“Thank you Sully,” I whispered to myself.
I pulled on a pair of white skinny jeans, buckling a thick black belt with a couple tiny chains hanging from it around my hips. A black strapless top, fitted moto jacket with fur trim around the collar, and black open toe wedges with cork bottoms completed my classy, yet sassy, outfit for tonight. I left my hair down with a few loose curls on the ends, threw on some mascara and filled my lips in with cherry red lipstick.
Breaking Benjamin was playing when I walked into my bedroom -I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away. I will not fall, I will not fade, I will take your breath away- I turned it up a few notches. If Davin wanted to brush off everything we ever shared between each other then I would do the same.
“Fuck him and fuck Bernadette.”
“That’s not appropriate language, young lady.” My dad was standing in my doorway. Apparently, I had said that out loud. “Your date by the name of Sully is here. Your mother said it's Davin’s uh… brother?”
“Tell him I’ll be down in a minute daddy.”
“I thought you were seeing Davin, but by the fuck him comment, I take it things have changed?”
“We ended it; things were too complicated.”
“I should say so. Well okay then, I will let him know you’re almost ready.” He wanted to ask more, but instead he just gave a quick nod walking back downstairs.
I came around the corner into the living room where my mom had Sully sitting on the couch. I could tell by the humorous smile barely visible on his face that he had picked up on her usual horrible attempt of nonchalant interrogation and had instead turned on the irresistible vampire charm on her.
“Adelay definitely gets her beautiful smile from you, Mrs. Darley.”
I intervened at the tail end of his wooing. My mom was blushing.
“Ready Sully?”
He stood up, habitually running his hands through his slicked hair, moving the stray pieces that had fallen out of place. Little brown waves flipped up on the nape of his neck where his hair rested. He was dressed in a slightly-fitted, dark grey V-neck long sleeve tee showing off hints of his defined arms and back when he moved, black jeans, and black leather Doc Martens with a couple buckle straps across the ankles, giving off a bad boy feel.
His dark blue eyes were bright this evening behind his long black lashes that made girls jealous. To be honest, he looked incredibly handsome to me tonight, more so than normal. Licking his plush lips, he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, knowing he was in the spotlight right now. It was like I was seeing him in a whole new light. I had finally realized who he was as a man, and everything he had done for me. He knew I was upset, hurt, pained, and broken; but he continued to be there through it all just like he was there during his last dying breath when I needed him most.
“What?” He lipped to me with a cute smile.
“Nothing,” I lipped back shaking my head. My mom was watching our interaction curiously.
“I’ll have her home by midnight, Mrs. Darley.”
“No rush, Sully; you kids just have fun and take care of my baby.”
“You know I will.” That was a promise I knew he would keep.
Cult was already hopping with its weekend Hanover regulars lining up outside of the industrial metal doors. My nerves were starting to kick through my chest cavity the closer we came to the front of the old broken-down building with the distinguishable low crackling of the worn-out neon sign hanging above the entrance. The stale stench of cigarettes and spilled booze wafted through the hot and stuffy windowless building.
Flashbacks of the Sid Vicious twin, my drug spiked drink, and Xander’s ultimately fatal call in the bathroom, hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as I stepped foot inside and the doors closed behind me.
All the air in my lungs felt like it was increasingly being squished out of them, not wanting to fill back up to release the smothering pressure. I seriously contemplated turning around and running far far away from this place.
But it was too late for retreat now. Gretchen had already spotted me right away from over in one the darkened corners where she inhabited a couple tattered couches with Andy and Robbie. The slew of empty glasses on the little table in front of them showed they were already throwing back shots of alcohol. Sarah danced close by them with the same grungy guy she was with the last time we were here. It looked like she may have found herself a possible love interest. She was normally the quietest of our group; so, I never would have taken her for a dancer, drinker, or anything other than proper.
Gretchen came springing towards us when she saw we had arrived. She was wearing a skimpy navy-blue tank top, red capris, and red high heels, teetering on them a little bit as she walked, indicating she was already semi-tipsy. Her blonde bob was curled in relaxed ringlets all over her head. She was the epitome of natural beauty inside and out.
She draped her arms around me in a hug, also helping to steady herself. “You finallyyyy made it! I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.” Her lightly freckled cheeks were flushed. “Come sit down, Adelay! I saved you guys a seat!” She pulled me with her to the couches, plopping us down where she had been sitting.
Sully
