The Plan

"Kelly, what the fuck did you do to your hair?"

I turned around at the accusatory, pissed off tone of Mike's voice. His arms were dangling at his sides and his mouth was wide open, surprise and anger evident on his face. I shrugged, turning back around and picking a box out of the van. I attempted to move around him when he gripped the box as well, glaring at me now.

"Kelly, what's the matter with you? Have you gone off the deep end?"

"Holy shit Mike!" I exclaimed, letting go of the box and crossing my arms. "It's hair, not the end of the world. Since when do you give a fuck about the color of my hair?"

"Since when do you not care about the color of your hair?" he scoffed, his eyes softening a little. I sighed.

When we'd gotten to Florida early this morning, Mike driving the van and Simone in the passenger seat, I'd been drunk and crying silently. My two friends knew I was upset and opted to let me stretch out in the backseat and pretend to sleep. Simone had promised not to say anything to Andy when she left me to go sleep on the bus, but Mike had made no such promise.

I'd escaped when it was too early for even the crew to be awake, seeking out a diner. The diner was across the street from a hair salon and as the suffocating humidity of Florida air started to settle over me, I entered the place. My hair was no longer purple. Now my hair was a deep red, a color that could possibly be natural. I'd looked in the mirror and felt normal, like I wouldn't belong in my own skin, so the stylist bleached a part of my long side bangs.

The truth was, this was a cry for attention in the worst way. I could deny it as much as I wanted--to myself, to Mike, to everyone--but it would still be painfully obvious. I needed some way to be different, some way to stand out, and get noticed by Andy. That way had to be something drastic and considering I'd had purple hair for the past 5 years, this was the biggest way I could manage at this time.

"I was tired of the purple," I sighed, brushing my hair through my new, bleached blonde bangs. He raised an eyebrow at me in disbelief and I rolled my eyes. I wasn't going to admit that I was aware of my own insecurites as far as Andy Trick was concerned. "What? What're you looking at me like that for?"

"We both know why you did this Kell," he said cautiously, his facial features softening as he watched me. I uncrossed my arms and let my shoulders slump. I would be able to argue my way out of this with anyone, maybe even Simone, but definitely not with Mike Hranica. "And, listen, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with this."

"I needed something different...from him, that's all. I just feel different and I needed to change something quickly. My hair seemed to be a likely choice," I explained. He nodded through it and I couldn't stand the pity and sympathy in his eyes. Mike usually didn't show such open emotion because he knew I hated it. Somehow, this was different. "Did you talk to him at all last night?"

"Not really," he answered, shaking his head. "He was asleep when Simone and I got on the bus. He was really agitated earlier this morning too, I wasn't entirely sure why though, from what the guys said, I'm thinking a hangover was responsible. I didn't think you wanted me to say anything; would you like me to?"

I took it all in, soaking up every word he said. I was constantly amazed by my friends. Their willingness and devotion to helping me through the deep pools of trouble that appeared in my life. I stared into Mike's eyes, taking in his face and his tattooed arms as he held the box. The small, encouraging smile on his face made me want to cry.

"No," I answered unsurely, "I mean, uh, yes? I don't know! If it comes up, I suppose then you can say something but just don't bring me up."

"Okay," he said, offering me a grin now, "That sounds like a good plan. Let's get some boxes inside then, huh?"

I followed him, carrying my own box now. It didn't escape my notice that he was coddling me. I felt almost childlike as he spoke to me now, trudging down the stairs that led to the area we'd set up the merch in. I mumbled a few words in agreement, listening as he talked about how excited he was for the show.

As I entered the small area to set up merch, I heard about six gasps of surprise simultaneously. Simone had been setting up the table. I'd escaped her notice earlier, lurking around the corner, but now her eyes were wide and she was staring at my hair. The few crew members walking through had also contributed to the weird moment in the air, stopping their load-in to stare at me.

"Kelly, what the fuck did you do to your hair?"

I rolled my eyes as Simone stalked over to me, abandoning the table and gripping my hair in her hands. I grimaced as she tugged it lightly and dropped the box of shirts I'd been carrying. She ran her hands through the red and blonde hair slowly, hopefully admiring it.

"I needed something different," I said, glancing at Mike. He wasn't looking at me though. He was sharing a severe look with Simone that clued me in to the fact that, no matter what he'd said about this being okay, he thought I was seriously disturbed. I looked away before he could know that I'd noticed, my heart sinking slightly in my chest.

