Emma.
“Hi,” Hailey sounds so kind and sincere. If you don’t know her. I do. And I know she’s not here on a social call. “I’m Hailey. Alex and I dated. I’m sure he told you?”
Emma gives her the same refusal to shake as Bree did.
“Yeah. He told me.” The fire lights in Em’s eyes. Her arms cross in front of her, cast on top, like she might swing it any second given the proper motivation. Em’s smart and she’s catching on to whatever Hailey is trying to stir up. “It doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“I was in the neighborhood.” Such a smooth lie, it sounds sincere coming from her. “I saw Alex’s car and thought I would stop and say ‘hi’.”
“Well,” I say, and try to pull my arm from her grip. “You’ve said hi. Time for you to go.”
“What’s the rush? Just one dance?” she asks. “For old time’s sake. Emma understands. Don’t you?” Hailey cuts her green eyes sideways in a sympathetic glance. She knows what Josh and my father stole from Emma, and the hell she went through.
The ploy works, snuffs the spitfire spark in Em’s eyes. The light goes out and my guilt floods up. My life has caused her so much pain, and here she is again, taking more pain because of me. Em shifts her gaze from my face, gives Hailey a nearly imperceptible nod, and steps back. I can’t stand to see her expression, the hurt I know is in her eyes and is my fault.
“Perfect,” Hailey says. “Thank you.”
I grab her arm, a tight angry grip, as I steer her far from Em and near the closest exit. I don’t care what song is playing. I can’t hear it for the rage buzzing in my head. One jerk of Hailey’s arm spins her to face me, and I pull her close.
“You are a heartless bitch,” I growl in her ear, “to play on Emma’s sympathies like that.”
Hailey giggles, and smacks my arm, pretending I said something funny.
I am not in a joking mood. I clench a hand on her shoulder.
“Careful, Alex. You know I can destroy you at any time.”
“You won’t.” I pull back enough to see her response. “You’re as dependent on Ascension Labs as I am. You won’t go public.”
“Don’t be silly!” she says in a loud, high-pitched, playful voice, and pretends to cuddle closer. “Ascension Labs,” she whispers, after she strokes the hair away from my ear, “isn’t the only way to punish you.”
A numb, questioning kind of shock sets in. What is she playing at?
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer, just takes a step back and looks to Emma first, and back to me. With a slow smile, Hailey grabs my jacket collar and yanks me down to her lips.
Em’s gasp cuts my soul like a knife.
I turn my head away from her, and grab Hailey’s shoulder. A good push forces her away and makes her stumble. But the damage is done. Em takes one last, aching look at me, and storms towards us. She tangles her cast-less hand in Hailey’s fancy scarf and uses it to drag her roughly toward the door.
“You’ve outstayed your welcome,” Em nearly spits, and then pushes the front door open.
“This has been fun.” Hailey straightens her scarf, smooths her hair, then runs a finger under Em’s chin and grins at her before waving at me. “I’m meeting Trent at the Papa’s Pizza, Alex. You should join us – much more civil company than your girlfriend here.” Then she strolls out the door.
An uncomfortable silence fills in the house. Hailey backs from the Ransoms’ driveway, and her headlights swing across the front of the house and then back toward town. Em stands, all anger and fire, her focus solely on me.
“Em,” I breathe, painfully aware that everyone is staring. “I didn’t…”
“Don’t.” She puts a hand up, warding off my reach, blocking my attempt to pull her to me. “You should’ve said ‘No’, Alex.”
Should and could aren’t the same. I should have never let Hailey get to me, but with what she’s holding over my head, I can’t risk seriously
“Hi,” Hailey sounds so kind and sincere. If you don’t know her. I do. And I know she’s not here on a social call. “I’m Hailey. Alex and I dated. I’m sure he told you?”
Emma gives her the same refusal to shake as Bree did.
“Yeah. He told me.” The fire lights in Em’s eyes. Her arms cross in front of her, cast on top, like she might swing it any second given the proper motivation. Em’s smart and she’s catching on to whatever Hailey is trying to stir up. “It doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
“I was in the neighborhood.” Such a smooth lie, it sounds sincere coming from her. “I saw Alex’s car and thought I would stop and say ‘hi’.”
“Well,” I say, and try to pull my arm from her grip. “You’ve said hi. Time for you to go.”
“What’s the rush? Just one dance?” she asks. “For old time’s sake. Emma understands. Don’t you?” Hailey cuts her green eyes sideways in a sympathetic glance. She knows what Josh and my father stole from Emma, and the hell she went through.
The ploy works, snuffs the spitfire spark in Em’s eyes. The light goes out and my guilt floods up. My life has caused her so much pain, and here she is again, taking more pain because of me. Em shifts her gaze from my face, gives Hailey a nearly imperceptible nod, and steps back. I can’t stand to see her expression, the hurt I know is in her eyes and is my fault.
“Perfect,” Hailey says. “Thank you.”
I grab her arm, a tight angry grip, as I steer her far from Em and near the closest exit. I don’t care what song is playing. I can’t hear it for the rage buzzing in my head. One jerk of Hailey’s arm spins her to face me, and I pull her close.
“You are a heartless bitch,” I growl in her ear, “to play on Emma’s sympathies like that.”
Hailey giggles, and smacks my arm, pretending I said something funny.
I am not in a joking mood. I clench a hand on her shoulder.
“Careful, Alex. You know I can destroy you at any time.”
“You won’t.” I pull back enough to see her response. “You’re as dependent on Ascension Labs as I am. You won’t go public.”
“Don’t be silly!” she says in a loud, high-pitched, playful voice, and pretends to cuddle closer. “Ascension Labs,” she whispers, after she strokes the hair away from my ear, “isn’t the only way to punish you.”
A numb, questioning kind of shock sets in. What is she playing at?
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer, just takes a step back and looks to Emma first, and back to me. With a slow smile, Hailey grabs my jacket collar and yanks me down to her lips.
Em’s gasp cuts my soul like a knife.
I turn my head away from her, and grab Hailey’s shoulder. A good push forces her away and makes her stumble. But the damage is done. Em takes one last, aching look at me, and storms towards us. She tangles her cast-less hand in Hailey’s fancy scarf and uses it to drag her roughly toward the door.
“You’ve outstayed your welcome,” Em nearly spits, and then pushes the front door open.
“This has been fun.” Hailey straightens her scarf, smooths her hair, then runs a finger under Em’s chin and grins at her before waving at me. “I’m meeting Trent at the Papa’s Pizza, Alex. You should join us – much more civil company than your girlfriend here.” Then she strolls out the door.
An uncomfortable silence fills in the house. Hailey backs from the Ransoms’ driveway, and her headlights swing across the front of the house and then back toward town. Em stands, all anger and fire, her focus solely on me.
“Em,” I breathe, painfully aware that everyone is staring. “I didn’t…”
“Don’t.” She puts a hand up, warding off my reach, blocking my attempt to pull her to me. “You should’ve said ‘No’, Alex.”
Should and could aren’t the same. I should have never let Hailey get to me, but with what she’s holding over my head, I can’t risk seriously
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