(A/N quotes from Hailey's book will usually be in itallics at the end of the chapter )
Ross' P.O.V.
"Time out," the referee yelled, making us take our skates off and head to the canteen to grab water.
"That was a good game, " I heard Taylor say behind me. "We should totally do that again, " Riker joined before chugging down a bottle full of water, "second round? "
I was about to agree when I felt my phone vibrate. I checked the caller Id : ⛄⛄Soft Hail
"Sorry guys I've gotta pick that call, I can't job the second round."
"Dude, it's from Hailes. That guy doesn't leave hockey for nothing, " I heard Rocky shout.
"Whatever." I yelled back before quickly answering the call.
"Hey, should I pick you up?"
"Yes please. I'm afraid I can't walk," I heard her say through a wince. And a soft sob.
"Hailey are you okay? What happened?" I said already getting in the car. "Just please hurry, I'm in the middle of the park." She sniffed her voice cracking.
What did that asshole do to her?
"I'm on my way. "
I drove faster than I've ever did, earning a lot of honks from each car I passed. Ever since my sickness incident, my feelings for her grew wildly. Which makes it hard for me to hear her sob, or even sniff.
I never should've let her 'hangout' with Max . But from what I know, Hailey is confidendaly wild. She can make every boy drool over her, when she's not giving any attention back to them. But try messing with her, and she'll show you the stars in the bright morning, and the sun at night. He probably saw the sun. She doesn't seek attention, yet she gets it fully. Not everyone gets it back from her .
Which is what I love most about her. I must be a lucky guy, when I'm a somebody to her. I loved that I own her trust, and that I'm the first person she turns to. I feel special, she made me feel extra special.
I quickly parked the car and stormed out of it. "Hailey, " i called not knowing weather or not she's gonna hear me. I called again, this time earning a sound, it seemed like a shaking tree. Maybe that's her.
I ran between the branches to where the sound came from, until I found a familiar brunette. My breath hatched when I saw her state. She was sitting, her head rested on the trunk, and a red flannel shirt wrapped around her thighs.
I got closer to her and leant down, "Ross, I'm really sorry I didn't listen to you. I never thought this would happen. If only I knew -" I cut her sobbs off wiping away her tear stained cheek, while trying to calm her down as I whispered soft words in her ears. "Did he harm you?"
"He almost did," she said before I hugged her, feeling her relax under me. I picked her up bridal style and walked off to the car.
I opened the passenger door, and sat her in, careful not to harm her thigh. She shifted a bit placing her hands on her lap. "If you want, I could move you in the back seat, " i suggested but she shook her head . "Thank you, I'm good."
I closed her door and ran back to my seat. I saw her fiddle with her thumbs in her deep thoughts, as words slipt out of her mind with a mutter . She does that a lot, which I'm used to. I quickly drove to our street, wanting to get to Ms Juliet, her mother.
She was a doctor, and I'm pretty sure she knows what to do in a such situation. We parked the car as soon as we got there. Hailey was about to open the door, when I grabbed her hand to stop her. "What am I here for?" I said hoping to earn a chuckle, but she barely smiled. I frowned at her state, rubbing my thumb over her hands.
I got out of my seat fast enough to reach her seat door. "Ross, you don't have to carry me, I'll try to walk," she said, looking down on her palm. I protested, shaking my head and leaning down to face her. She dangled her feet from the door, turning to me.
"I'm never gonna let that happen, Hailes." She seemed to avoid eye contact so I lifted her chin up to meet her gaze. "Shall I?" She said pointing to her lens covered eye. I nodded smiling. She knew I didn't like her natural eyes covered.
She grabbed a small container that had two caps secured around each hole from her pockets and oppened one of them placing it on her lap. She reached for her eye and took the lens off putting it in the liquid that filled the small container, and twisted the cap back to secure it.
Her eyes are mesmerizing. She has a greyish blue one, which seems cold and mysterious, and a greenish blue one which is warm and sincere, yet adventurous. They perfectly explain her personality. We reattached our gaze, as I admired every feature of her.
It takes everything in my to not kiss her pink, slightly parted lips. I grabbed her cheeks and softly kissed her forehead, which caused a smile to crack up her face.
I smiled back and carried her out of the seat. "Does that hurt your leg?" I asked as she shook her head. I kissed her forehead again before letting her head lay on my chest. Walking up to reach the doorbell, Hailey reached her arm out and rang it.
We waited until her mother opened it, and frowned once she saw Hailey.
