SOMETHING I'VE LEARNED about Dallas over all the years I've known him is that he is terrible in awkward situations. Growing up the way he did, he was never taught how to handle his emotions the correct way. If he was sad, he stole shit. If he was mad, he fucked somebody or broke something. No matter what he was feeling, his best way of coping had become breaking, stealing, and fucking.
But he couldn't do any of those things right now. He was forced to deal with his emotions this time. And he didn't like it one bit. "You look better...not so pale anymore," Dally tells me in an attempt to crack through the tension that had built up.
"Thanks," I mutter, picking at a hangnail on my middle finger. I didn't really know how to deal with this either. We had both said and done things we regretted and now we were stuck dealing with the aftermath.
Dally walks around the small hospital room, his eyes finding the window. He stares outside watching the traffic below and the distant sounds of all the different noises of our town. "I hate hospitals." He grumbles, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and slipping it between his lips.
I sit up, letting out a sharp hiss of pain as I do. Dally turns around to see me and he rushes over to help me. "Jesus woman, slow down." He says as I grab his arm for support.
"Help me out of this bed, will ya?" I question, wincing at the intense ache in my ribs. Dally's hold on me tightens, and slowly, he overpowers me until I give up and flop against the bed, groaning in frustration and pain.
"You've gotta take it easy, Ange. A broken rib is no joke." Dally tells me as he lights his cigarette.
I could feel myself calm slightly as the smoke made its way into my nose. Scoffing at his words, I fire back, "You've had worse than this, and you've never gone to the hospital."
"Yeah, well you're not me, so lay back." He demands, pushing me back gently by my shoulder.
I growl swatting his hand away from me and throwing the blanket off of me, holding back a noise of pain as I do. "Will you stop it!" Dally snaps his cigarette moving with each word as he picks up the thin excuse of a blanket and lays it back over me, tucking me in.
"I'm not a child, Dallas. I don't need to be tucked in. I don't need you here. Get out!" I demand, weakly pushing him away. It's been five minutes and we were already fighting.
"We wouldn't be here in the first place if you would've just listened to me and got the hell out of that damn church." Dally bites back.
"What was I supposed to do Dallas?! They were children!" I argue, my voice rising as high as I can make it without hurting myself.
"You were supposed to stay safe!" He yells, causing me to freeze in bed. I stare into Dally's pained eyes my stomach churning at his outburst. "I had to drag you out of that church half-dead, Angela. I thought you were dead." His voice is harsh as he speaks. Though I knew the bite in his words was only a cover-up. Seeing me hurt had scared him. He just wouldn't admit it.
"You didn't have to save me Dallas," I tell him. My words seemed to anger him.
He sneers pinning both my wrists beside my head as he straddles my lap. The ashes of his cigarette crumble and land on my cheek, causing me to flinch at the hotness of the flecks of burned tobacco. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had left you for dead." He retorts sharply.
I sneer, blowing his cigarette out before saying, "I'm not your concern. Go check on your girlfriend, Kathy, or have you forgotten about her?" The broad's name tasted toxic on my tongue, and I was honestly glad that Dally had chosen to be here with me rather than her. But the fact he was with another woman while being here made me furious.
I would never admit it, but I wanted Dallas. I wanted him to myself and if I couldn't have him to myself, I didn't want him at all. I wasn't just some side bitch he could fuck and sweet talk whenever his girlfriend was gone.
"You really think I want her?" Dally asks in disbelief. "It's always been you, Angela, only you." One of his hands releases one of my wrists so he can take the half-smoked cigarette from his mouth and tuck it back into his pocket.
He cups my cheek and I tense against his touch as he brushes the cigarette ash from my face. "It's always been you, darlin'." My breath catches in my throat as he calls me his nickname.
It had been weeks since I'd heard it, and the relief I felt was addicting. But I couldn't get the picture of his lips against her out of my head. Or the thought that they had done more than just above the clothes stuff.
"Did you fuck her?" I ask softly, my voice cracks and I curse myself in my head for letting me sound so vulnerable with Dallas. I hadn't forgotten what he said to me at Betsy's Diner. His taunting words about me with Todd still made my stomach churn. His words had affected me in ways nothing else had before. He had made me feel filthy. Like I was a toy he was dying to play with and throw to the next man.
Dally's face tightens at the question. He wasn't expecting me to ask that. But by his silence, I knew my answer.
"Please just go Dallas," I beg. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes
"Once." He blurts out ignoring my desire for him to leave. "I fucked her the night we fought so it doesn't count. We both said and did shit we regret." He rushes out.
"Well, I didn't go off and fuck a guy." I retort.
"You told me I was a hookup, that it was a mistake that you slept with me, so I do what you tell me to do. I ignore you, I get a girlfriend and you're still not happy. What do you want? Please just tell me what you want." Dallas begs. He grabbed my face roughly with one hand while the other still had a tight grip on my wrist.
I was speechless, unable to argue. Dallas was right. I had told him that sleeping together was a mistake. I had told him to fuck off. And he did. He listened to me. He gave me the space that I begged for.
I was the asshole.
Without warning, Dallas slams his lips to mine. I react quickly, kissing him back with as much force as he was kissing me. Fire ignites in me, spreading throughout my whole body as I take in the familiar taste of Dally's lips like a drug. He tasted faintly of his cheap yet delicious cologne and cigarettes. A taste that only he could provide me.
The brunette is gentle as he shifts his body above mine, trying his best to be careful around my wounded ribs. I moan as he slips his tongue into my mouth and picks my hand up to cup his cheek, slipping it behind his head to tangle into his chocolate locks.
I only pull away when he pulls at the hospital gown I wore. Both of us pant for breath, staring intensely into each other's eyes. He wanted more. And so did I. But not like this.
I shake my head, putting my hand on Dally's chest and gently pushing him away. "You have a girlfriend Dallas," I mumble.
"I don't care about her." He rasps.
"It's not fair to lead her on and you know it." I snap back at him sternly.
Dally huffs climbing off of me completely. I suddenly felt cold, goosebumps rising on my skin. I wanted Dally to lay with me, but I had to stick by my words. It wasn't fair to lead Kathy on and if Dally meant what he said about wanting me, then he would take care of her first.
A knock on the door is heard, causing both Dally and I to snap our heads at the sound. A woman in a nurse's uniform opens the door, a tray in her hand. Her eyes widen when she sees Dally and blush coats her cheeks. She was clearly checking Dally out. She looked young, maybe in her early 20's. "Visitation is over, I'm afraid, sir."
"Since when?" Dally asks, pulling his half-smoked cigarette from his pocket without a care and lighting it.
The nurse lays the tray by my feet. "Um,, it ended at nine o'clock, uh...you can't really smoke in here, silly." She says, adding an overly done giggle.
I can't help but roll my eyes at her lack of flirting skills. Or the fact she can't tell that Dally is clearly uninterested.
"I'll stop by tomorrow, darlin'. Sleep well," Dally tells me, ignoring the nurse as he walks out the door.
"No, you aren't!" I yell back weakly, wincing at the pain in my ribs. The nurse shuts the door before I can know if Dally replied to or even heard my words.
"So, that your boyfriend?" The nurse questions pouring a liquid from the tray into a small cup. I wouldn't call myself the jealous type, but I have to stop myself from kicking the tray off my bed or kicking this nurse.
"No," I state cooly.
"So...he's free?" She questions with a curious glance my way.
"He's sixteen, find someone you're own age to bang you pervert." I snap unable to stop myself.
The nurse stays silent for the rest of our time together.