More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 54 - Happy Ending

"Hayes!" I shout and his face lights up when he sees me.

"Soph!" He yells and runs in my direction. I lunge at him and he picks me up, spinning me in circles.

"I missed you so much Hay-Hay." I say, using his nickname I made for him.

"I missed you too Soph!" He says into my hair. I feel the tears prick in my eyes and when he puts me down I stare into his.

"Don't cry." He says and wipes my eyes.

"I'm not." I say crossly but I laugh, not taking myself seriously.

I have another flash back to that first night we were back together and it makes me cry even more. Hayes holds me in his arms and I feel his face in the crook of my neck. He rocks me back and forth and after a while I feel a laugh bubbling in my throat. I pull back and see Nash in the driver seat. He sautes men and then I look back up at Hayes. His eyes are tired and as I take him in I feel his is slimmer and feels fragile.

"Hi..." I laugh, tears shining in my eyes. He is beaming and I reach up to place my hands on his cheeks.

"I needed to see you."

"Hayes, I'm sorry." These are the only words that come out of my mouth but he shakes it off.

"Sophie, none of what has happened was your fault. We need to talk everything out." His voice is soft and we stand in silence while the rain falls around us. My hands are still on his cheeks and I feel his hand on my back move. His eyes are flicking around, looking for me to say something. I have no words so I steal the chance and lean in. Our mouths collide and we kiss, our lips wet with rain.

"I waited so long for that kiss." Hayes whispers through the kiss and I smile when I feel him gently bite my lip. He takes my hand and we trail back to the truck where he offers me a seat in the back. Nash drives us back to my house where the Griers and my family are waiting on the porch with open arms. Still holding tight on Hayes' hand, I run to mom and she pulls me into her arms. I am still sobbing and she strokes me hair. She puts an arm around Hayes and I find everyone has surrounded us, half luaghing, half crying, and enfold us in a huge hug. I feel Hayes brush against me and he whispers something, though I can barely make it out.

Mom pulls us into the house and I smell dinner cooking. The dining room has been set out just like that first day and I turn back to mom.

"I am so sorry mom. For this whole year. I have been such an idiot." I say and wipe my eyes.

"Don't worry. Someone is waiting for you." I turn and see Hayes is holding out his hand. The worst of the rain has cleared and he leads me outside to the back porch. We crouch on the stoop not say anything. The silence is beyond comforting. Hayes still has my hand and he pulls me slightly closer, leaning in for another kiss. I can hear Nash and Molly in one of the rooms above, obviously spying but I don't even care.

I feel his hands on my waist. He pulls me on to his lap and wraps his arms around me. He breathes down my neck, tickling me. I link my arms with his and lie back on his chest. I feel his hands on my waist again and all of a sudden he starts tickling me. I scream and I hear Nash and Molly above jump in fright.

"Quick, they know we are here. Pretend we weren't watching." Molly hisses and I hear Nash spluttering with laughter as they run downstairs.

"Nash is such a dork." Hayes laughs and I climb back on to the step. I rest my head on his shoulder and feel fatigue set in. My eyes are drooping but Hayes tilts my chin back u and we share a sweet little kiss. This is just how I imagine and remember kissing him. More flashbacks run through my head of the carnival and all the other times we kiss. Then my memory jogs to the party. I pull back in fright and Hayes' eyes widen.

"What's wrong?"

"The party. I keep flashing back to it."

"It's in the past Sophie. Forget it. It wasn't your fault what happened."

"Just... Megan and..."

His face drops and he looks like memories are coming back to him.

"Sophie, something I was going to tell you. I was angry so I didn't but then..." he hints back to the accident. "Me and Megan broke up that night. We never really liked her. I think, after the argument we had over the summer, I juts used her as an excuse to make you jealous. It's always been you..."

I sigh, feeling my chest shudder as more tears come.

"Hayes... I feel the same." I say and hold one of his cheek in my palm. Both our eyes are filled with shiny tears and I let a laugh bubble in my throat.

"I have something of yours." Hayes says and reaches for his pocket. From inside he pulls out my silver friendship bracelet, the charm dangling, shinier than ever.

"My braceet... you remembered." I smile and let him attach it around my wrist. I admire it then see there is a new charm. It is a beautiful crystal heart which reflects rainbows on to my shirt. I fiddle with it and Hayes points up at the sky.

"Look!" I shout. I see little lights flitting past our faces in the evening light and realize they are fireflies.

"Quick get up." I shout with glee. We used to do this all the time when we were younger. Chase the fireflies. Hayes grabs my hands and we jog around the grass, trying to catch the pretty lights that tease us. Soon I am out of breath so I collapse on the grass and stare up at the summer sky. Hayes flops down beside me and breathes out heavily.

The evening is unfolding just like the past and as I lie on the damp grass with Hayes I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Hayes has interlocked his fingers in mine and I can almost her guitars playing. I dream dozily and then I realize... there really is a guitar playing. I sit up and see Shawn strolling across the grass, improvising a tune on his instrument.

"Hayes..."

"Sshh." He says and I watch as each of the magcon boy appears. Shawn begins singing Never Be Alone and I feel myself blushing. Hayes organised all this for me. He stands me up and pulls me into a dancing position. We waltz slowly around the grass until Shawn finishes to a huge applause from all of us.

Shawn nods to Hayes and I look back into the sky blue eyes. I acknowledge everyone standing around and even see Noah, Kyle, Alyssa and Kaitlyn. Hayes has spent so much time organizing this. I keep my eyes on his. To place the cherry on the top of the cake a firework shoots high in the sky and bursts into rainbow sparkles, mimicking my exact emotions. Hayes practically has his lips on mine and he whispers three words.

"I love you."