“Sometimes.” She shrugs.
“Well, I’m not gonna spill my life story to you, no offense.”
“None taken.” She laughs. She leaves and returns a moment later with another glass, pushing it in front of me. “Here, on me.”
I tilt my head curtly and knock back yet another drink that I’ll regret in the morning. I slam the empty back down on the bar and close my eyes as I swallow, squeezing them together as the scotch burns a trail of fire down my throat.
Her face pops into my head.
Hayley.
I can still feel her lips against mine, I can still hear the sound that escaped her as I moved inside her last night, I can still remember the taste of her on my lips.
Fuck.
Driving away from that diner was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was the right thing to do.
For the first time in my life I did the right thing.
I let her go.
She doesn’t need me in her life.
She’s better off without me and my shit.
As much as I wanted to keep her, I had to set her free.
Deep down I knew that the deal I made with her father was wrong, but my want for her clouded my judgement so I went ahead and did it anyway.
I didn’t lie to her, last night meant something to me, in fact, it meant a whole lot to me.
She trusted me.
After what happened to her when she was seventeen, she chose me, she trusted me enough to give herself to me completely.
And I had given myself to her in return.
Mind. Body. And fucking soul.
Something happened to me last night.
Something I have never felt before.
Something I never imagined would happen to me.
Last night, I fell in love.
Chapter 19
Hayley
It's been five days since I last saw Kyle, tearing down the street away from the diner in his car, since then, I've thought of nothing else other than him. Both my waking and sleeping hours completely consumed by thoughts of him. Five days of wiping down tables at the diner, sweeping the floors, making coffee, thinking only of him.
Missing him.
How is it possible to miss someone you’ve only known a few days so much?
Is he thinking of me?
I can't count the times when my finger hovered over his number, ready to call him, times when I’ve chickened out and deleted messages that I had been so ready to send.
I need to snap out of it, accept that what we had was temporary, that our short time together was limited.
Just before my shift is due to end, Gwen arrives to pick me up. She breezes through the door, her long ponytail swinging from left to right at the back of her head, heels clicking across the hard floor. She smiles when she sees me as she heads in my direction.
“Hey, girl,” she greets, giving me a hug.
“Hey. My shift ends in ten.”
“Okay, I’ll wait over here.” She motions to the booth behind her and turns on her heel before collapsing into the soft red leather.
My shift ends and Gwen and I leave together. We head for her car which is parked across the street. My hand stops on the passenger door handle as I look over the roof to Gwen.
“Hey, can we stop off at mine first, I need to pick up some more clothes?”
“Of course, jump in.”
“Have you spoken to Aaron at all? I’ve texted him but he hasn’t replied to any of them.”
She shakes her head.
I sigh. Why did he react the way he did that night in the bar? I’ve never seen him act that way in all the years I’ve known him. Since that night I’ve called him every day, each time he ignores my calls.
We climb in the car and drive to my house. I spend the entire journey silently hoping my dad isn’t home. I still can’t bring myself to face him, though I know I’ll have to eventually.
We pull up outside my house, the lights in the house are off and the driveway is empty, I breathe a sigh of relief.
He isn’t home.
We climb out and head for the front door. Inside I jog straight up to my room and grab more of my belongings, shovelling them into the tiny suitcase that lies under my bed.
“Hayley?” Gwen shouts from downstairs.
“Yeah?” I zip up my case and bound down the stairs, my case banging against each step behind me. I find Gwen in the kitchen, the counter is strewn with pieces of paper. I take a closer look at the papers, they are bank statements, all are dated today.
“Oh no.” The feeling of dread washes over me, nausea pooling in the pit of my stomach.
I pull my phone out and log into my dad’s bank account, the one we share and look at the recent transactions. The money that Kyle transferred to us, all of it, gone. The money was withdrawn at the bank this morning.
“What is it?” Gwen asks.
“My dad... the money... it’s all gone.”
“What?” She peers over my shoulder at my phone screen. “Do you think he’s gone to repay your debts?”
“If he had, it wouldn’t be in cash.”
“So, what’s he going to do with it all?”
“I think I have an idea. I only hope I'm wrong.” I know exactly where he is, and what he’s using the money for.
∞∞∞
Gwen and I barrel through the entrance to the casino.
“Excuse me, I need to see your IDs please.” The doorman looks between me and Gwen. We fumble for our identification and pass it to the doorman.
“Thank you. You ladies have a good evening.”
I offer him a weak smile.
I can’t believe I’m back here, on the same mission I came here on just a week ago.
“Hayley?”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. That voice. The one I’ve been dreaming of for the past week.
I spin around to find Kyle striding towards me and my breath hitches. “Kyle,” I breathe out.
“So, this is the famous Kyle?” Gwen asks, as he reaches