"Is dad here?" She asked her mother whom replied with a no. "What happened? Lets get you up," Ms Juliet said opening the door wider for us to enter. I followed her mother up the stairs to her room.
Juliet sat as I layed Hailey gently on her bed sitting next to her side, while Juliet sat opposite me. I fiddled with her low converse laces, untying them. "Ross, you really don't have to," Hailey said barely able to talk.
"Its no problem, really."
"Sweetie, what happened? " Juliet inquired softly touching her pale cheeks as I gently took her shoes off.
Hailey told her everything. From him lying about hanging out with his friends, to him trying to- you know what, and getting a cut while running away.
"If it wasn't for you being excellent in self defense, you would've been trapped now Hailey. And if it wasn't for Ross, no one would've saved you," her mother replied stroking her soft curls.
"I saw him as Daniel, mom. All I could see was Daniel," a tear slipped down her cheek. Who is Daniel?
Juliet immediately took Hailey in her arms. They pulled away as i stared into her sad eyes. I hated seeing the most beautiful eyes sad. I ran my fingers down her cheeks wiping her tears away.
I untied her flannel short slowly as she winced in slight pain. Taking it from under her thighs, I muttered a soft sorry. "I think it's better if we cut the jeans off," I said turning to Ms Juliet as she nodded. "There are some scissors over there in the drawer, " Hailey replied as I got up to get them then handed them to Juliet.
"Just please don't cut near the wound."
She cut them off from the side. I flipped it over revealing the horrible cut.
"This cut is really deep, Hailey. It needs stitches." Her mother said examining it.
"Ill go grab everything including the injection, " I furrowed my eyes as her mother left. "Injection?"
"Yes, the local anesthesia injection. For the stitches." She replied fiddling with her thumbs. I ran my hand down her cheek softly, making her curve a small smile and leaning her cheek further into my palm as her eyes slowly closed. I knew she liked that a lot, it calmed her.
"Hailey, who's D-Dan-" I got cut off when her mother came in, struggling with the medical aids that she held. I got up to help her with some of the objects she held.
We set them on the night stand sitting in the same position. "Ill have to clean the wound first, but then I'll Also have to immediately give you the injection, which will take about a minute to prepare." Juliet said biting her lip slightly.
" its okay, I can clean the wound," I said scratching the back of my neck. "Thank you sweetie," she replied handing me the cotton and the cold water, with some alcohol sprayer. "Tell me when it hurts and I'll stop," I told Hailey as she nodded.
I grabbed the empty bowl and twisted the cap of the water bottle to pour some water in the container. While I dipped the cotton, Ms Juliet grabbed the injection ingredients to get it ready.
I squeezed the cotton slightly, remembering Hailey doing the same with the towel when I was sick. I softly ran the drenched cotton across the wound, as the goosebumps arised on her skin. " is - the water really cold?" I asked looking down.
"Its okay, that way it won't hurt me that much," she weakly replied making me continue with the process. I wiped the blood away quickly, yet carefully and started to work with the alcohol spray. "This is gonna burn a lot." I warned her as she nodded.
I sprayed a bit on another piece of cotton, and slowly touched the wound before applying it to her skin. She just furrowed her eye brows as I slowly wiped it. "OK. Hailey, make sure you relax your leg muscle." Her mother warned her wiping the droplets that fell on the thin metallic pin when she was releasing the air.
I took the cotton off her thigh, as her mother immediately dipped the injection near the wound. Hailey's eyes were tightly closed shut until her mother released the long, thin part of the injection from her thigh. "There, we'll wait a minute before I start with the stitch," Ms Juliet paused touching Hailey's forehead, "do you feel light headed? "
Hailey nodded. "I can get you some water." I replied. "You don't have to get up, I can wait for a bit," she replied giving me a reassuring look. I rubbed her hands smiling. "Its no trouble, I promise."
Hailey's P.O.V.
Ross closed the door behind him before mom turned to me. "What?" I said realizing she was giving me a 'tell me' look. "You like him."
"Is it that obvious?" I replied looking at her. "It is by the way you guys look at each other. You remind me of your father and I, and the way he looked at me when he found we were 5 years apart. " she said stroking my hair.
"What did he do?"
"He told me age is over rated. " she simply replied before before getting the aids back for the stitches. "Ross is a really great guy, Hailey. he's a keeper." I smiled knowing she's completely right, and remembering the line i saw in the book that I thought was a metaphor when it was actually true. The quote perfectly describes my feelings towards Ross.
'The longer you hide your feelings from someone who's the reason your wound is healed, the more you fall for them.'