"Good morning. Here, drink some water," He said, handing me a water bottle. I chugged the whole thing. "How are you feeling?" He asked, gently running his fingers through my hair. 

"Good," I responded, checking my phone to see what time it was. It was almost noon, and I had several messages and missed calls from my dad. "Oh, shit! I have to go."

"What? Right now? Can you not stay for a little longer?" Marco asked. I started to get my stuff together in my bag. I felt guilty for leaving after what happened last night, but I needed to go. "Will you at least be back later today?" Marco asked. 

"I'll try," I responded, grabbing my keys and racing down the stairs, leaving Marco behind. I wanted so badly to go back to his bed and sleep in, but I couldn't stay. I clambered into my truck, speeding out of the driveway. 

It didn't take long for me to get home. I pulled onto the dirt road, bracing myself, and walked through the front door. My dad was immediately at my throat. 

"You were gone all night and didn't answer your phone. What's the point of you having a damn phone if you're not going to use it?" he yelled, snatching my phone and throwing it. I looked at my broken phone on the floor. The screen was black with green lines. I picked it back up, putting it in my pocket. 

"I'm an adult. I can go where I want," I responded, trying to seem braver than I felt. He gripped my arm and looked me in my eyes. 

"Not if you want to continue living here. Where were you?" He hissed. His fingers were digging into my arm. 

"I was at a friend's house. He and I were studying, and I didn't want to leave during the storm," I responded. He let go of my arm, then gestured toward my neck. 

"You're covered in hickies. Where were you really? Were you at a girl's house? You better not have gotten her pregnant," He sneered. I froze. "Or were you at a guy's house?" He asked. I chose to go for the easier option. 

"A girl's house, and we were safe," I responded. I felt a harsh slap on my face. Tears were starting to sting in my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of him. 

"Get out of my house!" He screamed. I quickly left, not bothering to grab any of my things. I could come back for them later. I wondered what he would have done if I had told him the truth. I climbed into my truck and drove until I got to the clearing I went to with Marco. The thought of Marco made me feel incredibly guilty. I left him alone. 

I didn't want to go to his house right now. What if he were mad at me? What if he regretted what we did? What if I wasn't good enough for him? I curled up into a ball and buried my head in my knees. Maybe I could text him. I pulled out my phone to text him and stared at the broken screen. It was unusable. I tossed it to the slide, climbing into the backseat of my truck. I could sleep here tonight and figure out the rest tomorrow. 

I was still wearing Marco's clothes. I wanted to shower and wash my hair. I wanted to be curled up in Marco's bed. I drove to the gym inside. I went into the bathroom, changing into my gym clothes. I spent an hour working out before I saw a familiar face. 

"Jackson! Hey," Lara smiled. Her hair was tied up in a tight ponytail, and she was wearing gym clothes. "We must have both had the same idea to come to the gym. It's less crowded at this time," She continued. I felt incredibly guilty for leaving Marco, but he might not even want me anymore. 

"Can you tell Marco I'm sorry?" I whispered. She looked confused. "Please? Just tell him I'm sorry," I continued. 

"Why? Did something happen? Is everything alright?" She asked, gently putting her hand on my shoulder. I bit my lip to keep from crying. "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen," She continued. Her eyes trailed to my neck. Shit. I really need to cover those up.

"Just tell him I'm sorry, and that I understand if he is upset with me," I responded, looking down at the floor. Lara continued to study me. 

"Sure. I planned on going to his house later today. I can tell him then," She responded. Instead of leaving, she sat next to me. "Is this another case where you're self-sabotaging?" Lara asked. I didn't respond. Maybe I was, but I was terrified of the thought of Marco not wanting me. "Are those from Marco?" Lara whispered, eying my neck. I nodded, shaking from anxiety. "Do you want me to cover them up?" Lara asked. 

"Can you do that?" I asked. Lara nodded. 

"I have concealer in my car, and we look like we're close enough in shade. If you plan on using the gym shower, I would wait until after, though," Lara explained. We continued to work out together in mostly silence before going into the separate bathrooms. After showering, I pulled on a pair of sweatpants and Marco's hoodie. It was warm, and still smelled like him. 

I left the bathroom to meet Lara at her car. After climbing in, she pulled out a makeup bag. She started to apply concealer, working carefully. "So, do you want to tell me why you need to apologize to Marco for you, and why you can't do it yourself?" Lara asked. 

Instead of responding, I just started to cry. "Oh, Jackson," Lara sighed, wiping away my tears. I hated crying in front of people. 

"I just- I left him this- this morning," I sobbed. "I ran, and I'm- I'm scared he- he hates me," I continued. "What if he doesn't want me anymore?" I cried. Lara kept gently wiping away my tears. 

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He understands. It just seems like you're afraid, but you have no reason to be. Take your time, then go talk to him. If you tell him these fears, he won't leave you. He'll help you understand them and help you be less afraid," Lara responded, going back to applying the concealer on my neck. I nodded, feeling a little better. 

"So, I assume this means you are bisexual or something like that," Lara joked. I laughed, playfully shoving her and rolling my eyes. "Look, don't tell Marco I told you this, but he cares about you. Anyway, I'm done applying the concealer." Lara handed me a mirror. I looked in the mirror, and there were no signs of any marks. "Here, take this tube with you. All you have to do is apply it on the spot and rub it in." 

"Thank you. And you'll tell Marco that I'm sorry?" I asked.

"I will, but I don't think you have anything to apologize for," Lara responded, pulling me into a hug. "I'll tell him, though."

I left Lara's car, climbing into my truck, and I drove until I reached the clearing again. I got as comfortable as I could. I would be here until tomorrow morning after all.