"Okay, yeah. I mean, it looks great on you obviously," she said, recovering from her initial shock. I pulled my hair out of her hands and picked up the box with a mumbled, half-hearted "thanks." I dropped it onto the only table set up so far before turning to the other three that were still neatly folded. Simone and Mike came over to help me and we completed the task in silence before I went upstairs to bring in more boxes.

Nothing else was said about my hair, or anything of substance, between the three of us while set up happened. My two friends mostly tried to talk about menial things that had no real purpose, which was totally uncharacteristic for the two of them seeing as they were the most intellectual people I knew. Most of the time I just rolled my eyes when my back was turned.

Mike disappeared for soundcheck and I sat on the floor under one of the tables, looking through my phone and watching as the venue staff ran around. Simone had mysteriously left as well. I hadn't seen her go, though I had a sneaking suspicion that she was simply watching the boys soundcheck. We always used to race to finish our set up so we could watch them. My happiness for her and Mike was lost on my own misery of this failure with Andy.

I hadn't noticed that the music had stopped, lost in my own mind and imagination. However, I knew for a fact that The Devil Wears Prada was no longer soundchecking because Andy Trick was now crawling under the table I was under, struggling to sit pretzel-style in front of me. My heart rate flew into acceleration and with the sudden speed, anger and sadness flooded through my veins.

"Kelly," he said, squinting his eyes at me, "What the fuck did you do to your hair?"

This was, in all reality, the final straw.

"If one more fucking person says that to me, I'm actually going to flip the fuck out," I said dangerously, the pitch of my voice and my gritted teeth cluing him in to my anger. His eyebrows raised in surprise and his mouth shot open quickly, in an attempt to say something. I didn't let him though, my temper finally flaring. "And I'm not entirely sure why you think you have the right to even look at me, let alone speak to me, because you're the lowest piece of shit on the chain of all species on this godforsaken Earth."

"I'm--wait, Kelly, what?"

"What do you mean what? God, I can't even look at you, you're such an ass," I spat, maneuvering myself out from underneath the table. Now there was more attention on us, Mike and Simone entering the room hand in hand. The look on my face, and the tall man now trailing behind me as I stalked away, caused the color to drain from both of their faces.

"What did I do this time?" he asked, sounding tired. I turned, scoffing.

"You're so high up on that horse of yours Andy! Drop the god complex because, believe it or not, sometimes you fuck up and it's not just me overreacting and being a child like you seem to think," I retorted. He looked like he'd been slapped.

"Stop acting like you know every single thing that I think and that you know how I feel because obviously, you don't know shit. Why don't you just tell me what's wrong for once? You always just love to insult me and run around crying and feeling sorry for yourself but why don't you just tell me what I did so I can fucking fix it Kelly?"

His blatant anger hit me like a wave in the ocean. I was short of breath and my own rage was waning as his waxed. I knew he was right and it made me just want to explode. There was nothing I hated more than being wrong in an argument. Everything he said was true; I never fixed anything immediately, instead I moped around and waited, prolonging everyone's misery.

"Whatever Andy, you act like you don't know what you did wrong but I don't know how it isn't obvious!" I shrieked, my frustration getting the best of me. I already felt the tears leaking out the corners of my eyes. Mike and Simone were at our sides in half a moment, ready to diffuse the situation as soon as I gave the word. "You were all over that girl in the bar last night. Did you think I wouldn't see? That I wouldn't find out? I saw it! That hurt me!"

"I was drunk Kelly, I didn't mean anything by it! She was gone ten minutes later," he defended, though now his anger was obviously subsiding. I shook my head, crossing my arms and staring up at him in disbelief. "Obviously, I shouldn't have, um, done that but I didn't mean anything by it."

"Whatever you meant by it Andy, it still hurts! I don't understand it, I don't get it, what happened to 'I'll always be yours Kelly, even when you don't want me'? I'm standing here and I fucking want you! You're just ignoring that completely and throwing it away, what the fuck? It's not okay for you to do that! Everything you say, you tell me I'm your everything and that you want to be with me and you string me along, then go around touching other girls. That is absolutely not okay Andy!"

His face fell as I spoke and my anger started running out. Now I was just upset because I felt betrayed. My voice lowered and my breathing was ragged. The rest of the band was watching from the doors separating the stage area and the bartenders were trying to hide their stares. I felt stupid and moronic for spilling my guts to him in front of everyone but it had all just rushed out of me at his provocation.

He stepped towards me, reaching his hand out to cup my cheek but I raised my hand to stop him. He looked wounded but now I was crying and it was a very horrible moment for me.

"Kelly, I am so sorry," he said, his voice as quiet as possible. I shook my head slowly, sniffing and wiping my cheeks. Simone reached her hand out and rubbed my arm gently, trying to soothe me. My chest heaved as I continued to cry. "I never want to hurt you and I feel like I always do. I'm so sorry."

"Okay, you're sorry but I can't just be over it because you're sorry. I need some time, alright?" I answered. I turned on my heel then and started up the stairs. I heard heavy footsteps behind me and Mike's arm was around my shoulder in a moment. I broke down into his side, soaking his t-shirt before we even made it out into the air.

The line of teenagers already waiting started murmuring in excitement when they saw Mike but, at the sight of why he was out and about, they stopped. The girls on line were the dedicated fans, the ones that knew me and Simone, and cared that I was crying. I heard them call out to me as we walked past, wishing me to feel better. One told me she liked my hair and that I was too pretty to cry, which naturally only made me cry more because there were complete strangers that felt bad for me.

Mike pulled me onto the bus. No one was on it, seeing as set up was still going on and it was primetime for people to be wandering off to get lunch or explore before the show started. He popped me down on the small couch and immediately turned toward the small kitchen, grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels and pouring me a cup of whiskey. When he handed it to me, I was disappointed at how little alcohol was in the cup but I swirled it around and took a sip anyway.

Mike kneeled down in front of me, using some tissues to wipe away the tears that had stained my cheeks. I was still breathing heavily, gasping for air, but the tears were stopping. He pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head in the brotherly gesture that he always did when I was upset. I hugged him back tightly, burying my face in his shoulder and letting myself be comforted by my best friend.

"Why you and not Simone?" I asked, when I felt strong enough to pull away from him. He smiled and shook his head.

"Am I not good enough?" he teased lightly, grabbing my nose and trying to lighten the mood. I laughed shortly and he ran his thumb over my cheekbone before moving to sit next to me. "Are you okay? You want Simone instead?"

"No, you're my best friend too Mike. You know that."

"Well, good because you know I love you lots and lots Kell. You're like my sister," he said. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders again and I smiled, nodding my head.

"You are my brother Mike, okay? I love you too."

He kissed the top of my head again and I sighed. A new wave of tears came over me then and I fell into his side, crying again. It wasn't as involved as before. It was more of a gentle crying then what I'd gone through before. He shushed me gently, mumbling soothing words into my ear. He coaxed me to talk it out, to make myself feel better.

"I don't know why he's doing this to me Mike!" I sobbed, "God, it's so obvious how much I want to be with him. Isn't it? He always holds my hand and kisses me and it makes me so ha-happy. He makes me happy but he just can't make it official. He just, he's so fucking stupid!"

"He is very fucking stupid Kelly. Andy shouldn't be putting you through this and he knows it," Mike agreed, patting my arm gently.

"If he knows it, then why is he doing it?"

"That's something you have to talk to him about sis," he answered, wrapping his other arm around me and pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him again and breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down. I didn't cry again and we were quiet for a while. I was thoroughly calm now, though my emotions were still racing.

"Simone says you should stay here," Mike said after a long time of silence between us. It was getting dark outside and I knew doors would be opening soon. "She'll manage the table tonight and you can get some actual sleep, since you didn't really get any sleep in the van."

Normally I'd argue this, because managing the table alone on this tour would be murder. I knew that she'd have help though, someone would be with her all night, knowing that I really could not work. I nodded, standing up and stretching. Mike sat back into the couch while I cracked my back and neck. I needed a night off.

"You should probably get inside Mike, the kids are probably gonna swarm you as soon as you step off the bus," I advised, standing with my hands on my hips. He shrugged.

"It'll be a treat for them then. I've been such an ass about meeting them this tour," he said, standing up. He hugged me again, telling me to get some sleep. I opted to step off the bus with him though, in search of food. As expected, we were both rushed by fans and those that couldn't get to Mike first came to me for photos and autographs.

After almost twenty minutes with them, I started yelling that Mike needed to get inside. I helped maneuver him away, playing the bitch role, and dropped him off at the back door. He hugged me, telling me to keep my phone on and to be careful while wandering. Once he was inside, I ventured off with no real sense of direction. I didn't walk for long when I came across a small restaurant that looked expensive. I made a last minute decision to run back to the bus and get all dressed up to eat out alone at this place.

My hair was already styled from the salon earlier, but I removed my half-done makeup and redid it. I tried to outdo myself, making the eyeshadow a smoky eye with gold on the inside. I changed into a black blouse with glittering gold dots. I'd bought it for Simone a few Christmas' ago. I put on a black, high-waisted skirt of my own and knee-high black socks with a pair of heels. We always brought a few different nice items, just in case.

When I arrived back at the beautiful restaurant, the maitre'd asked if I had reservations. When I told him no, I also allowed him to know that I would also be dining alone. There was a short wait for a table and he led me to the bar so I could wait. I ordered myself an Amaretto Sour, my newest drink of choice, and sipped it easily as I scrolled through my phone.

As I watched the fancy, rich couples and groups eat I took in my surroundings. Slow classical piano music played over the scene and the booths were a deep brown leather that reminded me of the sixties type of style. I hadn't eaten out at such a fancy restaurant in a very long time so naturally, I decided to take a picture of myself, posting it with the caption 'fancy night off all by myself.'

The maitre'd led me to a table in the corner soon after, handing me a heavy leatherbound menu and telling me that beautiful women shouldn't dine alone. I smiled gratefully at him and he bowed slightly before walking away. I looked over the menu, allowing my attractive, suit-clad waiter to tell me about how exquisite the meals were and ordered what he had said was his favorite, penne a la vodka.

My dinner was quiet, which I didn't mind. I made it through my salad, entree, and dessert without speaking or looking at my cellphone. I merely sat people watching. I made up stories for the couples and families in the restaurant in my head. That was something I always used to do. Being alone reminded me of the time I lived in New York. Once I moved away, I'd been so consumed by my friends that I rarely spent much time by myself. I paid the expensive bill and tipped my waiter, stepping out into the cooler Florida air.

From there, I made my way back to the venue. I relaxed on the bus for a bit, letting the air conditioning cool me down and sipping some more whiskey while I watched Almost Famous on the TV. I was tired but sleeping wasn't a real option for me. I wanted to step into the venue and watch the boys' set, as it was definitely time for them to be on, but I resisted the idea. After another hour and a half, Jeremy stepped onto the bus.

"Oh, hey Kell," he greeted, smiling. He'd obviously just showered. "What're you all dressed up for?"

"I found a really nice, fancy restaurant a few blocks away and I decided to get dressed up and treat myself on my night off," I answered. He nodded and grinned.

"Well, you look great. I like your hair too. I was gonna tell you earlier but I never got the chance. Change is always good," he said. I thanked him and he waved me off. "Are you coming to the bar tonight? You should, that's a nice outfit."

"Yeah, maybe I will."

The bus became populated quickly. The guys had to change and I remained curled on the couch, eyes watching the movie flashing across the TV now or scrolling through my phone absentmindedly. I heard Andy's voice a few times but refused to look up. When I felt his eyes on me, I fought the desire to look up. Simone and Mike were nowhere to be found and neither answered my texts asking if they were going to the bar.

When everyone was ready to go, Jeremy saved me by letting me take his arm. I smiled at him gratefully as he led me off the bus and we followed everyone to the bar they'd decided to go to down the road. Usually, this was how it was. The whole band and crew would go out and we'd all have fun. This tour had been so dramatic though, that I'd barely spent time with the rest of the band.

The bar was full when we got there and well lit. Loud pop music played from the DJ booth on the far side and I noticed Simone's blonde bun weaving in between couple's dancing, her hand holding Mike's. Her eyes went wide when she saw me and she hugged me tightly, careful not to spill her drink on me.

"You look amazing babe!" she said into my ear, kissing my cheek gently. "How ya feelin'?"

"Good, I feel good. I didn't sleep but I went to this fancy restaurant and watched movies," I answered. She smiled and told me she'd seen my Instagram picture. Mike hugged me as well and Jeremy left me then, heading towards the bar. In true Jeremy fashion, he brought me back a cup of whiskey and winked before disappearing into the crowd.

"How was the table?" I asked. The three of us made our way to one of the booths along the wall. It was an odd bar, more of a club than anything else. I'd preferred the bar we were in last night. Hole in the walls were more of my type of scene. We sat in the bright red leather booth though, where it would be easier to talk.

"It was good. Max came over to help me out when they were done playing," she shrugged, sipping her drink. I nodded, shooting down my whiskey. I already felt slightly tipsy from the drinks I'd had at dinner, and the whiskey I'd had while watching TV on the bus. It was a pleasant buzz that left my toes tingling and a smile gracing my face.

"How was the show?" I asked Mike. He smiled, nodding.

"It was great. We did really well this time around," he said. I smiled easily before excusing myself to go get another drink. Along the way, Max picked me up and dragged me to the dance floor. I giggled, towering over him in my heels as he was already so much shorter than me. It didn't matter to us though as we danced closely to the upbeat music. After a few songs, I dragged him back to the bar.

"That was fun!" he said, ordering us both drinks. I nodded, laughing.

"Yeah, it was! I love dancing," I sighed. We got our drinks and clinked them together before sipping at them. "I haven't danced in a long time, it feels like."

"Remember when we used to go parties like way back in high school? You'd always be the one holding a bottle of rum and dancing around whatever house we were in," he reminded me. I laughed and nodded, pushing at his shoulder. It was true; I was always dancing, even when I was cleaning up the apartment. My friends always made fun of me for dancing alone at parties, even when there was no music playing.

"Man, we used to have fun back then huh? Joey and Ryan always had the best parties," I reminisced. He laughed.

"All those summer days in our spot, knocking back beers and smoking while we cliff jumped, remember that? And then we'd go to Dustin's house and drink until we all passed out on the floor," he said, a smile wide on his face.

"God, how is everyone?" I asked, not realizing how much I missed my old friends. They'd been my siblings, the best friends ever, before I'd met Dillon. He'd sucked the life out of me and I'd dropped my friends and my life for him.

"They're all good. Ryan's out of college, Joey's band Massive! is about to get signed to fuckin' Epitaph, Teddy's got his own roofing company, and Aaron and Kristina are getting married in the fall," he said. I gasped.

"Are they really? Oh my god, that's amazing! What about Zach? Becky? Oh my fucking god, what about Luke?"

He went through each of my friends, one by one, telling me a little bit about each of them. It almost made me want to cry. Had I just stayed with them, things would be a hell of a lot different now. I still loved Mike and Simone, they were my family, but it was easy to imagine myself back home. I'd probably have graduated with Ryan and maybe be dating him too.

It was good to talk to Max. He reassured me that he'd tell everyone I'd asked for them. I was excited to possibly hear from them. Max left me then and I ordered one more drink, looking over to Simone and Mike. They were still in the booth, though they were leaning very close into each other and I decided not to disturb them. As I passed to exit the door, having scored a cigarette from Max earlier, I watched Simone lean in and press her lips to Mike's. I smiled at the sight, stepping out of the bar and moving down the block a little to be away from the small crowd of other smokers.

"Hey," I heard Andy's voice say as I lit my cigarette, "Would you be able to talk to me?"

I stared up at him and bit my lip before taking a long drag of my cigarette. He looked good in his dress shirt and skinny jeans, though I could tell by his eyes that he was stoned. I let the smoke out of my mouth slowly, mulling over the idea in my head. I wanted to hear him out desperately, as well as get my own story out.

"Sure, we can talk. Let's walk back to the bus though, I don't feel like standing out here and talking," I suggested. He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets as we walked the one block back to the bus. I continued smoking, nerves running through my veins. I put out my cigarette and climbed onto the bus before him, sitting in the same seat I'd been in earlier. He sat down next to me, his body turned towards mine.

"Kelly, I--you look beautiful tonight. I'm not just saying that either, uh, to butter you up; I mean it. When I saw you after the show, I thought you were so stunning that my heart really just kind of, um, melted," he said. I fought the urge to smile and lost that battle, grinning at him and then looking down at my lap. His nervousness was adorable.

"Thanks Andy."

"All my life, I've known exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted to be involved in music, knew it was my passion and so I pursued it. I knew how I wanted my life to be, for the most part, and I've always done everything I could to get it. When I met you, I knew you were going to be a really important person in my life and you are. You're my best friend Kelly, you really are my everything. I had to think about what my life would be like without you in it today, and it scared the shit out of me.

"I'm the biggest asshole, I'm so stupid. The only person I want to be with is you. I've never, ever felt this way about a person before. I think about your smile, the way you laugh, and I smile to myself. God, the way you touch me Kelly...I can't, no one has ever touched me the way you do, you act like I'm the most perfect person in the world and you're always so gentle with me, like I'm something precious."

"Andy, you are precious to me," I said finally, my voice quivering and chills running up and down my body. I reached out to grab his hand and I squeezed it, smiling despite the fact that I thought I might cry. "You're perfect to me, you're perfect for me. That's why I don't understand what you were doing with that girl last night."

"I was being an idiot Kell," he explained, moving his hand to my knee now and rubbing careful circles onto my skin. "I'd been drinking and thinking about what to do with you. When we were laying down and you told me that I was yours, it scared me. I don't deserve you, ya know? You're so far out of my league that I'm lucky you even gave me a second glance, let alone that you want me back. I saw that girl at the bar and, there really was no thought behind it. I just, I had this moment where I thought I should let you go and get someone worth your time."

"Andy, baby, no," I said, my heart nearly breaking. Tears were in his eyes and now leaking out of mine. I took his face in my hands and rubbed my thumbs over his cheekbones. "I hate that you felt that way and you didn't come to me. You're my best friend, you're the only man I want, and I don't care if you think you're not good enough. You're fucking perfect for me, okay? Stop thinking about it so much!"

"I upset you all the time Kelly! I make you cry too much. I'm such an inadequate person and I can't give you what you deserve," he fought, placing his hands over mine. He removed my hands from his face and kissed my fingertips lightly. "But I'm an intensely selfish person, so here I am. I'm begging you to forgive me and let me back into your arms, please. I hate when you're angry with me."

"Of course I forgive you Andy, I hate being angry with you. I don't understand why you think all of these things about us, but I do understand why you did what you did last night and I can't feel mad at you, not even a little bit. You're mine, okay? You promised yourself to me, you always tell me it's going to be you and me, officially, forever and the only thing you ever do that hurts me, is make me think you'll break that promise."

"Then let me fulfill it. Let's be official; Kelly, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, a smile shining on his face. My heart burst inside my chest and a happy tingle flowed through my veins. I nodded and threw myself into his lap, my arms wrapping around his neck as his hands found their way to my hips. I let my forehead rest on his.

"Yes, of course I will be," I answered breathlessly. I pressed my lips to his and our kiss was enthusiastic, both of us smiling as widely as possible. I took his face in my hands again and started kissing his face all over, moving down to his neck and leaving soft kisses there. I heard him moan as I found the spot I knew always made him weak. I smirked into his neck as his hands roamed down to grip my ass roughly, another moan leaving his lips as I sucked on the skin at the base of his neck.

"Kelly, baby," he sighed lightly, one hand still resting on my butt and the other rubbing up and down my thigh gently. I kissed my way back up to his jaw and connected our lips again, my hands resting on his chest. He was driving me crazy, his tongue exploring my mouth and taking dominance over mine. I moaned into his mouth, running a hand through his hair. "Kelly," he breathed when he pulled away from me, "You've made me the happiest I could ever be."

"No, I'm the happiest babe. I'm your girlfriend, you're my boyfriend. We're going to go on dates and hold hands and I can kiss you always," I said, stroking the side of his face. We smiled at each other in silence. "I think I might cry."

"Don't cry! Why would you cry kitten?" he asked, his hand moving to stroke the inside of my thigh and sending shudders through my body at his touch. I sighed in pleasure, letting the moment wash over me.

"I'm so happy Andy. You've just made me so fucking happy."

His lips were on my neck as soon as I finished speaking. I moaned his name quietly as he nipped at the spot. I knew he was marking my neck with hickeys, labelling me as his. The idea of it made me melt even more into him, letting go completely as his hands roamed my body and his lips found mine again. We kissed for as long as I could remember.

"You're beautiful Kelly," he said, running his fingers lightly over my neck.

"Thank you," I answered, smiling shyly at him. I yawned then, exhaustion finally washing over me. He chuckled and moved some hair out of my face. His eyes ran over my face.

"Is my girl tired?" he asked. Warmth spread through me.

"Yeah, she is."

"Let's go to sleep then kitten."