Shot In The Dark [Book 1]

2.6 - It's Always Hailey

He looks down at the box in his hands and pushes it towards me. "I got this for you and I wanted to give it to you right now. In case the guys got you something else. I don't exactly know what you like, but I took a guess."

I examine the box as I close the front door, Noelle and Ashton watching me closely.

I give him a confused look, unable to figure out what he could've possibly gotten me. Ever since I was younger, no one has gotten me presents for my birthday.

It was only when I moved here that people started actually remembering it.

I slowly open the present, holding my breath as the suspense builds up inside me. The ribbon fall to the floor as I pull the box open, revealing a bracelet with different intricate charms on it. I look at him with my lips parted, shock clearly written in my expression.

"Each of the charms are for something different. Something you and I have done together. There aren't many things yet, but we've got a lifetime to add to it." He shrugs, explaining the present as he nervously picks at the skin on his thumb. "If you don't like it I can get you something else. I just feel like we don't know enough about each other, and with you being infatuated with Calum I thought that-"

"I love it." I grin as I pull him into a hug and mumble into his shoulder. "This means more to me than you know."

We pull away from the hug and he lets out a sigh of relief. "You should probably go get dressed before the guys think I kidnapped you and ran off."

I nod and thank him one last time before going upstairs and into my room. I let out a sigh and lean against my bedroom door with my eyes closed.

"Alright Margo, this is your first birthday with him even though you two aren't officially together. Don't mess it up." I give myself a small pep-talk and walk towards my closet. "Find something to wear."

After a few minutes of arguing with myself, I finally decide to wear a casual outfit. It consists of a sweat-shirt and skinny jeans with combat boots. There's a flannel and jean jacket pulled over my hoodie because it's colder than usual tonight.

I put the bracelet that Ashton bought me on along with my usual rings and necklaces. I grab my phone before looking at myself in the mirror one last time.

My hair is in the same style that I had it in earlier and my makeup is also the same since I decided against changing it. "Alright, now you have to actually show up."

I leave my room, making sure all of the lights are off before walking down the stairs. I hear Ashton and Noelle quietly talking before I enter the room.

"You ready to go?" Ashton asks, taking a good look at my appearance before his eyes finally meet mine again.

"Yeah, I think I am."

———

Most of the night has been filled with the guys and I talking about random things. It's been nice just hanging out with them and it felt as if nothing could ruin it.

Maybe I spoke too soon, because she showed up.

"Go get the door while Margo and I clean up, yeah?" Calum asks Michael to answer the front door and he nods, leaving the kitchen. Calum turns to me and he seems content. "Did you have a good night?"

"You're asking me like it's over. Are you forgetting that it's only ten o'clock?" I laugh as Ashton takes the empty cups from my hands and walks them into the kitchen where Luke is cleaning as well.

"I was just asking before the night continued, in case there's anything I need to change." He shrugs and I sigh, setting the bag down on the floor as scooping the garbage into it from the table.

"Well you could start by-"

"Calum? Oh my god Calum I missed you so much." A girl frantically runs past me and slams into Calum's chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

I turn around to see Ashton and Michael standing in the doorway whispering to each other, as if there's something I don't know.

"Who is this?" I furrow my eyebrows, trying to remember if I've ever seen them with this girl before.

She looks over at me and I notice that she's crying hysterically, leaving mascara stains on Calum's t-shirt.

"I'm so sorry, am I interrupting something? I just didn't know where else to go and I-" She begins sobbing again, burying her face into Calum's chest for the second time in the past five minutes and I look at Ashton again.

"I'm so sorry. I tried to tell her we're busy, but she insisted on coming in and talking to Calum." Michael apologizes and it just makes me even more confused.

"Why are you apologizing? Who is she? Am I missing a chapter or-"

"She's just a friend. Margo, this is Hailey." Calum finally speaks up, grabbing my attention and Ashton laughs as if he doesn't believe him, causing me to speculate how much truth is in his statement.

"Is she okay? Hailey, are you okay?" I attempt to check on her, ignoring Calum completely and she doesn't respond to me. She just moves impossibly closer to Calum. "Hailey I need you to talk to me so we can help you."

"He broke up with me, Calum. He broke up with me and told me that I can finally have you and I didn't know how to make him stay." She ignores me so I back away from the two of them.

Calum looks at me as if he has something to confess, as if he's guilty of something, and I can't help but feel a stinging in my chest.

"Hailey, can you leave for the night? We'll help you tomorrow. Tonight we're hanging out with Margo because it's her birthday." Ashton steps in front of me and Hailey looks up at him as if he's the one that broke up with her.

"I got broken up with and you care about her fucking birthday? Are you kidding me?" She keeps her arms locked around Calum as she scolds Ashton. "Calum, please tell me you're not honestly going to kick me out."

"I- I just...I don't think we should kick her out just yet. Give her time to calm down and-"

Before any of us can yell at him or he can even finish his sentence, Luke enters the room and gasps.

"This is definitely not a sight I expected to see. Since when did you let Margo meet your-"

"Luke, shut the fuck up for once in your life; please." Calum snaps at him as Hailey proceeds to sob into his chest. "We're just friends, and Margo even said there's no labels with me and her so she shouldn't care."

"You're really going for gold on the dumb ass of the year award, aren't you?" Ashton laughs, rubbing his eyes. "You're an actual fucking prick."

Calum looks at him with the same look of disbelief as I'm looking at Hailey with. I don't know even a fraction of what's going on, but something tells me I need to be angry.

"We may not have fucking labels, but if I'm a friend after everything we've done then I would hate to know what has been going on between you and her." I finally speak up and Ashton nods, pointing at me.

"She has a valid point. So go ahead Calum, what's been going on between you and Hailey?" Ashton asks, folding his arms over his chest. "Hell, Calum, she didn't even get to see the fucking present you got her and you already have another girl in your arms."

Ashton is making valid points here, none of this adds up if Calum is as innocent as he claims.

"Now explain yourself before I do it for you. We both know if Margo has to hear it from me, then she's going to have her badass era and you're going to regret a lot of things. Choose wisely, because I'm sure we all know Hailey wouldn't still be in your arms if she's 'just a friend.'"