Lucy had an awful headache. Then she realized that she was still lying on the living room floor. Paul had his hand on her side, but he was rolled up against the table. His hair was messy and he had faint little lip-stick stains on his cheeks and mouth. Lucy felt disgusting; they both smelt like weed and to her it was not pleasant. She knew Paul didn't mind.

She slipped out of his grasp, but moved closer to him and kissed his forehead. He slept for another ten minutes or so before stirring.

"I saw some beautiful things last night...what did you see?"

"...I can't really remember. This smells awful; I'm going to shower."

He nodded as she got up.

But when she came out of his bedroom, she was hit with an even stronger smell. "Paul!"

He was completely stoned. It took him several moments to notice Lucy even though she was shouting at him. When he finally turned to her, she took the joint from his hand. "Will you stop this! Clean yourself up!"

He blinked several times. "If you don't like it, just leave. This isn't your house; it's mine." The way he spoke so calmly unnerved her.

"If that's what you want."

Then something clicked inside her mind.

"Paul?"

And then a few moments later.

"What is it?"

"I...I remember something...do you remember when I was abducted?"

There was silence. Paul was sitting on the couch again, smoking another joint. Lucy was furious. "Have a nice time, you filthy stoner," she muttered to herself.

On her way back to her parents' house she thought over her realization.

She recognized the smell of weed and the sensation of being high even though she thought that the substance was something she had never tried before.

Perhaps it was something that her abductor used on her?

Or was it something that he was using?

When she greeted her parents, she worried that somehow that pungent smell hadn't gone away in the shower and they would believe something to be wrong. However, they didn't notice a thing. She felt incredibly guilty. Her parents didn't completely understand what that sort of drug did to you at the time, but they warned her that she would be offered something like that sometime...and it was coming from someone she cared about.

It wasn't painful, but that would be the last time she did it.

At least, she hoped so.

"Shouldn't you be with Paul tonight?" Mrs. Rydell said.

"I suppose I could be. He's...a bit busy right now."

Mrs. Rydell put away a dinner plate. "That's a pity considering the day."

"What day is it?"

"Valentine's Day, dear."

Lucy looked down at her lap. "I completely forgot."

So did he, most likely.

Lucy went to help her mother. "He didn't mention anything...perhaps he needed time to himself today. I understand if he does." She began to feel guilty about calling him a filthy stoner, even if he couldn't hear her. Mrs. Rydell thought that there was something wrong, but she didn't know how to ask.

Lucy would most likely just say that everything was fine.

She encouraged her parents to go out for Valentine's Day, and that she could watch Robert. But her mother protested, saying that her father would be disinterested.

There was a faint knock on the front door, one that would have gone unnoticed if Lucy hadn't been waiting for someone to come by, even if it was just the postman.

Paul's eyes were still slightly red, but he was mostly sober. "I just realized what day it was...and I feel awful. Can I make it up to you?"

"Are we going to conduct another one of your experiments?" she said bitterly.

Even though that was the last thing she wanted to be that night.

He shook his head. "I got you something. I thought it would want to make you stay with me again." Then he added, "But it's at my flat so you have to come with me."

She sighed. "Are you high, Paul?"

"I'm certain that I'm sobering up. I didn't hurt you last night, how could I hurt you now?"

There was a silence and then Mrs. Rydell came up to hand her the blue jacket that Paul had given her several months before, a pair of mittens and a scarf. "Run along, now, Lucy. Paul, make sure she doesn't come home stressed. I'm sure you know how to relax her."

Lucy blushed hard. "Mother-"

"Goodnight, Lucy." The door was shut. Paul took her hand. "I think you'll like it."

When they arrived at his house, she was fully prepared to be hit with the smell. But instead she smelt something strong but sweet.

"George uses these sometimes. This one is supposed to smell like lavender..."

On the kitchen table there was a smoking stick of incense. There were two other boxes of extra sticks next to it. "I thought that if this place smelt pleasant all the time...you'd want to stay."

The incense wouldn't completely overshadow the use of Paul's drug, but he was trying to accommodate her, which really touched Lucy. She embraced him. "Paul, that's so thoughtful of you."

"You aren't angry?"

"No. You're too kind. I'm sorry for getting so upset with you." Lucy kissed Paul's cheek. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

She explained what she had realized that morning before she left. He seemed slightly confused by it, but let her explain. At the end, he said, "Perhaps we shouldn't think about it tonight. It's Valentine's Day so we should have some fun."

"Or relax."

He smirked. "It can be both. But...I promised your mother to make sure you leave relaxed, so perhaps I should begin. Prepare to be enchanted by my ways."

She tried to hide her smile. "Your ways? What ways are these?"

"Kiss me and I'll show you."

Hello!

I officially started summer vacation on Wednesday so I plan on updating often.

The next chapter will be able Layla and George.

Thanks!

Luna <3