I walk out of her door for good. I jump in my SUV and slam the door. I need to go save Hailey from that piece-of-shit trash named Parker. My body is numb. I should have known; the signs were always there. I chose not to think that he would betray me this way.
I was wrong.
I know that he’s taken Hailey out to a local restaurant, so I call him on the phone on my way there. I don't want to give away how angry I am. I don't want him to know that I know. I just want to check and see if he is still at the restaurant and for how long.
I walk through the double doors of Chez Rodolfo and tell the hostess that I'm looking for Donnelly party of two. As she brings me to the table, Parker looks shocked to see me there.
“Chase, what's going on, bro? Why are you here?”
I stare him down. I want to punch him in the face right there, but Hailey is looking at us. I want to be the better guy and don’t need violence because, once she knows the truth, she will be able to decide for herself.
“Your game is over. I know everything. I talked to Megan. I know about the baby.”
“What baby?” P snaps at me. “What are you talking about? She’s lying. She’s a compulsive liar.”
“Oh, really? You didn’t sleep with her and get her pregnant and then decide it would be fun to pin it on me?” I don’t give him a chance to speak. I look at Hailey. “He also planned that whole entire scene at your office yesterday. He wanted you to think me and Megan were still together so he could get in your pants and leave you, like he does everyone.”
She just sits there, wide-eyed.
I get closer to his face. “I'm not going to sit back and watch you throw Hailey away like you did Megan. I thought you were my best friend, my brother. We’ve been through so much together. I never in a million years thought that you could hurt me the way you have. I can't even look at you right now. You make me sick.”
“Chase, you’re wrong about everything.” He tries to defend himself, but I don’t want to hear it.
“I'm not going to sit here and act like I didn't make mistakes. I've made mistakes. I thought a lot while I was in California. I like Hailey a lot. And I allowed you to come in between us. Allowed you to make me think that I didn't like her and that I wanted to get back with Megan. That wasn't true. I got played by my best friend.”
“The only problem is Hailey is here with me and wants to be here with me. She chose to show up here tonight,” P says, getting in my face.
“You better back up and listen to me. I'm not going to sit here and say that I love Hailey, that we're going to be together forever, that I'm going to marry her or we're going to have a family, but I am going to say that she's going to leave this restaurant with me and we will try. We'll start off slow and get to know each other, have fun and be friends. Whatever is in our fate! I refuse to sit here and let her get mistreated by you. She’s not right for you. She’s right for me.”
“Yeah, well, let’s let her decide who she wants once and for all, and your little pansy ass can go home and watch Sports Center while a real man takes care of her.”
“In your dreams, dickhead.” I’ve had about enough of him. His lights are about to get knocked out. “Hailey, who do you want to be with? Who do you want to leave here with?” I ask.
CHAPTER 32
Hailey
I SEE CHASE make his way to the table. I'm not sure what he could possibly want. When he reaches us, he starts having words with Parker. Apparently Parker had sex with Megan, got her pregnant, and tried to have it look like the baby was Chase’s. What kind of person does that to their friend? Chase is saying that he's leaving this restaurant with me. I have news for him: I am leaving alone. I don't want to be in the middle of this crazy mess. He is saying how wrong Parker is for me. That is completely true, but he's also saying how great he is for me. He never proved that. He never even called me.
“Who do you choose?” Chase asks again. “Wait, don't answer that. I'm not giving you a choice. I don't care if you don't want to be with me, but you are definitely not leaving with him.”
“You don't care?” I ask Chase, aggravated. “If you don't care, why would I pick you?”
“Hailey, that came out wrong.” Chase runs his hands through his hair.
“Real smooth there, Chase,” Parker says sarcastically.
“Don't you have some women lined up somewhere waiting to be molested and impregnated by you?”
This is out of control. “You two are really mature. Parker, you are who you are. You'll never change. You're still the same person you were in high school. I made a mistake coming here tonight. I should have gone with my gut feeling.”
“Thank God,” Chase mumbles.
Parker gets this nasty look on his face. “Hailey, you're still the same person you were in high school. You might have changed your physical appearance, but you will always be that fat insecure girl who got teased every day.”
I never expected those words out of Parker’s mouth. They hurt; they sting. I've heard it before, but to hear it at twenty-seven is way different than at seventeen. Memories, flashbacks—they all surface. I can’t speak words. There's no comeback. There's nothing further to say. I stand there in shock, numb from his words.
“Don't you ever talk to her like that again,” Chase warns Parker. “Stay the fuck away from her and me.”
“You always waste your time defending that nobody. What are you going to do about it?” Parker taunts, provoking Chase.
I just can't take it anymore. Catching Parker off guard, I slap him across the face so hard, I hurt my hand.
“If you so much as lay a hand on her, I'll break every bone in your body,” Chase says and turns towards me. I run to the exit and out through the doors, crying hysterically. I face the wall of the restaurant so no one can see me while I try to compose myself. Once I get myself together, I turn around. Chase is standing behind me.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I'm fine. I'll survive. I have in the past.” But tears start falling again.
Chase walks toward me, lifts my chin, and wipes my tears away. “Don't cry. He's a jerk. He doesn't deserve your tears.” He pulls me into a hug then grabs ahold of my face and kisses me. I feel my heartstrings pull. I feel a heated passion. I feel it all. This moment right now is what I have dreamed about for ten years. The day in the gym when Chase protected me, I wanted him to kiss me so badly… Now, though, as much as I want this, I have to back away. I can't go back. I can only move forward. If one day that means moving forward with Chase, then it will be fate. Right now, however, I need to be alone. I pull away.
“Chase, I have to go,” I whisper to him.
“Hailey, no. Don't go. You have my heart. I think you’ve always had a piece of it.”
I may need his heart because mine is breaking. I run to my car. I can’t look back because it may be too hard to leave.
CHAPTER 33
Chase
I STAND HERE watching Hailey walk away from me. She may need space right now, but I'm not done with her. She will be mine. I'm not going to be stupid like I was last time; I'm not going to have anyone make my decisions for me. I want to run after her, but she doesn't look back.
I decide to follow her home to make sure she gets there safely. I don't care if she sees me or not. I look over the steering wheel and notice that my two fingers look broken. I should go to the emergency room, but I'll be there forever, and they won't do anything for it anyway. I'll see how they are tomorrow.
I park across the street from her house then wait for her to unlock her door and go inside. When she gets out of her car, I can see her pain. I want to take her in my arms. I want to make her feel better. I want to make love to her all night long. It bothers me that I know she's probably crying right now. Parker is an asshole. He crossed the line. If he wanted to take cheap shots at someone, it shouldn’t have been Hailey. I hope he and Megan have a nice life together. They deserve each other.