Happily Ever After...For Me? (Won Camp NaNoWriMo July 2015)

10: Mutual Feelings

Chapter 10

    He revs the engine impatiently and I walk over. I don't pay the gawkers any mind as I slip into the passanger seat and he speeds off. My leg shakes as I try to think of a way out of this.

    "What do you want? An apology? It was never going to work out with her anyway," I snarl. My leg shakes faster. "You're right. She is too good for you. She trusts too easily, cried at the drop of a dime and looked genuienly hurt, bless her heart. You would've crushed her."

    He practically slams on the breaks and pulls over onto the shoulder of the road, throwing on the hazard lights.

    "No. What I want is for you to stop this bitch act and be honest with yourself! What you did back there was totally uncalled for. Brooke and I have a history you cannot begin to understand. You and your perfect boyfriend have no idea what a real relationship is like," he yells.

    I go deathly still, "No idea what a real relationship is like? Uncalled for? You practically did the exact same thing to me this morning dick! And how many times do I have to tell you, not matter what you think you know about me, you know nothing! Sam and I have made it through more than you and little miss perfect have been through in your eighteen years of existance. You've only delt with my bitch fits twice. Sam has delt with them hundreds more times. He delt with me when my father died, he was there for me when I kissed his best friend because I wanted to and he's just delt with my rudeness at all in general. You are the one who has no idea what a real relationship is like. You both probaly sit down and talk about your problems without getting into any fights becasue she believes in using your words. Get real Hayden. You just can't deal with what you dish out."

    He shakes his head, "Who's pretending to know who now? Do you think I would ask a strnager to drive her car for miles to speak to a girl who 'believes in using her words'? Words has never been enough for Brooke! I always had to show her I was sorry instead of buying her roses and waiting for in front of her locker. She was never easily impressed and always believed the worst of me when she found out I wasn't born rich. Sam put up with your shit and Brooke put up with mine. I became a totally differnt person when I found out about the adoption. I'd confided in Brooke and you know what she did? She started to treat me differently. She started to take her purse with her to the bathroon when we were on dates and constanly questioned my loyalty. It took me months to gain her trust back and when I did, she promised to be there forever. A forever, you just ruined with your petty games."

    We sit here panting with anger at each other. I'm determined not to break eye contact and I watch his feeling boil behind his eyes. In my search I find that the brown in his irises has green undertones. I don't know how to explain it, but they look like they are both green and brown at the same time. I'm as transfixed as he is. The tension ispalpable and I've never wanted to hit someone so much in my life.

    He's infuriating! He runs into my life and scatters my things all across the floor. My emotions are all over the place. I can't repress my memories, and my secrets falls through the cracks when I'm with him. Every time he looks at me it's as if I've been turnd inside out and I hate it. I hate him.

    He seems to relax at the same time as me and I glance down when my phone vibrates in my purse. I open the zipper and root around for it. Hayden let's out a lound breath and cracks his knuckles returning his gaze to the highway stretched before us. A picture of Sam and I, he in his football uniform and me in my cheer one, light up the screen. I tap the answer button and sigh, "Hey."

    "Hey. Where are you?" He asks cutting to the chase.

    "I'm in the car. I skipped," I answer looking wearily at Hayden. I half expect him to say something that Sam will hear and think I'm cheating, but he doesn't. He just clenches his jaw and stares straight ahead.

    "Okay. Is that new guy with you? I don't see him around either. Mark says he saw him leave first period with you. He says you got him for Mrs. Wess so, I visited her to see the roses I gave you sitting on her desk in a vase. SHe said you gave them to her?"

    I glance over at Hayden to see him staring at me. I take a deep breath and say, "Yeah, it's a long story. Hayden's he's here with me. Look, we're not sleeping together."

    I can almost hear him grind his teeth, "I don't care. We're taking a break anyway, aren't we?"

    I let out my held breath and say, "No, unless you want to. I miss you like crazy already."

   I cast my eyes down. I don't want Hayden to see the sincerity in my words written across my face. My chest feels like it's caving in and Sam is taking his time to answer.

    Hayden clears his throat and I look up. He's holding his hand out. I put the phone on speaker and nod at him to talk.

    "Look man, I may have led you to believe that there was something going on between Cassidy and me, but there isn't. She visited my Uncle's resturant Sunday and had lunch, that's all. She just gave me a ride today to visit my girlfriend."

    I stare at him wide eyed. I can't believe he just told Sam the truth. Brooke may have lost more than she thought today.

    "Sam?" I say into the reciever.

    "I'm here. Thanks for that dude, but it doesn't change anything Cass. You need to treat people better. I can't stand you talking to Cindy like that all the time," he sighs.

    I take him off speaker and say, "Okay Sam. Are we good?"

    "Yeah Cassy, we're good. Will you be my date to Homecoming?"

    I smile, "I thought you'd never ask."

    "Okay. Can we have make up sex?"

    I roll my eyes and tell him yes.

~~~~~~~~

    The drive back was quiet. I don't thank Hayden for what he did. Actually, I don't say much of anything to him as we drive. As we enter the city he takes a left when he should've taken a right.

    "The school is the other way," I say quietly.

    "I know," he says.

    "So where are we going?"

    "I want answers, so we are going to drive until you give them to me," he says dryly.

    "We'll run out of gas eventually."

    He looks over at me thoughtfully and says, "You know what? You're right."

    I roll my eyes and stare out of the window as we cruise. I don't mind being alone with my thoughts. He can ask all the questions he wants. He won't get a peep out of me. I have Sam back and life is right again.

    "So both of your parents are dead?"

    I look over at him and answer clearly, "Yes."

    "Sam was right when he said you need to treat people better. I don't know exactly how you treat your step sister, but I know how you treat me and it could use some work," he says.

    "Oh please, you've kept up with me until now. Why should I end the fun?"

    "Because Book Worm," he says smiling at the nick name and my glare, "I still have a certain video you don't want your boyfriend to see."

   "I'm calling your bluff. If there really was a video why would you confess to Sam about lying this morning?" I ask with narrowed eyes.

    "Well," he says in the same way David Tennant says it as the Doctor in Doctor Who, "I admitted to lying this morning, but you told the truth when you were on the phone with him. I'm with you right now. You were even stupid enough to let me talk to him. If he sees a video you with you admitting to a hook up taken on the same day he spoke to me while I was with you, he'll think I must have been lying about lying. Why else would you have skipped school with me? To spill all your deepest darkest secrets?"

   For the second time today he has me stuck. I fume. My fists are balled up so tight I might break a nail. My body shakes and I say, "I hate you."

    "The feeling's mutual Your Majesty."