Redamancy

Joey had only saw Adam the next day at around dinner time after he had finished work. Joey was just getting out of the shower when she heard the door open and close. She loved showers, especially after a long day of work like she had. It allowed her to calm down and de-stress, but as soon as she heard Adam talking to Scooby, her body tensed all over again.

She never really knew with him, what kind of mood he would be in. And although he never physically hurt her, his awful moods were usually taken out on her in the form of yelling. Joey absolutely hated yelling and she was quite sensitive to it. Having Adam in a bad mood was simply not what she needed tonight. Besides, Harry’s band was playing and she was determined to make it, if nothing more than for the smile on his face when she told him she would be there.

She walked into the open living room with a towel still wrapped around her body. Adam looked up from Scooby when he heard Joey tip-toe into the room and he smiled. It bothered her a bit, because he smiled like everything was normal, like it was okay for him to disappear for a night without so much as a call. But, Joey smiled back because she wasn't in the mood for a fight. She still needed to eat dinner and get herself ready.

“Hey,” Joey said as she passed him to get to the kitchen. The air was slightly awkward between the two, because Adam always knew when she was disappointed or mad, but he never really apologized. He had always said he never believed in apologies. That people could tell right from wrong and if he had done something wrong, he probably had done considered it. So, saying sorry didn’t really mean much to him. Besides, he was distracted by the towel that Joey had draped around her body.

Instead of greeting her, Adam walked over to her with a grin on his face which Joey hadn’t noticed because she was staring into the fridge. He pulled her into his chest from behind and kissed her neck.

“Hey,” he whispered into her ear. Joeys body shivered when his breath fanned over the expanse of her neck. And instead of pushing him away, she blushed. Joey could never stay mad for long - she loved Adam, and couldn’t stand being so distanced from him. Her mother used to tell her that the trait made her a good person - it was a good trait to be able to forgive so quickly. Her brother always used to tell her otherwise. He always told her ‘Jo, don’t ever let someone treat you like shit and get away with it. Especially not a boy’.

If he could see her now, he would be indescribably disappointed.

In the next instant, Adam had Joey draped over his shoulder as she giggled. He was placing soft smacks to her bum as Scooby barked and bounded after them and as soon as Adam made it to the bedroom, he closed the door in the dogs face. He nearly threw Joey onto the bed, which made her towel fall off of her body and she furrowed her brows, grabbing onto the material to cover herself back up. Adam stopped her, of course, by climbing on top of her, letting his fingers caress her body.

Joey thought it was weird - it was weird he wasn’t whispering sweet nothings and all she kept thinking was that she had to leave the house soon. The thoughts evaporated as he slipped a finger inside her, making her arch her back. It barely lasted, though. Shortly after he had his pants and boxers off and was positioned and ready. Joey shook her head, placing her hands on his chest.

“Adam,” She sighed, “I can’t right now. I have to be somewhere.” She gently pushed him away and grabbed her discarded towel, trying to wrap herself back up. Suddenly, it was ripped from her body and thrown across the room and she looked at Adam with wide eyes.

“Come on,” he said, “I know you want to.” Joey raised a brow, a blush forming because she felt so exposed. She shook her head again, but it wasn’t noticed as Adam pulled on her legs making her fall back on the bed.

“It’ll be quick.” As if that were an assurance to her.

“Adam, sto-” He paid no mind, and instead slipped himself inside with a harsh grunt. Joey watched in shock as his eyes slipped closed, her own eyes watering because why had he done that? It took her two hard thrusts to find her voice again.

“Adam, stop!” She yelled, pushing her hands against his chest again, “I don’t want to right now. Stop!” But it was as though he was in his own world. She wasn’t even sure if he felt her trying to push him, but when she delivered another shove, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the bed.

Her throat began to form a lump, but she refused to cry.

It’ll be over soon, anyways, she told herself.

*

Joey hadn’t had a chance to eat dinner.

When Adam collapsed beside her, she calmly stood up and gathered clothing in her hands. She felt as if she had imagined the entire thing and even found herself thinking but it was her boyfriend. She owed it to him. It wasn’t a big deal - she had blown him off the night before, anyways. It was fine. It was fine. It was fine.

She got herself dressed and out of the house in fifteen minutes, Adam never bothering to ask where she was going. She thought about taking another shower, because she had felt so gross, but more than that: she had just wanted to get out of that place. She hadn’t even put any effort into her appearance - she hadn’t even put make up on. Her hair was still damp, and her slight curl that she usually styled away was forming. When she sat in her car, she lay her head on the steering wheel and took a few deep breaths before telling herself once more: it’s fine.

*

She was so early to the venue that the first band hadn’t even set themselves up and Gemma was no where to be seen. Harrys band was meant to play at 9pm, and it was only half passed six. She leaned herself against the pub, and watched as people moved around her, the first band hauling in their instruments to set up the stage. The drummer was half way through sound check when an arm went around her shoulders. She had immediately elbowed the body the arm belonged to in the chest. As the person grunted, she had turned around the face the intruder and let out a short laugh upon seeing Harrys furrowed face.

“Sorry,” she chuckled. “Can’t just sneak up on a girl like that, Harry.” Harry only smiled, giving her a shrug.



“You’re here!” He said, extending his arms with his fingers splayed out. “And early at that!”

He then wrapped his arms around her waist in a warm, tight hug. The scent of her freshly washed hair made him hold onto her for just a while longer than necessary, but the way she had felt in his arms made her do the same. When he released his grip on her, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

With a smile, he said, “Thanks for coming!”

Joey groped for a warm smile, but only came up with a forced one. And of course Harry noticed.

“I wanted to,” she said, “What do you do in the band?” She didn’t really want to give Harry time to question her about why she looked so upset like he had last time.

“I sing, sometimes play piano,” he informed her, holding a proud smile on his face. He quickly acknowledged a boy who had passed him with a greeting head nod and turned his attention back to Joey. “So…”

Joey held up her hand, “please don’t ask. I’m here to enjoy myself, okay?”

Harry slowly nodded and said, “okay.”

Despite his curiosity, he chose to let it go. Though he knew it had to be something that bothered her immensely because she had a far off look in her eyes. One that he had desperately wanted to change.

“Well, I’m happy you’re here,” he offered. It had appeared to be something Joey didn’t realize she would enjoy hearing so much. The slow, calming sound of his voice and the words he spoke made her smile, a genuine smile.

“Me too.” A small silence passed between the two of them before Harry lightly smacked his arm on the bar counter.

“Right,” he said, “I’m going to buy you a drink. What do you like?”

Joey wasn’t much of a drinker, the entire pub scene made her skin crawl sometimes. But Harry was offering to buy her a drink and he blue-green eyes were looking right at her so how could she say no?

“Uh…A pint.” Joey scrunched up her face, not really familiar with the names of beers or other beverages. Harry laughed at her confused face.


“Yeah,” he urged, “Got that. What do you want in the pint glass, love?” Her face went red and she wasn’t completely sure if it was the fact she had embarrassed herself or if it was just that he called her love, which she was sure wasn’t a big deal to him. He probably used it in everyday conversation, but my god, if it didn’t make her heart pitter-patter a bit faster. She felt almost tongue tied - she kept thinking she hated the taste of beer, but she didn’t tell him.

“Guinness!” She decided, “Yeah, a pint of Guinness.” Because you can’t really go wrong with that, right? Harrys brows shot up in surprise before he turned to order two pints of Guinness.

As he handed hers over to her he said, “I definitely took you for a sweet-drink type. You know, WKD, maybe a sex on the beach.” At his words, her drink went down the wrong way and she burst into a fit of coughs that she couldn’t control. He wanted to laugh, but could only smile at the sweetness of her as he gently hit her back. He found himself adoring her as a blush rose to her cheeks and she tried to hide it with a curtain of dark brown hair.

Feeling a little bold, he decided to push the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

“I quite like it when you blush,” he told her at the exact moments the lights dimmed and the chords to a song rung through the small venue. Harry only looked at her for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the band.

He hadn’t left her side until it was his turn to play. He hadn’t even left when Gemma showed up around an hour after Joey had gotten there. He stood a little too close and sang a few choruses into her ear from the first bands set. Honestly, he just wanted to make her forget whatever was bothering her, he wanted her to feel safe because she had looked so scared when he saw her. He wanted to know what put that look in her eyes because he wanted to make sure it would be banished forever.

On her ride home and well into her night , all she could hear was his rocky-toned voice singing her into sleep.