My eyes sting with tears. I nod slowly. I bring my eyes up to meet hers. She must see they are glassy and red because she reaches up to touch my cheek.
Hayley comes back into the kitchen but stops when she sees us. My mom and I break apart and she continues cooking breakfast.
Hayley walks over to me and I grip her hips gently, bringing her closer. I press her up against me and wrap my arms around her as she leans her head into my chest, her hand placed over my heart.
Chapter 27
Hayley
After we finish up with breakfast, Kyle takes me on a tour of the house, which coincidentally concludes in his bedroom where we end up having sex two more times.
When we eventually leave his bed and we are showered and dressed, we head back downstairs to find his parents and Luke in the back yard, his dad speaking into his phone, pacing the far end of the yard against the line of trees, his mom clipping the hedges and breaking off the dead-heads of her flowers. As for Luke, he’s reclined on a sun lounger by the pool in just his jeans, anyone would think it was the middle of summer, when actually it’s early october and it’s freezing.
“So… what have you two kids been doing? Been up there a while,” he teases, one eyebrow raised, the corner of his mouth curved into a knowing grin.
“Fuck off, man,” Kyle replies, shaking his head.
Luke’s phone pings beside him, he picks it up and begins tapping at his screen.
“Another one of your fuck buddies, brother? Who is it this time, Danielle, Lucy, Chelsea?
“Gwen.”
“Wait. As in my best friend Gwen?” I ask.
“The very same.”
“Kyle, can I borrow you a second?” Kyle’s father calls from across the yard.
Kyle turns to me and presses a light kiss to my cheek before he heads over to his dad.
I perch on the edge of the sun lounger next to Luke, leaning my elbows on my thighs.
“So are you and Gwen like together or…?”
“You mean are we seeing each other or just bumping uglies?” he snickers. “It started with the latter, but now I’m not so sure. I like her, she’s fun."
“She never said anything to me.” Why has she never told me about her and Luke?
My eyes drift over to Kyle who’s in deep conversation with his dad, as if sensing my eyes on him, he glances over his shoulder, his gaze landing on mine and he smiles. I smile back before averting my gaze.
Luke sits up, turning his body to face me. “You know, I’ve never seen my brother like this before,” he says. “It’s nice to see him happy. All his life he’s been so lonely, no matter how many girls flung themselves at him, he was never really interested. When he told me about you, I couldn’t believe it. I can see why he loves you. I’m happy he has you.”
“Thanks Luke.”
Chapter 28
Hayley
“I’m so happy for you, son. She’s wonderful,” my dad says.
I look over at Hayley, who is talking with my mom and Luke beside my car on the driveway.
“I’m so proud of you.” He pulls me into a hug, patting me on the back. “Take care of her.”
“Always.”
We head over to the others where my mom is now embracing Hayley into her arms.
“... and you, thank you for having me,” Hayley says.
“You’re welcome, we're so happy to have met you.”
I reach for Hayley, taking her hand in mine. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” She smiles up at me.
“Goodbye, Hayley,” my father says, reaching over and hugging her.
Luke muscles in and wraps his arms around her. “See you around, sis.”
She giggles. “Sis?”
“You’re a part of the family now.” My heart swells at his words.
After saying our goodbyes, I throw our bags on the backseat of my car and they wave us off as we drive out of the driveway and head back to the city.
She looks over at me and smiles, lacing her fingers through mine as it rests on the shifter. “I love you.”
That right there, is my new favourite sound. Nothing compares to hearing the girl you love say she loves you too.
“I love you too, baby.”
∞∞∞
When we eventually arrive back at my apartment it’s early evening, the light outside gradually fading into darkness.
Hayley was planning on cooking dinner for us both, but of course, my kitchen looks like an exact replica of Old Mother Hubbard’s very empty cupboards, and so, once again, we order takeout before settling down in front of the TV.
After a little persuasion involving some fondling and a lot of kissing, she finally agrees to watch The Shawshank Redemption with me, the greatest fucking movie ever made. I must have seen it in excess of one hundred times, each time I love it even more.
But watching it this time is something completely different, throughout the whole thing, I find myself glancing over out of the corner of my eye at Hayley sat next to me, my arm stretched out, resting on the top of the sofa just behind her head, my focus slowly shifting from the movie onto her.
Soon I find myself not paying the movie any attention whatsoever, my eyes completely fixed onto Hayley as I watch her watch the movie, gauging her reaction. I watch her laugh, but mostly I watch her cry as silent tears flowing freely down her cheeks throughout the entire last thirty minutes, her chin trembling as she tries to hold them back.
Once the movie is over and the end credits begin to roll, I reach over and pull her only my lap, so
