Page 38 of The Hallows Queen

Chapter10

Penelope

Haydenand I fuck two more times in the pool, then retire inside to watch a movie until I’m sober enough to drive.

When my head has stopped floating, and everything is starting to feel normal again, we get dressed and Hayden walks me to my car.

“Can I see you again?” he asks as I’m getting into the driver’s seat, his hands resting on the roof of my Cayenne as he stands in the open doorway.

I look at him, admiring his shirtless chest and messy hair, then I find his eyes – so dark and calm. I blow out a breath. “This was supposed to just be a hookup.”

“We did hook up,” he says simply, that cocky grin pulling his puffy lips. “That means we can’t see each other again?”

I slide a hand up the side of his face to cup his cheek. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly relationship material.”

He laughs, a loud boom that makes his chest shake. Leaning toward me, he pinches my bottom lip between his thumb and finger. “I don’t wantyouto take this the wrong way, but I don’t want to be in a relationship with you.”

A smile cracks across my face on its own, and we laugh together for a moment.

“Good to know.”

He pulls my bottom lip out, then lets his grip go, making my lip pop back against my teeth. Leaning into my car, he grins. “That doesn’t mean we can’t hook up again, though.”

“We’ll see,” I answer, kissing him lightly on the lips, then pulling away. “Goodnight, Hayden.”

“Goodnight, Penelope,” he whispers, a smirk pulling up the side of his lips. He steps away then, rounding my car and heading for the front door. Once I’ve buckled my seatbelt and closed my car door, I shift into drive and head out into the street.

* * *

I wakeup the next morning to my alarm blaring like a fucking Amber Alert. Smacking the snooze button, I roll over, pulling the comforter over my head.

I have my first day of work today, and I’m coming down from molly. Brilliant decision making on my part.

I blink, and my alarm is going off again, telling me I just gained another eight minutes of sleep. Groaning loud, I throw the comforter off and grab my phone to silence my alarm as I sit up. My head is pounding, and waves of nausea are passing through me, making me feel dizzy.

I need coffee, a shower, and a handful of ibuprofen.

When I slide down on the notification menu on my phone, I look through the string of notifications. A text from Hayden pulls my attention, so I click on it.

Hayden:

tonight?

I type out a response.

Me:

What’s tonight?

I go back to my notifications and click on a message from my mom.

Mom:

Good luck today, Pen! Dad is doing good today, wants to know if you’ll come by this weekend! Call me later, xoxo.

Tossing my phone to the bedside table, I throw my legs over the edge of my bed and go for the kitchen to make some coffee. It’s nearing sunrise, the orange sky creeping through the windows and lighting up my apartment.

While I’m making my coffee, I get the unwanted need to cry.

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