The Bad Things (Book 5)

Chapter 9. Bad Boy

An evil laugh echoed through the car.

I raised my head slightly to look, but glass shattered again. I buried my head into Hayden's shoulder and squeezed my eyes shut. A shrill sound filled the car, and a moment later, I realized the sound came from me.

Hayden jumped out of the car before I could move.

I looked through the broken window and saw Hayden punch someone in the face. Several men gathered around Hayden. I jumped out of the car.

The men were covered in black clothing.

They turned to run. Hayden would have gone after them, but I grabbed his arm. Hayden turned to face me with a murderous expression, but it dropped as soon as he realized it was me.

Hayden sighed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I whispered. "W-who do you think that was?"

Hayden gazed up the street, but the men were gone. "Who fucking knows. I told you shit like this happens all the time because of what I did." Hayden ran a hand through his hair.

"Let's go. I'm taking you home," he said.

"Yeah, okay," I murmured. After all of that, partying wasn't at the top of my to-do list. I climbed back into the car carefully. There were pieces of glass on the ground and on the floor of the car.

Hayden slid into the car and started it. He peeled out of the parking lot. Neither of us spoke on the way back to the apartment. The sky grew darker as the minutes passed.

Hayden pulled the car into the parking lot of the apartment building. He didn't move or turn off the car.

I looked at him, confused. "Aren't you coming in?"

"No," he whispered.

"Hayden, please—"

"Just go!"

I stared at him for a long moment. I sighed and climbed out of the car. As soon as I made it onto the sidewalk, Hayden sped out of the parking lot, leaving a cloud of smoke behind him from accelerating too fast. The night air filled with the smell of exhaust. I wasn't sure how long I stood there, but the cool air finally froze the shock out of me.

The warmth of the apartment caused me to shiver. I sat down on the couch and wrapped myself up in a blanket. I texted Sean to tell him we weren't coming, but I didn't tell him the reason. Hayden didn't like everyone knowing his business, and I pushed at him about it enough lately.

***

I fastened the short black silk robe. I wiped the dew off the mirror and stared at my reflection. I blow-dried my hair. It had been hours since Hayden left. He must be home by now—I thought to myself.

My legs trembled slightly as I walked for the door. The twisting in my stomach made me nauseous. I didn't want to see the angry side of Hayden—I wanted my happy Hayden back. What I hated about angry Hayden the most is that I couldn't make him feel better.

I threw the door open and stepped into the dimly lit hallway of the apartment complex. I spun around and stopped. Hayden stood just a few feet away from my door.

Hayden stared at me with a blank expression. His eyes were ice. His cold stare sent a shiver down my spine, and I instantly knew that I didn't want to know what he did. His black leather jacket was open and revealed the shirt beneath.