she were in this same position. That’s why I agreed to take her home. No other reason.” He grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me once more, placing kisses on the top of my forehead as I cried. I knew I was probably overreacting, but with everything I had learned today, I had no emotional control whatsoever. “I promise you that is all it was. I took her to her apartment in the city and drove straight home to you.”
Suddenly, I was more than tired and felt like I couldn’t breathe, as if something was strangling me. I knew that something was Hayes and I. “I’m going to sleep in Harley’s room for a little while. I need space.”
“What?” he asked, his eyebrows bunched in confusion.
“I just need to figure things out.” I grabbed my pajamas from a drawer. “I just don’t know if we’ll ever work.”
“What the fuck?” he shouted and pulled the pjs out of my hand, tossing them on the floor. “What the hell do you mean you don’t know if we’ll ever work?”
He was getting angry, but I didn’t care. This was about doing the right thing for both of us. “I really don’t think you want this. The family life. I think you feel obligated.”
“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it!” he roared, placing his hands on his hips. “I didn’t do anything with her! I would never cheat!”
“I know.” I swallowed, giving myself a second longer to gather my jumbled thoughts. “It’s not that. I know you wouldn’t cheat. But that’s just it—”
“What’s just it?” he asked, cutting me off.
I sat down on the bed and looked at the floor so I wouldn’t have to look at his angry green eyes. “Just think about it. You were the privileged party boy and I was the trailer park girl. You loved the party—”
“Loved. Past tense.”
“No,” I said. “If you had never learned of Harley’s existence, I think you’d still be partying. I’ve been holding you back, making you someone you’re not. And even if that isn’t true, just look how different we are. My dad drank himself to death while your dad is the fucking district judge! You grew up in a bedroom the size of some of the trailers I lived in.”
Hayes ran his hands over his face and dropped to his knees in front of me. “Mac, you are all I want. You are all I’ve ever wanted. I don’t want to party anymore. Sitting on the couch snuggled up to you and Harley while we watch Netflix is fun to me. More than fun. That’s what gets me through the day.”
I began to interrupt him, but he placed his hand over my mouth. “I get that you’ve had a lot dumped on you today, but don’t fucking push me away. I’m here for you to lean on. And who the hell cares about our parents? They aren’t us. This is about you and me. And I fucking love you with all my heart. You fucking own me!”
“Hayes…”
“No,” he said harshly, “you let me finish. Looking back, I shouldn’t have taken Baylee home, but at the time, I thought maybe I shouldn’t be such a dick. But that’s all it was. A ride home. Nothing else. It doesn’t matter what she puts on Facebook. It doesn’t matter what she does with anything. All that matters is you, Harley, and me.”
I believed him about what had happened with Baylee and if I had been in a better state of mind, I would’ve loved that he was thinking ahead to how he would want Harley treated in that situation. But I wasn’t in a great state of mind. I looked down at my big diamond ring sparkling in the light. Hayes loved me. But I still didn’t know if I was holding him back. “I just need some space. I can’t deal right now.”
Hayes gathered me in his arms, crushing me to his chest. “I’ll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in here. But you better know, you can’t kick me out or get rid of me. I’ll be waiting when you need me.” His lips captured mine in a hard, demanding kiss. “I love you. And you better keep that ring on your finger.” Then, he left the room.
I sat there, not
Suddenly, I was more than tired and felt like I couldn’t breathe, as if something was strangling me. I knew that something was Hayes and I. “I’m going to sleep in Harley’s room for a little while. I need space.”
“What?” he asked, his eyebrows bunched in confusion.
“I just need to figure things out.” I grabbed my pajamas from a drawer. “I just don’t know if we’ll ever work.”
“What the fuck?” he shouted and pulled the pjs out of my hand, tossing them on the floor. “What the hell do you mean you don’t know if we’ll ever work?”
He was getting angry, but I didn’t care. This was about doing the right thing for both of us. “I really don’t think you want this. The family life. I think you feel obligated.”
“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it!” he roared, placing his hands on his hips. “I didn’t do anything with her! I would never cheat!”
“I know.” I swallowed, giving myself a second longer to gather my jumbled thoughts. “It’s not that. I know you wouldn’t cheat. But that’s just it—”
“What’s just it?” he asked, cutting me off.
I sat down on the bed and looked at the floor so I wouldn’t have to look at his angry green eyes. “Just think about it. You were the privileged party boy and I was the trailer park girl. You loved the party—”
“Loved. Past tense.”
“No,” I said. “If you had never learned of Harley’s existence, I think you’d still be partying. I’ve been holding you back, making you someone you’re not. And even if that isn’t true, just look how different we are. My dad drank himself to death while your dad is the fucking district judge! You grew up in a bedroom the size of some of the trailers I lived in.”
Hayes ran his hands over his face and dropped to his knees in front of me. “Mac, you are all I want. You are all I’ve ever wanted. I don’t want to party anymore. Sitting on the couch snuggled up to you and Harley while we watch Netflix is fun to me. More than fun. That’s what gets me through the day.”
I began to interrupt him, but he placed his hand over my mouth. “I get that you’ve had a lot dumped on you today, but don’t fucking push me away. I’m here for you to lean on. And who the hell cares about our parents? They aren’t us. This is about you and me. And I fucking love you with all my heart. You fucking own me!”
“Hayes…”
“No,” he said harshly, “you let me finish. Looking back, I shouldn’t have taken Baylee home, but at the time, I thought maybe I shouldn’t be such a dick. But that’s all it was. A ride home. Nothing else. It doesn’t matter what she puts on Facebook. It doesn’t matter what she does with anything. All that matters is you, Harley, and me.”
I believed him about what had happened with Baylee and if I had been in a better state of mind, I would’ve loved that he was thinking ahead to how he would want Harley treated in that situation. But I wasn’t in a great state of mind. I looked down at my big diamond ring sparkling in the light. Hayes loved me. But I still didn’t know if I was holding him back. “I just need some space. I can’t deal right now.”
Hayes gathered me in his arms, crushing me to his chest. “I’ll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in here. But you better know, you can’t kick me out or get rid of me. I’ll be waiting when you need me.” His lips captured mine in a hard, demanding kiss. “I love you. And you better keep that ring on your finger.” Then, he left the room.
I sat there, not
Similar Books
