I'll be There for You

Chapter 13: Family Matters

"Isn't it a little sexist that you're wearing a skirt and he's wearing pants?" Hayley pointed out.

"When you have legs like these, why would you cover them up?" Cami extended one leg and smiled.

"You have a point," Hayley replied, grinning when Ollie came out, playing with his bow tie.

"I can't get this danged thing on right," Oliver complained.

Cami rolled her eyes. "You really need to just get a clip-on," she said, fixing the tie and patting him on the back.

"Hayley, are you going to be ready soon?" Jack called while he began to pick up trays. "We're going to load these up and head over to the house."

Hayley stood, rooted to the spot. "Umm... Yeah. I would come with you guys but I've got to go home and change," she told them. Her co-workers/friends gave her curious looks.

"Why not?" Cami asked, placing a hand no her hip.

"'Cause I'm a guest," Hayley told them, feeling nervous. She could do this. Of course she could do this. If she just stayed calm. Everything would be fine.

"Do you need a lift?" Jack asked.

Hayley shook her head. "No. I'm fine. I can walk. You should get the food over there before Ollie starts eating it." Oliver's eyes moved from one of the tiny dessert cakes to Hayley.

"I wasn't going to eat it," Oliver swore while Jack turned him around and pushed him toward the door.

"You can drive," Jack told Oliver. "And stay in the truck until we're done loading it."

"Fine," Oliver groaned.

Cami started laughing. "Do I really have to go there—by myself—with those two?" she questioned Hayley. "Can't I come home with you?"

"Cami, I need your help!" Jack cried.

Hayley gave Cami an apologetic smile before heading to the front of the store and extracting her set of keys. She hoped that Jack would remember to close the back door which automatically locked if you didn't prop it with something which they probably would to get the truck loaded. Should she drop by the store to make sure it was locked up for the night before going to the party? It would mean she would be late and she liked the idea of being late. Better to avoid some of the Mikaelson siblings.

Exiting the store, Hayley walked down the street at a leisurely pace before she stopped in front of a building. Once she got inside, she made a production of going inside and walking up the stairs. It caused her to run into her creepy neighbor, Eva, who stared at her with her wide eyes like she could see through Hayley and then she disappeared down the hall.

"Seriously freaky," Hayley whispered to herself before entering her floor. She walked down the hall and knocked on the door.

Josh answered the door. "Hey, Hayley, we were just cleaning the dishes," he told her. "For my big anniversary dinner with Aiden. One year! Can you believe it?" He seemed so happy and she hated that she was about to try to get him to take her kid on his anniversary.

"Josh..." Hayley began, her eyes pleading.

Josh's smile faltered. "Hope, can you go in my room. I think I left a present for you under the bed," he called.

Hope lifted her head from the drawing she was making. "Okay," she said. Her little feet went running into the bedroom.

"Hayley, I love you. And I love Hope. But I am not giving up my one year anniversary. Okay? I need this night with Aiden. I can't tell you the last time we had a whole night together when Davina wasn't home. Thanks to her new boyfriend, I'm getting the place to myself. So, no, nope, you're going to have to take her this time."