I didn't know how long I laid there on Dally's bed. I just know the tears never stopped.
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to leave and call Tim. I didn't think that would be a good idea, though, with Dally so mad at him. I thought about calling the Curtis's to come get me, but I knew deep down I needed to stay and find out where Dally and I stood.
Eventually I fell asleep. Even though it wasn't the most peaceful sleep I'd ever had, it had taken some of the waiting away. I didn't get up to try and find Dally; I stayed on the bed. I knew that if I went and found Dally, I'd be pushing him and he might lash out at me. I knew he'd kept his temper in check when we'd talked earlier. I could feel the anger radiating off him but he'd only lost control once…
"Who said I want to be yours?"
I believed deep down that if he didn't still care about me he would have told me to leave. All I had to do was to keep waiting for him to come back. I fell back asleep, but when I woke up again, Dally was back taking his shirt off, beer in hand. I sat up instantly.
"Dally—" I started, but he cut me off.
"Rachel, not tonight," he answered tiredly.
"O-…okay," I said unsurely.
"Just go back to sleep," he murmured.
I lay back down, trying to get comfortable; I was still in Angie's tight greaser clothes. I thought about asking Dally for something to change into, like I had the first time I'd been here, but I decided against it. Dally seemed to have cooled down, but I wasn't sure where we were at and I didn't want to set him off again.
Suddenly something was tossed on me—I reached for it and realized it was the shirt Dally had been wearing.
"I know you can't be comfortable in that getup," Dally said from across the room before taking a swig of his beer.
"Thanks," I said quietly. I could have started to cry again—Dally wanted me to be comfortable. He still cared.
"Do you want me to stand outside the bathroom for you, or can you just change in here?" Dally asked me quietly.
I looked around. The room was dark. Dally hadn't turned the light on when he'd entered. I decided I would just change in here; I didn't want to make Dally stand outside the bathroom.
"I'll just change in here," I answered softly.
Dally didn't reply, he just moved towards the other side of the bed and moved to lie down. I stood up and walked to the corner where Dally had just moved from and turned with my back facing him. I took my shirt off and put Dally's bigger shirt on, I unhooked my bra and took off my jeans. Angie's clothes were just way too tight to be in at all. I felt kind of bare in only Dally's shirt and my underwear.
I placed my clothes on Dally's dresser and then headed back over to the bed. Lying down stiffly on the bed. I couldn't help but feel tense. This was nothing like the last time I had been in Dally's bed. It felt wrong.
"Will you relax?" Dally said suddenly. He'd been so silent I thought he might have fallen asleep. But glancing over at him I saw he was sitting up in bed, smoking a cigarette and still sipping on his beer. I couldn't help but blush, knowing I had changed in the room and he had been awake.
"I'm sorry. I'm just…nervous, I guess," I said without thinking.
"Rachel…" Dally trailed off.
"Never mind," I said quickly, turning my head.
I laid there trying to relax, taking deep relaxing breaths, and beside me, Dally sighed loudly.
"Come here," he commanded resignedly.
"What?" I said, not sure if I had heard right.
"Come here," Dally said again, plain as day.
I sat up and scooted over beside him, not sure what to do next. Dally laced the arm that was holding his beer around me and pulled me against his bare chest. I let myself be pulled, wanting to be as close to Dally as I could, not knowing how much time I had left with him.
"Now relax," Dally said and I did. Being against Dally felt like home.
We laid there in silence my head on his chest, I could here him inhale his cigarette and swish his beer around before taking a sip.
I was so comfortable I almost fell asleep, but then Dally spoke.
"When I was downstairs this girl tried to kiss me," Dally said offhandedly, and I tensed and could feel the tears forming in my eyes again.
"Oh," I said, knowing that was all I could manage without letting out the tears.
"I realized that everything may be fucked up, but I'm not ready to lose you yet" Dally said, his voice soft.
"Really?" I asked, feeling the hope reignite.
"Yeah. But that doesn't mean we're fine. You didn't trust me, you lied to the Curtis's, lied to me by lying to them, and you tried to be something you thought I'd want instead of just asking me," Dally said his voice strong.
"I know but—" I started, but he cut me off.
"No, you listen, I talk. You already said your piece, and I listened," Dally interrupted, and I stopped speaking.
"You can't just do things that affect me without talking to me. I don't claim to be the most talkative person, but I do know that you're someone that I don't want to lose, and we have something that I don't want to ruin. So if you promise that you'll talk to me, and that we can work on shit, I'm willing to give us another go," Dally said, holding me close.
"Thank you," I said suddenly my arms going around his bare chest in a hug, my tears falling onto his six pack stomach.
"No problem, kid," Dally said, like he used to, with maybe a ghost of a chuckle.
"Did you know Sylvia was back?" I couldn't help but ask after a moment silence where my hand caressing his stomach while his hand moved up and down my back.
"I did," Dally said softly.
"Where you going to tell me?" I asked just as soft, not wanting to ruin the mood.
"Yeah. Why do you think I was at the Curtis's every day? I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else," Dally said.
"Oh," I said, feeling like an idiot. I should have just trusted him.
"We'll talk more tomorrow. Just get some sleep. I don't know about you but I'm worn out," Dally said before taking the last sip of his beer and setting it on the nightstand.
"Me too. I cried too much today," I said without thinking.
"Yeah," Dally said in frank reply before tightening his arms around me as he lay down.
"Night Dally," I said softly, my body pressed against his.
"Night kid," Dally said, softly kissing my forehead.
I sighed peacefully before falling into a deep sleep.