Recovery | On Hiatus

Chapter 35

The first of three beautiful covers by @dismallove

Chapter 35

BY THE TIME I made it back to Hayden's the next evening, the sun had already started to set. Hayden was on the couch with the remote in his hand, flipping through channels with a scowl. I dropped off my bag of clothes upstairs and leaned over the back of the couch above his head when I made it back down. Three more channel flips later and Hayden looked up at me with a sigh. "I can't find anything to watch. Got any ideas?"

"Depends on what you're looking for." I curled around the couch and dropped down beside him, trying not to wince at the bruise around his swollen eye. His lip had healed significantly over night, the swelling having practically vanished and the cut mostly a thin scab. I supposed having a nurse for a mother and some knowledge of your own cake in handy. "Are you looking for a show to binge or a movie to keep you occupied?"

"At this point, I'll take what I can get."

I turned to face him, folding my leg in front of me. "What ever happened to all those movies your mom used to keep in that big case with the zipper?"

He sat the remote down with a thoughtful expression. "Actually, I think it's in my closet."

I stood and shooed him off the couch. "There's your solution. Let's go look for one."

At the top of the stairs, my phone started ringing. One glance at No Caller ID had me mashing the 'Decline' option. Hayden watched me curiously, but didn't question me as he opened the door to his room. "Question," he said.

"No."

The corner of his lip tilted in a half-smile, but it dropped just as quickly with a wince. "There's a party coming up," he said, quickly adding, "but don't say no just yet."

"I already did." I really didn't want to go at all. I couldn't be caught dead in a dress with all the bruises and scars from my years of torment, and there was no way in hell I wanted to be the only girl to show up in jeans and a hoodie. Not to mention, parties just weren't my cup of tea. They were filled with drama, fighting, drinking, a lot more skin than I cared to see, and alcohol induced sex. Lots and lots of sex.

"I get it. You don't like parties." He pulled the large, black case of movies from the closet and tossed it onto the bed beside me. "Just this once. It's not going to kill you to have a little fun, and you don't have to worry about your scars." He scooted the case away and sat down, our knees brushing. "I already thought about that. My mom keeps a pair of tan hose that should be thick enough to hide the scars, and if you're still nervous then I know for a fact Lauren has a pair or black ones that she wore way too much last year. I don't think she even took them off to wash them." He shivered.

I smiled a little at the thought of Hayden and Lauren bickering over her over-wearing black pantyhose. "I've already decided I'm going, Hayden."

His eyes widened. "Seriously? You hate parties."

I hated the idea of being alone with Darrin on Victoria's death-iversary more. The former sounded much more appealing, and with Lauren's tights—which she'd already told me I could borrow after a long series of texts last night—I might just be able to pull this off. "I thought I'd give it a try."

Hayden didn't get much of a chance to respond when my ringer started blaring through my pocket. Any smile left on my face dropped in an instant, but I knew I had to answer. He wouldn't stop calling until I did.

Hayden looked concerned, not that I could blame him. "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I chose to answer the phone and mentally prepare myself for whatever Darrin decided to yell at me this time. "Hello?"

"You selfish little bitch."

I swallowed and stood, stepping away from Hayden so he wouldn't hear anything Darrin had to say. The last thing I needed was Hayden recognizing Darrin's voice a few days before his breaking point. "What do you want?"

"What didn't you understand when I told you to get your ass home? You know Mom can't stand when you're gone." Could've fooled me. "You're being a spoiled little shit. Don't think I won't make that kid hate you. We both know Hayden likes me more than he does you. He'd listen to anything I fed him."

A few weeks ago I might have believed him. I'd been convinced, without a doubt, that Hayden hated me. For the longest time, we wasted a good friendship over a petty fight, but now we found our way back to each other. Aside from the secrets I kept to protect him, we were better than ever. "Go to hell," I growled.

"Scarlet, who is that?" Hayden asked, a hint of panic and anger lacing his tone. The yellow-green bruise on his cheek reminded me exactly why I wouldn't answer that question.

"Scarlet, you're gonna to regret this—"

I hung up, my nerves twisted in knots in my stomach. A few second later and my ringer started up again. Hayden leapt for my hand, but I leaned back to keep the phone away from him.

      "Is that him?" Hayden asked in desperation. "Is that who's been hurting you?"

      "Yes," I told him, remembering my promise to be honest with him. "Just let it go, Hayden. Please."

      He hesitated, and I thought he might give in and leave the subject alone, until the phone started to ring again. I was caught off guard this time, and Hayden snatched the phone from my hand and brought it to his ear. "Who is this?" he growled, a sound so deep and menacing it jarred me. I'd never heard Hayden this angry, not even at Adam in the hallway.

      Then his expression shifted to one of surprise, and I knew that was it. Hayden knew Darrin was my assailant. We already looked like a couple of bruised up misfits, and now he was going to go get himself into even more trouble.

      He slowly pulled the phone from his face and hung it up. His face had dropped to an expression I couldn't read and he stood, walking wordlessly towards the stairs.

      "Hayden?" I called, quickly chasing after him. I reached out to wrap ahold of his wrist, thankful when he came to a halt. "Hayden, I'm so sorry—"

      He spun around to face me, a look of rage and something I still couldn't read on his face. "Who was that, Scarlet?"

      Relief flooded through me. He doesn't know. Instead of reminding him that I couldn't tell him, I asked, "What did he say to you?"

      He wouldn't look me in the eyes, but I tried not to let it get to me. I knew this was hard on him. "He threatened me, told me this wasn't my concern and that I couldn't protect you forever."

      I had a feeling Hayden believed otherwise. "I'm sorry."

      "Why do you put yourself through this, Scarlet?" he asked me, running a hand through his hair. The hurt in his eyes nearly brought tears to mine. I was hurting him, and it crushed me. "You could go to the police. There's no way they would overlook those scars."

I shook my head. "I can't—I can't turn him in, Hayden. I'm sorry."

He shook his head and raised the phone to stare at the blank screen. "I'm keeping this for the night, in case he calls back."

Something told me I wouldn't win this argument, so I swallowed the lump in my throat and agreed. "Are we still going to pick out a movie?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but just when I thought he would say no, he sighed. "Hurry up and pick one. And pick a good one."

"A chick-flick?"

He rolled his eyes, but I knew there was a smile hidden somewhere under that rough demeanor. "Whatever."