Rekindled Love

Chapter 12....

Song: 18-One Direction 

Brock's Pov...

"Where have you been all day?" My mom asked as we sat down to eat dinner together. "You seem really happy."

"Just at the festival." I shrugged.

"With?" My dad pressed, a knowing smirk on his face.

"A girl?" My mom butted in. Seeing the look on their faces I knew they wouldn't let it go.

"I was with Haley." I said like it was nothing.

"Haley? As in Haley Gardner?"

"Yeah." I didn't miss the look they shared.

"I've always loved Haley. Always been such a strong one that girl." My mom said. "Poor thing having to take care of her brother and sick mother, working four jobs, trying to go to school, then her mom passing away." I watched as a sad look passed across my mom's face and her tone changed.


"Do you see her often?" I found myself asking curiously.

"Every once in a while. She mostly sticks to herself these days. Ever since her mom passed she's always working or volunteering. Now that her brother is away at college and she's paying for it she mostly stays home." How my mom knew so much I don't know.

My chest clenched thinking of Haley home alone and what she had to go through with her mom. I remember the day she found out her mom had breast cancer. She had come running all the way to my house bawling. It took hours before she could even tell me what was wrong.

I've never seen Haley look so lost those first few months. When her mom passed she was probably ten times worse. And knowing her and Lucas went through it all alone made me pissed and sad. Pissed I wasn't there and wasn't told. And sad that I never even got to say goodbye to Laura Gardner. She was like my second mom.

"Bet it is nice seeing her again." My dad said bringing me out of my thoughts.

It was nice seeing Haley again after all this time. She was just as beautiful as I remembered, even more so now that she has matured. Haley has grown into her body even more. She had more curves than she did back then, something I had noticed right off the bat. Her shorter hair fit her better and her face had leaned out as well.

Everything about Haley was gorgeous. Everything from her looks to her personality. Her personality was one of the things that made notice and fall in love with her. I remember the day we met so clearly.

The two of us had been going to the same school since we were in elementary but I never really paid much attention to her until Freshman year of high school. It was that time where everyone suddenly changed over the summer. Whether it was to fit into high school or because of puberty.

I had been goofing off in the back of the class room of our U.S History class. The final bell hadn't rung just yet so the room was loud with chatter. I had my back turned to the front of the classroom so I didn't see the girl coming up behind me.

It wasn't until my elbow hit something hard and a yell caught my attention. While I was busy telling a stupid story to my friends I had been gesturing and ended up elbowing Haley right in the jaw.

It sounds so stupid but the moment I saw her cradling her jaw, a hard look in her eyes as she looked at me, I was a goner. Something just clicked between us in that moment. I remember apologizing profusely as I took her to the nurse, and she of course was pissed I had hit her, going on about watching what I was doing.

The little fire she had in her eyes drew me in. After that day I couldn't get her off my mind and it didn't help she had quite a few classes with me. Haley didn't really like me but after a lot of annoying her, sitting at her table, and just all around stalking her, she accepted my apology.

Since that we hung out everyday, teased one another until I finally asked her to Prom and to be my girlfriend that night. For the next four years of high school we were the 'it' couple. We rarely fought, we were always by each other and supporting the other. Haley came to every game no matter.

We spent so much time at each other's houses our parents were use to one or the other being there. It was amazing. We just...fit. Then Haley's mom got cancer, I got a scholarship to play baseball at UCLA, and Haley stayed. She was only suppose to stay for one semester then come out but she never did. We talked on the phone every chance we could for about a year or so until one day it just all stopped.

We went from spending every second with each other to never talking again. At one point I had wanted to propose to her and build a family. It never happened, now 6 years later we are both living different lives.

Being back here though was reminding me of how much my life had really changed. How much I had missed the slower pace of this town, the people, the atmosphere. And most of all it was reminding me of old feelings I had buried for Haley. I had buried the feelings, never once having really gotten over her.

There was always something about Haley that I couldn't ever get away from. Wherever I went in LA she was there in the crowd, or in the face of some girl. It took a long time to push it all aside and try to be happy again. And I was. But I don't think I ever really had the same feelings for another girl like I did Haley.

And it sounded stupid but I hoped it was the same way with Haley. Hoped she hadn't ever gotten over me. Even with the image of her and that guy yesterday at the festival, I had a small bit of hope that she still felt something for me.

Spending all day with her was proof that we fit together still. We could still tease, flirt, be relaxed and happy around one another. Being with her felt like being home. And that was something I had missed for 6 years.