“Actually, it's about my daughter Hailey. I noticed you two were arguing or something, and she looked really upset. I think you’re a really nice guy. I would hope that you weren't bothering or upsetting my girl.”
“Mr. McCormick, it was a misunderstanding. I'm sorry Hailey was upset. She's a great person.”
“I hope you mean that. She wouldn't hurt a soul.”
“I do. I'll apologize to her.”
“No, don't let her know that I talked to you. Just don't let it happen again.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Mr. McCormick meant business. That was one dude I didn't want to mess around with.
I probably shouldn’t have been so hard on Hailey the other day. Oh well, I'll just say hi and bye next time I see her.
***
I feel like I’ve let her down again. I need to talk to Chase and let him know how I feel about the situation.
My phone rings while I drive away. It’s Chase. I normally don't answer—it's against the law—but I put my phone on speaker.
“What’s up, bro?” I say into the speaker.
“Dude, seriously, you kissed her? Why? I like her. A lot.”
“I know you're probably upset, but I told you I was going to contact her. You told me the name of her business.”
“I know. I just don't want you to hurt her. And what in the world is Megan doing, going up there like a mad woman? Hailey called me screaming, saying that Megan is the home-wrecker and how dare she call her that since she's the one who’s the cheater. As we ended the conversation, she said she never wants to see any of us again.”
Chase’s words hurt me. “Damn shit! I really like her and want to hang out with her more,” I say, hoping he doesn't get more upset. “Can you call Megan before she starts boiling rabbits?”
“I don't know if I want to be with Megan. I was thinking about calling Hailey, but you kissing her changes things big time.”
“In what way? I like her. You could care less.”
“I do care. I like her, too,” he says with an attitude.
“Well, this is a problem. So, what are you saying? May the best man win?” I ask.
“I guess Hailey should decide who she wants, but right now it's neither of us,” Chase reminds me.
Chase and I have never run into this situation before. We have never wanted the same woman. I hope this doesn't cause a rift in our friendship. I can already feel the tension.
CHAPTER 26
Chase
I DON'T KNOW if I'm going to fight with my best friend over a woman, even though I was interested in her first and then he came in and made a move. Hailey and I had something, but there's just so much going on with me right now, I don't really want to involve her with my situation. The problem is that she came along again at the wrong time in my life. But then again, when is there actually a right time? Also, there's Megan... I think I'll always love her, but is that enough to forgive her?
As I lie here alone in my hotel room watching the hockey game, I realize that tough decisions need to be made. I dial Megan's number.
“Hello,” she says groggily.
“It’s me. We need to talk.”
“Chase, it's midnight.”
“I couldn't sleep. I'm coming home tomorrow. We need to talk. I'll pick you up when I leave the airport. My plane arrives at three.”
“Okay, I'll be ready. And Chase... I miss you.”
I pause. “Me, too,” I say to avoid any unnecessary prolonged conversations.
I hang up the phone. I check my Facebook page to pass the time but end up falling asleep.
A few hours later, I wake to the music from Sports Center blaring on my television. It's six a.m. My flight leaves at nine.
I shower then rush around and pack my belongings. I have to get to the airport early to check in and head home to my future.
CHAPTER 27
Hailey
I OPEN THE SLIDING glass door to my balcony then sit in the chair with my coffee and iPad. I have a gazillion Facebook messages to check on my publisher page. I'm not even going to get into them right now. I have a friend request and a message from Parker. I don't even know if I should accept him. I'm still upset over what happened yesterday. I was taken aback by his kiss, but I can't stop thinking about it. His profile picture is kind of cute, too. He has on sunglasses and a Hawaiian lei without a shirt, and he's holding up a beer. I’m not going to deny that he is extremely hot. I hit confirm friend, even though I am still unsure. I hope I'm not going to regret this. I open the message; I actually have butterflies in my stomach, which is strange.
It reads:
Hi, Hailey. I'm really sorry about yesterday. I was going to call you, but I was afraid you would hang up on me, so I decided to message you on here instead. I would say that I'm sorry about kissing you, but I'm not. I would actually do it again, if you would let me. Say, maybe, tonight? Do you want to go to dinner with me? If not, I understand. Hope to hear from you soon… P
Is he for real? How do I even respond to this…?
***
It was June 2005, and I heard my name called. A sensation of relief came over me as I walked up to the stage to receive my high school diploma. I shook the principal’s hand and returned to my seat. My last task was to walk the final procession with Chase as my partner—since our last names were close, I got stuck with him.
When we got in line the first time around, no words were spoken between us. Once everyone had their diplomas, Pomp and Circumstance started to play, and I nearly ran out the door as I waited impatiently for our turn. We met in the middle aisle and walked directly out the gym doors. I looked for my parents because I just wanted to leave. Leave that place, those people, and never return again. I saw my mom, dad, grandparents, and younger brother waving me over from a distance. I walked up to them, and they all kissed and congratulated me. We took a few pictures, but I tried to get out of that part, as usual. I hated taking pictures. My confidence level wasn’t exactly high, and I thought I looked gigantic in every picture.
Then, all of a sudden, my dad said, “Oh, there's Parker from the store.”
“Lovely,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“You still didn't make up?” he asked.
“What? Why would we?”
“Well, I talked to him.”
I thought I was going deaf, because I was sure I hadn’t just heard my dad say that he’d talked to Parker about me.
“What?” I needed to hear that again.
“I thought he was your boyfriend and that he upset you.”
“Are you crazy? He is not my boyfriend. Look at me. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a whale and he's an asshole. We just don't go together.”
“I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just thought he was, because of how upset you were.”
“No, Dad. I can't wait to never see these people again.”
“Hailey, that's not the attitude to have.”
“You have no idea,” I mumbled and tried to turn away from the madness.