Hope

Kristel woke up the next morning with a tattooed arm draped over her. She thought back on the night before, listening to Zack's soft breathing. He had kissed her, then she had kissed him back. They didn't stop kissing each other, Zack pulled her onto his lap to deepen the kiss. Somehow she had ended up on her back, wincing slightly from her stitches getting jostled. Zack noticed, going down to her stomach, lifting her shirt slightly, then kissed lightly just above where the tape was covering her stitches.

His warm lips on her body, only made her want him more, she mentally cursed her stitches, knowing nothing could happen for another six weeks, even if this were to turn into something more. He put her shirt back where it was and came back up to kiss her lips once more, then moved down her jawline to the base of her neck. She gasped when he kissed a spot that made the kiss even more intense. Before she knew it they were laying next to each other, snuggled close, both breathing harder then they should have.

Zack's phone rang, bringing Kristel out of her daydream from him violently turning to grab his phone. "Hello?" he asked sleepily into the phone. A couple moments of silence. "Shit," he swore. "Tell mom I'm sorry, I'll be at the house around the same time as everyone else." He ended the call and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up.

"Everything okay?" Kristel asked, sitting up, making Zack spin around, surprised.

"So that wasn't a dream," Zack laughed. Kristel gave him a small smile, suddenly unsure of how to take everything. "Missed Easter mass," Zack mumbled as he got off his bed to change.

"Oh," Kristel looked down for a second. "Sorry if I'm the reason you missed."

"What?" Zack asked, shocked. Kristel looked up at him, wishing more than anything that she hadn't drawn attention to herself. "It's my fault actually. I didn't set my alarm." They were silent for a moment, before Kristel decided to get out of Zack's bed to head to her room so she could change. "Hey," Zack called after her, making her turn around. "Do you have any plans for today?"

Kristel thought for a moment, then shook her head no, "Not that I know of, why?"

"Would you like to come with me to Easter brunch with me and my family?" Zack asked, putting a shirt on, covering most of his tattoos.

Kristel caught herself staring, before replying, shrugging, "Well, beats hanging out in an empty house all day."

"You should probably get dressed then," Zack suggested, as the doorbell rang.

"Right," Kristel looked at her pajamas, starting to walk to her room before stopping. "What should I wear?"

"Just something nice," Zack suggested, as he went to get the door.

Kristel nodded, walking to her room, before stopping, catching herself in the mirror. Kristel stared at herself, feeling like something was off, before noticing her neck. "Shit," Kristel swore, upon seeing a bruise appearing on her neck.

"What's the matter?" Zack asked, holding Amber in his arms, Val and Matt close behind him.

Kristel pointed to her neck, "I'm not meeting your family with a fucking hickie on my neck."

"Do you have makeup?" Zack asked.

"Have you seen me wearing any makeup?" Kristel snapped, before realizing what she did. "S-Sorry," she put a hand to her head, taking a deep breath, shaking her head. "I've never worn makeup before. I don't even know where to start, or what shades."

"Well lucky, I'm here," Val took Kristel by the arm, and pulled her to the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

After the girls went in the bathroom, Zack turned to see Matt looking at him disapprovingly. "What?" Zack asked.

"Seriously?" Matt asked, dryly.

"We didn't do anything," Zack defended. "She couldn't sleep last night, so she came in my room and-"

"And you decided giving her a hickie was a good idea?" Matt finished Zack's sentence, crossing his arms.

"No, she came in my room and talked. She was still scared, so I sat with her and talked, and then...well, yeah, so we kissed! What's wrong with that?" Zack tried to defend himself again.

"Nothing," Matt played it off, before becoming serious. "Only the fact that you're ten years her superior, we still know nothing about her, and she's got a kid with no father." Matt slammed Zack against the wall trying to get his point across. "Do you see a problem with that?"

"She told me last night," Zack gasped out, trying to loosen Matts hold on him. "Everything, the two id's and why she's here."

The boys turned as they heard a gasp. Kristel had come out of the bathroom and had a hand to her mouth, fear in her eyes. Val close behind her. "Matthew Charles Sanders!" Val shouted, making Matt release Zack. "What is wrong with you?" she pulled Matt away, and towards the door. She quickly apologized to Kristel and Zack, then shoved Matt out the door.

"Are you okay?" Kristel ran over to Zack, concerned.

"Yeah," Zack nodded, eyeing the door Val and Matt had just left. "We should get going before my mom starts wondering where we are."

"I'm ready when you are," Kristel grabbed her things, and Amber off the floor, still looking at him concerned.

"I'm fine," he laughed, as he escorted her to his car, kissing her head, making butterflies flutter in her stomach.