letting the song play at the highest volume as she gently steps onto Happy's feet, letting him sway her as she lays her head on his shoulder. "Happy, today was the best day ever."
He chuckled, his hands resting on her lower back. "This song is stupid." He grumbled, not wanting to reply to her.
"It is not! You're just not listening to it right." She leaned over and restarted the song, this time singing along softly as she and Happy swayed. "Beauty queen of only 18, she had some trouble with herself...he was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else..."
Happy watched the way her eyes sparkled and brightened as she sang. His hands slipped down to rest on her hips as he allows his lips to turn up in a soft smile, one he only let her see.As the music kept playing, he gently pressed his lips against her forehead, silently trying to convey his feelings. She always understood.
When he pulled away after a moment, she surprised him by laying her head on his chest, kissing the ink on his chest softly. "Happy, how come you don't have an old lady?"
"Had one once, in high school." He shrugs, gently pushing her away as he walks towards the bottle of wine they had ordered. He pops the cork out and takes a drink straight from the bottle, leaning against the table as Honey follows him.
"What happened to her?" She perches on the edge of the table beside him, his tshirt riding higher on her thighs as she swings her feet slowly.
He glances down at the bottle in his hand, mumbling, "She got tired of the club. Took off with our daughter."
"Shit...I'm sorry, Happy. I shouldn't have been nosy..." She reaches for his free hand, lacing her slim fingers with his thicker, darker ones. "Do you miss her?"
"No." He sets the wine bottle down amd smoothes Honey's dark hair away from her face before lifting her chin to look into her eyes. "She was never meant to be an old lady, she was a preacher's daughter for fuck's sake. And if her taking Callie away keeps her safe, then I'm glad."
"Do you miss your daughter?" Honey asks as Happy steps between her legs, letting her press against his warm body.
"Sometimes."
Wordlessly, Honey leans over to grab the phone. As Happy raises an eyebrow at her, she smiles softly. "Think room service has beer?"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"You're 34?" Honey asks, staring up at the ceiling with a bottle of Corona in hand. She was far past drunk and Happy was only a few beers in, one hand holding Honey's thigh and the other hanging off the edge of the bed twirling an empty bottle between his fingertips.
"Mhm." He grumbles, then opens his eyes when he feels Honey's weight hovering above him. "What?"
"I wish it was you." She announced, her eyes dropping down to the tattoos that adorned his chest. "I wish you took my virginity instead of Kip. You'd take care of me and treat me nice and you wouldn't bring skanks from Nevada home with you."
Happy frowns, his hands resting on her hips as she straddles him. 'I don't think she realizes what she just said. She'd never admit to fucking the prospect when she's in her right mind.' "Honey-"
She cuts him off, laying her head on his chest and sniffling. "I know, I'm stupid."
"You're not stupid." He sighs softly, gently rubbing her hips, from midthigh to her hip bones to comfort her. She doesn't relax and, to his surprise, he feels the warmth of tears soaking his chest. "Honey, look at me."
She raises her watery eyes, sniffling as she wipes her cheeks. He watches her for a moment before leaning up and pressing his lips gently against hers. She stiffens momentarily in surprise before melting against him, sliding her arms around his neck. He slips his hands down to hold her thighs, his fingertips slowly slipping beneath the long tshirt she wore to dance along the lacy edge of her panties.
"Happy..." She whispers as she pulls away, her cheeks flushed as she bites her bottom lip gently. "What're we doing?"
"What do you want to do?" He holds her hips down on his, his fingers softly rubbing the back of her thighs just below the swell of her ass.
"Dance with me again?" Her eyes pleaded with him, her fingers gently tracing patterns on his chest as she raises up ever so slightly. He nods slowly, standing up with her and walking around the bed to the middle of the room where he let her drop to her feet.
"Put on that song from earlier." He requested, begrudgingly admitting that it wasn't as terrible as some of her other favorite songs. She obeyed with a smile, then wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands coming to rest on her hips as they swayed slowly.
"Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay awhile..." Honey sang along quietly, neither of them noticing they were inching closer together until her stomach brushed against the buckle of his belt. She stretches up on her tip toes and gently brushes her lips against his again, liking the way he was gentle with her, letting her explore at her own pace.
His hands stayed at her ass, gently kneading and massaging her as she brushed her tongue over his soft lips, her cheeks glowing red as her blush deepens and she pulls away suddenly. "You're not going to ignore me in the morning because of this, are you?"
"No." He leaned down and gently kissed her collarbone, feeling her pulse fluttering beneath his touch as his hands slid slowly under her shirt, feeling the soft skin of her hips. "You're not going to make this out to be more, are you?"
She shook her head, her fingers slipping down to brush along his abs curiously, her nails grazing the smiley faces that disappeared into the low waist of his jeans. "You're still gonna be my best friend."
He nods and picks her up bridal style, gently lying her on the fluffy white bedding and hovering above her, his lips trailing down her neck as her eyes flutter shut.
Sorry about the delay with this chapter, I had some family issues and even when I tried to write, it felt forced. I hope this chapter is good, though! Please review, and thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed!