A/N: Hey! I know things have been weird and sad lately, but I really hope this chapter brings a smile to your face. Enjoy :)
Also, side note, this is like the most M rated thing I've ever written (even though it's definitely not anything crazy), so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip down to the first line break. And if it's not good, I apologize and encourage you to read everything besides that lol
They didn't stay at the wedding much longer.
Jay's parents wanted to leave around 9pm, so the two of them happily followed despite Will and Natalie begging them to stay longer.
"Bet they're still at the beach or the pier," Jay had said quietly as they clamored into his truck.
"Perfect, they won't see us," Hailey breathed and buckled her seatbelt.
Jay laughed and leaned over the console to kiss her again. His hand tangled in the back of her hair drawing a moan from her lips.
"Drive," she whispered into the kiss, "Drive me home."
He agreed.
She held his free hand as he drove them through the dying streets of Chicago. Their fingers tangled together and teased along warming skin. The sky was burning orange, but Hailey could see the moon in the rearview mirror appearing in the fading blue. It looked beautiful.
At each stop light and sign, Jay turned to kiss her wrist or palm or fingers. She laughed softly each time and lightly stroked the backs of her knuckles to his jaw in reply.
If she'd thought they touched each other a lot before they kissed, she knew it was just going to increase in tenfold now that they had.
And they hadn't even slept together yet.
Her stomach flipped at the idea of what that would be.
Before Garrett, sex had been fun, but not consistent. It wasn't something she needed or necessarily wanted all the time. Walking away unsatisfied almost became the norm, and she told herself that graduated guys would be better.
And then she met Garrett, slept with him, and realized what she'd been missing. Finally it seemed real and good and like she could see herself with this one guy forever. She understood what Kim and Vanessa would say about sex. It did seem worth any of the trouble like remembering birth control and cleaning up and trying to keep quiet so people in the dorm room next to you wouldn't hear.
But cheating and narcissism had an ugly head, and she suddenly felt used like some toy. Slowly, he stopped treating her with respect when they were behind closed doors. He had certain bars that he wouldn't tell her about until she didn't reach them. She began to realize he didn't love her like he said he did. At least, he didn't love her like she thought he should.
Instead of being an equal relationship and experience, sex became about him and what he wanted. It made her sad. The night she slipped from his sheets and took an Uber back to her dorm while crying was the night Vanessa and Kim vowed to make his life a living hell.
When it had first happened, she was worried her next relationship would be too hard. She didn't know how she'd find the strength to open up and be vulnerable with another guy. She knew she'd have to trust the guy and feel safe with him in all the ways she hadn't with Garrett. She wanted to know what kind of man he was before doing anything with him.
Being friends with Jay must have helped. In fact, she didn't feel scared, worried, or nervous right now.
She felt excited.
They had spent so many days over the past few weeks talking and joking around. They'd lightly teased each other when skin peeked out or just when sitting next to each other on the couch. They had fun together, and that made this next step so rewarding.
He'd held her hand at the hospital, and now he was holding her hand as he led the way to his apartment. Like that fateful day, she felt safe with him.
When the door swung open and she couldn't hold back any longer, she pulled at his hand until he was close enough for her to press her lips to his once more.
"Hailey," he moaned quietly and hastily shoved the door close. His hands smoothed over the back of her dress until he found the zipper. "Good?" he whispered, pulling back to search in her eyes.
She nodded quickly and reached behind her to touch his hand. "I'm good," she whispered.
He smiled and slid the small zipper down the curve of her back until the loose fabric began falling down her shoulders. He slowly guided it down her arms and over her hips until there she stood in a puddle of green fabric.
She weakly laughed and said, "Hi."
His face lit up and he laughed as well. "Hey," he said before softly placing his hand on her side. "You…"
She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah?" she breathed.
"Yeah," he said weakly, "Yeah…" His fingers trailed to her arm so he could intertwine their fingers.
He raised her hand to his lips causing her to laugh and nudge herself forward so her free hand could drag down the buttons of his shirt. "Your turn," she said softly.
Jay hummed and dropped her hand. As she slowly began undoing the buttons, his fingers wandered over her skin, smoothing against the edges of her bra causing her eyes to occasionally flutter close.
When his shirt was finally hanging loose against his arms, she took a deep breath and brushed her hand down his chest.
"Good?" Jay whispered.
Hailey laughed softly and looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm good, you're good, we're…we're good," she said.
Jay hummed his agreement before leaning down to kiss her again. Shrugging his shirt off, he began leading her back to his bedroom, the two of them leaving a trail of their shoes and his pants in their wake. He pushed his door open and pulled her on top of him on the bed.
Laughing, she sat up and brushed her hand along the side of his head. "Careful," she warned him, "No doctor's visits or trips to the hospital tonight, okay? Just us. This isn't a threesome kind of thing with a nurse."
Jay laughed and shook his head. "Couldn't agree more," he said on his way to kiss her.
She moaned softly against his lips and dragged her hand down his arm until she reached his. Intertwining their fingers, she squeezed softly then adjusted her knees over his hips. Looking down at him, she couldn't help but blush and smile slightly.
"Hey," Jay breathed and sat up to hold her in his lap, "Everything-"
"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, "I'm okay, promise, just…"
She wanted this.
She had been wanting this.
She'd freed herself from her past and had stepped into a future she knew was going to involve Jay. There was no way it couldn't involve him.
Then she'd been nervous to kiss him and mess up their friendship that she truly did love. She'd gotten over that, but now she was facing more than just a kiss: they were going to sleep together and that was huge.
But it was Jay. And she'd established that she trusted him. If a man she trusted this much was standing right in front of her wanting to show her how much he cared about her…she couldn't let him go.
So she wrapped her legs around him and kissed him slowly. She could feel every inch of him against her as she ran her hands over his back. As they slid back up his arms to rest against the sides of his neck, she pulled back slightly to rest her forehead against his and whisper, "Just thinking about how ready I am for this and you. You're a really good man, and I really do like you."
Jay smiled and gently pecked her lips. "Thank you," he whispered back, "And I think you're a really wonderful, beautiful woman too." His left hand gripped her thigh around his waist while his right came up her back. She closed her eyes and leaned into another kiss as he worked at the clasp of her bra until the fabric hung against her back.
She sat back to pull it from her arms before pressing herself against him and down onto the mattress.
Jay's hands spanned across her back, his fingers tracing each bone of her spine, until they landed on her waist. With his thumbs pressing into the dimples of her back, he bit her bottom lip and pulled his knees up to squeeze her gently between them.
She laughed softly into the kiss as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Moaning against him, she tried rolling to the side only for him to stop her quickly.
"Careful," he panted, "Just a full."
Hailey hesitated then pushed up against the mattress and raised an eyebrow. "This is just a full?" she asked, "Really? You're 24 and don't have a queen? Have you ever had girls here before?"
Jay rolled his eyes and countered, "Do you really want to talk about me sleeping with other girls right now?"
Smirking, Hailey laughed and shook her head. "I'm just curious," she said.
"And I just want to get your underwear off," Jay countered.
Hailey rolled her eyes and pinched his side. "Really? Be classy," she said.
"It was a joke," he chuckled, "Sorry."
Hailey looked down at him then shook her head and leaned closer. "Then I'm sorry for distracting-"
Jay met her lips and drew a moan from her throat as he pressed her hips into his. "Stop talking," he breathed while sitting up with her in his lap again. Kissing down her throat, he mumbled, "Let me lead again, okay? Just like on the dance floor."
Hailey closed her eyes and nodded, tipping her head back and breathing in slowly, all jokes about the size of his bed falling to the side. Jay's lips felt soft against her skin as they led his tongue down a gentle path along her chest. His left hand continued squeezing slowly along her thigh, his thumb inching closer and closer to her, while his right began trailing toward her waist and pressing her further against him.
It was just the beginning of the night for them.
With Jay leading like at the wedding, he pressed her back into the mattress, holding her hand tightly as he showed her again and again how beautiful he really thought she was.
She gasped and moaned out as she moved with him, her free hand tangled in the back of his hair whether he was placing kisses along her throat or moaning against her lips. She dragged her foot along his leg before hooking her knee around his waist and arching her back into him.
She didn't want it to end, but when it inevitably did, she let her hands roam over Jay's back as he continued pressing soft kisses across her shoulders. She was half-hypnotized to stay right there and get lulled to sleep, but a bigger part of her wasn't done - not when she'd waited so long for this moment.
So she gently pushed Jay up and managed to follow him, settling herself on his lap as her hands came to rest along his jaw and brush along his five o'clock shadow she'd felt along her chest.
"Yeah?" he breathed, his own hand coming to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Yeah." She kissed him slowly before whispering, "My turn to lead now."
He moaned against her and slid his hands down her sides until they settled on her waist. As his fingers wandered along her skin, she closed her eyes and wished for every future time with Jay to feel this good.
Hailey stepped back in Jay's room with a bottle of water and leaned against his door jamb. She smiled at the sight of him half asleep sitting up against his wall.
She'd lost count of the amount of times she'd moaned out his name during the last hour and a half. In hand, she also couldn't remember how many times Jay had moaned her name against her ear or into her skin. It'd been addicting.
They'd made good use of that small bed, leading Hailey to look around the apartment when she'd gone for a drink and to use the bathroom. She wondered what else they could do before Mouse came home.
To avoid any questions or interruptions when he did arrive, she made sure to kick their clothes and shoes into Jay's room on the way back. There was no doubt their friends knew what was happening, but Hailey wanted to live in this little bubble for as long as possible. She liked that right now it was just the two of them. It was peaceful.
Jay stirred on the bed and blinked his eyes as he stretched out. "Hey," he croaked, "Sorry."
"You're good," Hailey said with a soft laugh. She sat next to him and offered her water that he gratefully accepted. As he drank, she trailed her fingers through his hair and down his arm.
Jay hummed and passed the water back. "Why'd you put the shirt on?" he asked.
Hailey glanced down at his button down that she'd slipped on in the kitchen and shrugged.
"Take it off," Jay breathed and undid the few buttons she'd put together, "Stay a while."
Hailey laughed and shrugged the shirt off. Tossing it to the floor, she cuddled into his side and breathed him in.
"Much better," Jay said softly and kissed the top of her head, "Everything good with you? No regrets?"
She brushed her hand over his bare chest and shook her head. "Never," she whispered.
Jay's fingers slowly combed through her hair, occasionally stopping to rub at her neck or tease the spot behind her ear he'd kissed and sucked at so many times that night that there was surely a mark - she didn't mind in the least.
He'd done this several times before, comb his fingers through her hair, but this time was even better. It was much more intimate as it was just the two of them in his bedroom. The moonlight had come through his window and was bouncing off their skin. She could see a couple scratches and a bite mark she'd left on his shoulder when he'd unexpectedly started a third round as she'd laid panting for air against his chest. In turn, in addition to that mark behind her ear, she knew he'd left another one or two along her waist. They'd really taken their time together, letting their hands, lips, and eyes wander over soft skin.
It'd made Hailey feel alive.
"You're beautiful," Jay whispered through the dark.
She blinked a couple times and looked up at him.
"Really beautiful," Jay clarified, now meeting her eyes as his fingers continued to twirl around her loose curls, "From…from the way your hair is so shiny to that little birthmark on your ankle. You're beautiful, and I'm really lucky to have you in my bed right now."
Hailey smiled softly before leaning up to kiss him slowly. She placed her hand on the side of his face and whispered, "Thank you. I-I felt beautiful."
Jay smiled back and kissed her again.
Hailey closed her eyes and sank into the feeling of him. He gently pushed against her so she rolled onto her back and he was once again above her. She tilted her head back as his lips began a new path down the left side of her throat. Moaning softly, she rested her arms over his shoulders and tried spreading her fingers to feel as much of him as possible.
"Can't get enough of you," he breathed against her chest before pressing his lips to her slowly, drawing a quiet moan from her throat.
She shakily hummed and threaded her fingers through his hair. "Jay," she whispered.
"Just one more," he replied softly, "One more, babe. Wanna watch you again."
She arched her back; she couldn't fight him - not when it felt this good.
He continued kissing down her left side, his hand slipping down to wrap around her ankle so his thumb could rub under her anklet.
She moaned out a weak laugh as she blinked her eyes open to see him sit up on his knees to kiss along her calf. His fingers released her ankle, so she carefully set it on his shoulder.
Jay smiled down at her and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Why not?" she breathed, smiling back.
He chuckled and returned to slowly kissing along her leg. When he turned to lift her right leg, she closed her eyes at the feeling of his fingers lightly massaging into her calf. She couldn't reach him to return the favor, so she settled on gently gripping onto his sheets.
But then he stopped: his lips weren't moving against her and his fingers were no longer pressing into her skin. He was still.
As she opened her eyes, Jay lowered her feet to the mattress and his face fell. Following his gaze, a lump quickly formed in her throat.
He'd found her scar.
It was rather straight and very pale against the rest of her skin, positioned just under her kneecap. She'd been nine when the pan she'd fallen on had first burned her skin. It felt like a lifetime ago that she'd screamed in the kitchen of her parents' restaurant the day she got it.
Jay's thumb brushed over it slowly before he looked up to meet her eyes. He chewed his lip for a moment as he tried finding the words to say.
She didn't want him to have to ask, though, so she cut him off as she pushed up on her elbows and quietly explained, "It was a long time ago at the restaurant. My parents were fighting, and my mom dropped a pan when she started screaming. I…I couldn't believe it because they never fought there, not where someone could hear them."
Jay nodded, but didn't stop rubbing his thumb over the scar.
"So I walked in there," Hailey continued with a deep breath, "I slipped on some water and landed right on the edge of that pan. It burned me instantly. My-My parents freaked out, but they stopped fighting. It was the only time one of us was taken to the hospital, but probably because my dad blamed my mom - as if he wasn't the one who'd thrown a knife at her and caused her to drop the pan, but…whatever, right?"
Jay didn't laugh at her weak attempt to make light of the situation. Instead, he looked down at the scar he was still touching and frowned. What he did then surprised Hailey: he kissed her four times.
Once to that scar where she thought she felt a tear hit her skin.
Once to her anklet before his lips slowly dragged along her skin.
Once to her tattoo that was followed by a gentle nip and tease of his tongue to her pulse.
And finally to the center of her chest right over her heart.
Sitting up, he took a deep breath then brushed her hair from her face. He smiled slightly and asked, "Do you remember when I told you you were sexy?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow and slowly sat up in front of him. She nodded and put her hands on his arms.
"You're not just sexy because of what you look like," Jay said softly, "And it's not just your confidence either; it's your strength. Any time you tell me something about your past, it shows me how much you've overcome and how hard you've fought to get here. That's sexy. Taking back power a parent or an ex took from you is sexy. Personally, I also think you're sexy because you talk to me. You don't hide the ugly parts of your past, and I appreciate that a lot. I feel like I know you really well, and that makes me smile."
Hailey slowly shook her head in disbelief as she placed a hand on his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over his jaw before saying, "You really are something else, Jay Halstead." She kissed him then breathed, "Thank you."
He hummed and kissed her again. "You're welcome," he said softly as his hand once again tangled in her hair.
She leaned into him and pushed up on her knees to better meet him. After he lightly bit at her bottom lip, she pulled back just enough to whisper, "How's that one more time sound?"
He chuckled and teased, "Even in my small bed?"
Hailey laughed and fell backwards while pulling him on top of her, enjoying feeling his body against hers especially after he just became the first person to call her sexy because of her past, not despite it.
They were cuddled up in his bed when they heard Mouse come home just past midnight. They'd been whispering about people they saw at the wedding, but quickly quieted down at the creek of the floor.
Jay sat up slightly and covered Hailey in a blanket as he held his breath.
"Hey," Hailey breathed, "He won't-"
"Dude, you back?" Mouse asked through the door.
Jay glanced at her and pursed his lips for a moment before saying, "Yup."
"Hailey, you in there?" Mouse replied.
Hailey closed her eyes and pulled the comforter over her head with a quiet groan.
The door opened and Mouse stepped in causing Jay to yell and tug at the blankets. "What the hell?" he said loudly, "This is my room."
Mouse laughed and said, "I was just wondering how- oh."
"Get out of here," Jay said and grabbed the nearly empty water bottle off his nightstand to throw across the room.
Mouse laughed harder and said, "Okay, okay, I'll go. Bye, Hailey!"
The door slammed shut before either Jay or Hailey could even move.
Finally, Hailey sighed and shoved the blanket off her head.
"Well, that was a total of three hours," Jay mumbled.
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head while hiding her face in his side. "Think he's texting them all right now?" she asked.
Jay took a deep breath then said, "No. He wouldn't; he's not big into gossip. Plus, he'll love holding it over their head that he was the first to know - especially to Kim and Vanessa."
"That is true," Hailey said as Jay laid back down next to her.
"Gonna head home?" he asked once he was comfortable again.
"No," Hailey said softly and scooted forward to kiss his nose, "I'm not leaving. We were talking."
"I like that," Jay chuckled and pulled her waist closer to him, "Where'd we leave off?"
"That old lady flirting with Will," Hailey said with a soft laugh.
Jay laughed and hugged her to his chest. "How could I forget that?"
They stayed awake for hours softly recounting the wedding and then anything that crossed their minds. Hailey asked Jay about any of his own scars, and he asked her about her prom. She couldn't believe the bride she'd met hours before was the reason behind Jay knowing how to drive a stick, and he hung on to every detail she told him about her spring break trip to Maine during her junior year at college.
Eventually, she was stifling yawns in the blankets and her eyes were staying close longer than they should have when she blinked. Jay chuckled softly and tightened his hold on her so she was tucked right into his side with her head on his chest.
"Night, Hailey," he whispered before placing a kiss to the top of her head.
She hummed in response and gave in to her heavy eyelids. The last thing she heard before falling asleep was another soft laugh vibrating from Jay's chest.
Hailey dreamt of soft music and warm hands along her skin. She almost felt like she was floating amongst waves all night. She easily relived the feeling of Jay's lips on her skin and the way his fingers felt tangling within her hair. Everything felt romantic when her eyes were closed.
She almost forgot that it really happened.
Waking up, she was pressed right up into Jay's side with his hand splayed protectively over her stomach so she wouldn't roll off the edge of the mattress. She sleepily smiled and turned in his arms to see him still asleep next to her.
His lips were barely parted and there wasn't an ounce of stress present around his eyes. Her fingers had tugged the gel from his hair the night before, so she could see a few wavy strands falling against his forehead.
Her eyes drifted lower to the scar on his shoulder he'd said he'd gotten from crashing on his bike after trying to jump a ramp. She smiled slightly and lightly ran her pointer finger over it. She hadn't noticed it until he pointed it out, but she almost found it funny that it was about two inches from where her teeth had scraped against him when his hands had slipped forward from around her waist to tease at her again. Thankfully, the bite mark was no longer there.
There was a mark near his other shoulder at the base of his throat. She had done that as well. She leaned forward to press a soft kiss as an apology to it. At least he'd be able to cover it with a shirt; she knew the one he left behind her ear wasn't going to be as easy to hide.
Laying back again against her pillow, she decided to just watch him sleep. She'd had quite a bit of alcohol at the wedding, and it always messed with her ability to sleep in. It must have had the opposite effect on Jay.
She knew her phone was in her purse over on Jay's dresser, but she had no desire to get up and touch it. She didn't want to go back to reality. This was much too nice.
She already knew that Kim and Vanessa had to have texted her – there was no way they hadn't – and she didn't blame them. If one of them had gone on a first date and then didn't return, she surely would have been texting them as well. This time, though, they were familiar with the guy, and they hopefully weren't worried about where she was. It probably didn't take a genius to guess that if she wasn't in her bed across the hall that she was with Jay.
There was no way they were going to be able to hide their relationship from their friends, and Hailey was surprisingly okay with that. She didn't want to have secrets from the people she loved, not when they'd been so supportive and encouraging this entire time (if she could call their teasing and constant badgering to just kiss Jay already supportive). The two of them had finally taken that next step, and it felt freeing. She didn't want to hold it back by pretending nothing had happened between them.
Last night felt too good to ignore.
She didn't know how long she'd been reliving their night together when she felt a gentle touch on her waist. Blinking her eyes, she focused back in on Jay now sleepily smiling at her.
"Morning," he croaked softly.
"Good morning," she said with a soft laugh. She closed the distance between them to kiss his nose and whisper, "Sleep well?"
"With you in my bed?" Jay asked and tossed his arm back over her, "Of course." Kissing her slowly, he then pulled her head down into the crook of his neck to hug her tightly. He hummed out a breath and said, "We did it. We finally went on a date."
Hailey laughed and rubbed her hand over his back. "We went on a date," she said with a sing-song voice, "We kissed, we had sex, we did a lot of things last night."
Jay laughed and kissed her cheek. "Guess we did," he said, "How're you feeling? Everything okay?"
"Jay," she said softly with a weak laugh. She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, and said, "Yes, I'm good. You don't have to ask all the time. Why're you saying that?"
"Just making sure," he said, "I want to make sure there aren't any regrets."
Hailey stared at him for a moment then slowly nodded. At first, she'd assumed he was just being a gentleman and double-checking as to not push her too hard since it was their first time together, but now there was something itching at the back of her mind. She rubbed her hand over his side and asked, "Why?"
"Why?" Jay repeated.
Hailey nodded and rested her hand on the side of his throat.
He swallowed and shrugged.
"Jay," she whispered, "Please talk to me. Last night, you told me you liked when I was vulnerable and open with you; can you please do the same with me?"
He seemed to sigh slightly, but he again nodded. Taking a deep breath, he slipped his hand up in her hair and massaged his fingers into the back of her scalp. After a moment, he said, "I know you know about her, so I'm not going to rehash the whole story, but I think it messed with me more than I thought."
Hailey felt herself soften at the mention of his ex-girlfriend and nodded.
"She just left," he explained, "And I think a part of me will always wonder why or if I could have done something different. Maybe I wasn't respectful enough or paid enough attention. Maybe I pushed her to do something that she regretted. I don't know. I can't ever know. So now I'm stuck here hoping that whatever I did to her…I won't do to you."
She had never met Erin, but she knew there was absolutely no way any of those things had happened. In all her time knowing Jay, she never felt like he was disrespectful or rude. At no point did she feel like Jay had pushed her into anything she didn't want to do. His mom had known her son when she'd said he was kind – Hailey had no doubt how he was raised had a hand in that. Jay wasn't a bad person, but this girl who made him think he was…she wanted to have a word or two with her.
"Jay," Hailey breathed, "You…you are not any of those things. You are the most respectful guy I have ever dated or even just talked to. I don't think you're pushy or selfish or any of that. I've been in a relationship like that, and I cannot wrap my mind around you ever being like him."
He glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he whispered.
"Yeah," she repeated and put her hand on his, "That girl was an idiot to leave. I'm sure she had her reasons, but I'm also sure that you were not one of them. You are way too nice and good for this world for someone to just up and leave you. I refuse to believe you did anything wrong. I wouldn't have slept with you last night if I thought you did."
Jay chuckled and shook his head. "That's reassuring," he said quietly.
Hailey smiled slightly and set her hand on the side of his neck. "I trust you, okay? And I really like you," she said, "Last night wasn't some hook-up for me. Was it for you?"
"Of course not," Jay answered.
"So relax," Hailey said, "Let's forget about your ex. I want to forget about mine because you…" She trailed off and looked in his eyes before continuing softly, "Because you are more of a man than he ever was, and one night with you was better than the year I spent with him. I'm happy, and that's not something I want to ignore."
"No, we shouldn't ignore that," Jay replied. He leaned forward to kiss her softly then whispered, "Thank you. I feel the same way."
Hailey smiled against him and slipped her hand in the back of his hair. She moaned softly as he pressed her back into the mattress and climbed on top of her.
"How long till your friends break down my door?" he whispered in her ear.
She laughed and wrapped her leg around his waist. "I don't know, what time is it?" she asked.
"Like hell if I know," Jay chuckled and kissed down her throat, "All I know is I want you right now."
"Cheesy, but – god – okay, let's see how long until they come looking for me."
"Your wish is my command."
"Jay Halstead, oh my god."
Jay tossed a white t-shirt to Hailey before going through his drawer in search of a pair of sweatpants she could wear for her walk across the hall, but she wasn't paying any attention – she was too busy looking at the inevitable texts her friends had sent her.
~ How's the wedding? Did you two leave yet? ~ Vanessa
~ If you did, we're heading to Molly's to see if Mouse is still banned ~ Kim
~ Either you didn't leave or you did and you're having sex. Kind of jealous ~ Vanessa
~ When you see this, I hope you used protection ~ Kim
~ LOL PLEASE USE PROTECTION. I don't want a baby roommate ~ Vanessa
~ You'd have cute babies with Jay ~ Kim
~ Hailey, Kim just LIED to Adam and said she'd never done a body shot ~ Vanessa
~ He doesn't need to know Rojas ~ Kim
~ Bet Jay would do a body shot off of Hailey ~ Vanessa
~ Bet he already has ~ Kim
~ Hot ~ Vanessa
Hailey rolled her eyes at the final group text then glanced up at Jay now getting dressed himself. She let out a breath before setting her phone to the side and pushing the blankets off of her.
Standing up, she grabbed Jay's t-shirt and said, "They know."
He laughed softly and turned to look at her. "Did you tell them?" he asked.
"Course not, I want to see their faces when I do," she replied, "They just assumed."
"Ah," Jay chuckled and buttoned his jeans, "Well, let me know how it goes."
"Mhmm," she hummed. She pulled the sweatpants on that he'd given her then rolled down the waistband so they'd fit better.
Jay whistled softly and winked at her. "Look way better on you than they do on me," he said.
Hailey laughed and crawled across his bed to tug him by his belt loops to get closer to her. "You're quite the charmer today, huh?" she said.
"Finally slept with the girl I've been going after for weeks now," Jay explained and slid his hand through her hair, "I'm pretty stoked."
Hailey laughed harder and shook her head before pulling his head down to kiss him. "Did more than sleep with her," she said against your lips, "Pretty sure it was a plural thing – multiple events that were all well worth the price of admission."
Jay laughed and pulled away from her. "What the hell did you pay to sleep with me?" he asked.
Hailey shrugged and smiled. "That dress wasn't free, dude."
Laughing, Jay shook his head on his way to kiss her again. "Dress was hot," he admitted.
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed then pulled back. "I think I need to return it to a hanger in my closet," she said, "But maybe I'll eventually put it back on for you."
"I'd love that, but…" Jay trailed off while smirking at her.
"I know," she said and patted his chest as she got off the bed, "You'd rather see it on your floor."
Jay laughed and grabbed her waist. Kissing her cheek, he murmured, "You know me so well."
She laughed with him as he hugged her back to his chest. Once he let her go, she gathered her dress, shoes, and underwear in her arms then said, "Wish me luck."
"Maybe they're still sleeping," Jay replied.
Hailey rolled her eyes and said, "It's 10am. They might have gone out for drinks, but they definitely woke up early to see when I'd come home."
"All right," Jay replied with a sigh. He opened his bedroom door for her then followed her to the kitchen. Glancing back at Mouse's room, he said, "Do you think his door's closed because he's sleeping or because he left?"
"Probably sleeping," Hailey answered. She hesitated when she set her hand on the doorknob and turned to say, "I had a lot of fun yesterday – both at the wedding and after. Thank you."
Jay smiled and kissed her cheek. "I had fun too," he said softly, "Good luck out there. I really hope you survive all the questions because I'd really like to see you again."
Hailey laughed and pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss him quickly. "I hope so too. I'll text you later, okay?"
"Okay," Jay repeated.
Hailey smiled and brushed her hand over his chest before slipping out of the apartment and across the hall. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then pushed open her own door.
"10:06am! Ness! You still hold the record for the latest walk of shame, but I'm pretty sure Hailey just took second place!" Kim called out.
Vanessa came running out of the bathroom and yelled, "What the hell?"
Hailey blushed, but still laughed quietly as she stepped further in the kitchen and closed the door behind her. "Hey," she said.
Vanessa sat at the kitchen table next to Kim and said, "Tell us everything."
Hailey rolled her eyes and said, "There's nothing to tell."
"Lies! You are lying your ass off!" Kim yelled.
"Would you shut up?" Vanessa hissed, "I'm still hungover."
Hailey laughed and shook her head. "Rough night?" she asked.
Vanessa softened and looked at her as she countered, "Depends. Did you have a rough night?"
"Or was it slow and romantic?" Kim asked.
"He doesn't cry during sex, right?" Vanessa added.
"And please tell me he doesn't like high-five you or something after," Kim said.
"And it was a two-way street, right?" Vanessa continued, "He doesn't seem like some asshole who just uses you to get off."
"But if he is, then I will go kick his ass," Kim said, "I'll do it. He doesn't scare me."
"He has big arms," Vanessa said, turning back toward her, "I think he could crush you. He should scare you."
"I'm not scared of him," Kim repeated. She then looked back at Hailey and asked, "Speaking of his arms, though, what'd they look like when he was on top of you?"
"Oh, was he on top of you?" Vanessa asked, "Or were you on top?"
"Maybe they did both," Kim suggested.
Vanessa gasped and asked, "How many times?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow as they finally stopped rambling. She looked between them and asked, "Are we done?"
"We're done," Kim answered.
"But now it's your turn to talk," Vanessa finished.
Hailey hummed and held up her clothes. "I'll be back," she said.
Walking into her room, she tossed her clothes on her bed then closed the door with a deep breath. A smile spread across her face, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand in shock.
She'd slept with Jay.
It finally happened, and now here she was back in her apartment with her best friends asking her about it. It wasn't some dream. It was something that had actually happened.
She let out a quiet squeal of excitement and jumped around for a moment.
She'd had sex with Jay. Multiple times. In one night.
Hurrying over to her mirror, she pulled her – his – shirt off and looked herself over. She pulled her hair to the side to see the mark he'd left below her ear and lightly ran her fingers over it. It'd taken her breath away when he'd done it, and she'd immediately wanted him to do it again, but then his lips trailed down her throat and to her chest and her mind went blank.
She turned to the side and pulled the waistband of his sweatpants down to see the line of hickeys along her waist. She let out a laugh in disbelief and stepped backwards to get a better view of them in the mirror. While she'd felt his mouth against her while he'd put him there, she was more focused on what his hand was doing to feel any discomfort. She breathed in shakily at the memory then pulled the shirt back on.
She had other things to do right now. Namely, she needed to step outside of her bedroom and face the music of her best friends.
It actually made her smile.
"What do you want to know?" Hailey said as she sat down at the kitchen table.
Kim and Vanessa exchanged a look before Vanessa asked, "Did you have public sex?"
"What? No," Hailey quickly answered, "No. We came back to the apartment for that. All we did at the reception was kiss."
"Who kissed who first?" Kim asked.
"Um, I kissed him," Hailey admitted, a blush forming on her cheeks, "We had been dancing together-"
"What song?" Vanessa interrupted.
Hailey raised an eyebrow, then softened and thought for a moment before saying, "That John Legend song."
"Oh, he has so many good ones," Vanessa breathed, "Which one? 'All of Me?'"
Hailey nodded and said, "Yes."
"That's so romantic," Kim said under her breath.
"Did you catch the bouquet?" Vanessa asked.
Hailey blushed and nodded again causing Kim and Vanessa to squeal quietly.
"You're destined to get married, that's confirmed," Kim said.
"It hasn't even been twenty-four hours, so let's hold off on any marriage talk," Hailey replied quickly.
"We can't scare her off from the best guy she's ever had," Vanessa reminded Kim. She then looked at Hailey and said, "Speaking of, though, were you okay? I know last time you…went that far with a guy it all kind of ended. Did last night drag anything up?"
"Getting into the nitty-gritty before the good stuff, huh?" Hailey breathed while pulling a leg up on the chair. She let out a sigh then said, "Honestly…I was fine. I did think about him a little bit, but then I remembered that this was Jay and that I trusted him. I think being friends with him first really helped."
"Because he really is a good guy," Vanessa agreed.
"I'm glad your first time back out was with him," Kim said.
"Maybe it's her last first time," Vanessa said with a small smirk.
Hailey laughed softly and looked down at the table. She traced her finger along the grain of the wood then quietly said, "I don't think I'd mind that. I'd definitely do it again."
"Here we go," Vanessa whispered and scooted her chair closer to the table, "When you say 'do it again,' what're you doing?"
"And how many times was it already done?" Kim added.
Hailey smiled at them both before entertaining their questions and telling them about her night.
She smiled as she relived everything from driving to the wedding to cuddling together in bed that morning. Part of the reason was that everything still felt so fresh and real, but she was also smiling because, in the back of her head, she was imagining what Jay was telling Mouse across the hall.
The base was probably the same – they slept together; she had no doubt he'd tell Mouse that – but the details…no. It made her laugh.
In truth, it was the happiest she ever felt the morning after a one-night stand; however, that was probably because this hadn't been a one-night stand.
It was the start of something really good, and Hailey was really excited to see what that was.
A/N: How was it? Good, I hope?
So I just want to take a second to say that this fic has to be put on a mini hiatus. Hopefully just a couple weeks, hopefully not longer than a month. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been really struggling with writing since the news about JLS came out. I just recently started trying again, but I don't want to make promises I can't keep. I'm really, really sorry. So many of you reached out with the nicest words of encouragement that meant the world to me, and I don't know if I could ever truly thank you.
If the worst happens, I want to thank you all for your support as I wrote this little fic. It wouldn't be here without Abby encouraging my crazy idea MONTHS ago about a Friends style AU. I didn't know if it would work, but then it turned into something I'm really proud of, so thank you Abby for your help and love along the way. I'm so glad we could mash our favorite things together. Cami and Britt, thank you for the weekly screaming and breakdowns, it is the most fun and something I look forward to every Monday. And of course Annie. This chapter alone wouldn't have been what it is without you. Thank you for being the best writing buddy I could have asked for.
I hope to work through my mess of a brain and update you all soon with some writing news (maybe just some oneshots for a bit as I work to finish this fic that I really don't want to lose), but until then…all the love ~ Beth