January 10, 2018
Hadley's POV
»Atlanta, Georgia«
Even though I had asked Braun to go to the gym with me, I never made it. I overslept and Seth didn't even think to wake me up by the time noon rolled around. In fact, he wasn't even in the hotel room. I was alone. I looked at my phone to see that I had multiple texts from Braun asking where I was and if I was ever going to make it to the gym we planned on meeting at.
I sighed and quickly typed up a response to him telling him that I was sorry and that I had overslept. As you can imagine, I didn't have to wait long for a text back.
Braun: are we still on for lunch?
Me: I mean yeah, if you still want to.
Braun: I do!
I smiled.
Me: I'll meet you where we planned in half an hour or so?
Braun: ok see you then ❤️
I quickly showered and got ready. Throwing my hair up into a ponytail and putting on a pair of ripped jeans and a plain white shirt. I slipped on my shoes before making sure I had my phone, keys and wallet. Once I had all of them, I walked out the door and to my car.
After driving to the restaurant, I walked inside and noticed Braun right away, looking down at his phone.
"Can I help you?" A hostess asked.
I shook my head and pointed at Braun.
"Just running late, he's better at keeping track of time." I smiled before turning and walking toward Braun. "Looking at more model pictures?" I asked before sitting across from him in the booth.
"You could say that." He said, turning his phone showing me a picture of myself on his Instagram feed. I blushed slightly, he must've noticed because he let out a laugh. He set his phone on the table and smiled at me.
"What?" I asked as he continued to stare at me.
"Nothing. You're just beautiful." He said confidently. He said this with more confidence than I've ever heard him with.
"You're just saying that." I said picking up my menu.
"I'm not. You're beautiful."
I looked over my menu and to him. He now had a menu in his hands as well.
"Even when you had frosting all over you yesterday." He chuckled, glancing up at me from the menu.
"That nuisances Rollins." I rolled my eyes, causing him to laugh.
The waitress soon came back and took our orders as well as our menus and I looked to Braun only to see him already looking at me. His eyes sparkled in the light and he had a goofy smile on his face.
"Can I just say something?" I asked. His expression showed a bit of concern and he nodded, folding his hands on the table. I reached across the table, resting my hands on his. He glanced down at our hands and smiled a bit before looking into my eyes once again. Once we made eye contact again, I lost my confidence a bit.
What was going on with me? I never lost my confidence. This wasn't like me.
"I- never mind." I said retracting my hands to my side of the table.
"Oh, alright." He said, seeming a bit disappointed.
"I-I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I said rushing out of my seat and to the bathroom not even waiting for him to respond.
I pushed open the bathroom door and walked to the sink, looking at myself in the mirror.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked my reflection before staring at myself for a few seconds, trying to clear my head of seemingly a million different thoughts. I sighed before deciding I had to go back to Braun. I walked out of the bathroom and back to our table, sitting again.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah." I said. That was all I was going to say about that.
"Can I say something?" He asked. I nodded my head and let out a breath.
Was I... nervous?
"I know we've only known each other for two weeks..."
"Yeah?"
"This has been sitting in my brain for a few days now and I just want to get it out there..." he trailed off before continuing again. "I just want you to know that... I like me better when I'm with you. You make me feel like I can be a better man."
"I-I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything." He shook his head. "I just wanted to get that out there so you knew how I felt... since we like each other and all that."
"Well for starters, before I... went to the bathroom, I was going to say basically the same thing."
"Really?
"Don't tell Seth. He'll freak out about me being sentimental or something." I sighed, crossing my arms.
"Right." He chuckled.
—
A while later, after we had gotten our food, we found ourselves talking about our families.
"I was never close to my mom. We just never agreed on anything and I never knew who my dad was. Never cared much to find out either. Never cared much to bond with my step-dad either. He was always too over-political."
"Do you have any siblings?" He asked shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.
"I was always the closest with my brother. I haven't talked to him in a year or so though. Every time I call or text him, he's always busy or something and when I go back home, he's never in town. He gave me a niece though. She's the most beautiful little girl -."
I cut myself off when I saw him smile.
"What?" I asked.
"Your eyes just lit up and made you even more beautiful."
I felt my cheeks get hot.
"She's a little angel. My brother and I were so close he convinced his wife that it'd be a good idea to name her after me."
"So her names Hadley too?"
"Well her names Piper Hadley Payge. And she's the happiest little girl I've ever met."
"So nothing like you." Braun joked.
"You-." I cut myself off with a laugh. "Ok, fair enough. So, what about your family?"