Haden
I
read his words again, but this time I hear them—I feel them. I say those three words to all of the guys because
I do love them. And when they respond, I’ve never read into them.
How could Joey not tell me
that Haden felt this way?
I
grab my phone and dial Joey’s number again and wait for him to answer.
“It
wasn’t my place,” he answers, reading my mind like he always does.
“But-”
“It.
Wasn’t. My. Place,” he repeats, punctuating each word as he says it.
“But
this is Haden we’re talking about. What am I supposed to do?”
“Go
on a date with him,”
“I
told him I’d think about it,” I admit, recalling our evening together.
“There
you have it.”
“What
are the guys gonna think?” I ask.
“Do
you care?”
“Well,
yeah,” I shrug, even though he can’t see me.
“Then
talk to them—trust me, they can handle it.”
“Thanks,
Joey.”
“Anytime,”
he says before we end the call.
For
a moment I consider calling Braxton, but the weight of everything that’s
happened crushes me and I decide to call tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do
is sit in my room and give myself time to think.
My
phone vibrates at the end of my bed and I hesitantly reach over to see who is
texting.
Haden: I forgot to thank
you for coming with me tonight.
I
stare at the screen and contemplate how I’m supposed to respond. Am I his friend? Do I acknowledge
everything that happened? I opt to go the safe route and give a simple
response.
Me: Anytime
I
press send and see the three little dots flash, indicating he is responding,
and wait.
Haden: Then can I see you
tomorrow night?
I backed myself into that
one.
Me: We’re all supposed to
go to Cole’s for a BBQ
Haden: Forgot.
Me: Rain check?
Haden: Meet me outside
tomorrow? 8am? Run?
I
know that this isn’t our usual run, this is a talk—a talk I’m not sure
I’m ready to have. But maybe after some sleep I’ll have a clearer perspective
on things.
Me: 8:30?
Haden: See you then. Night
Nixon.
Me: Night Surly ;) Sweet
dreams
I’m
trying my best to lighten the mood and get us to the place I thought we were
earlier.
Haden: All of you
I
think my heart actually just skipped a beat. Am I flirting with one of my best friends via text? I’ve texted the
same thing a million times, and never once was there a flirtatious tone behind
it.
* * *
“Hey,
where are you going?” Haden asks, tugging my hand and pulling me to his chest.
“I
have to get to class,” I smile, trying to walk away again.
“No
you don’t.” He kisses my nose and tugs my hand so I move with him as he starts
to walk. “I’m walking you to class.”
“You
two are weird,” Braxton says from the other side of me. “I can’t believe it
took you this long. Hell, I can’t believe you thought he was gay, Lai.”
“Gay-Lai,”
Cole says and laughs at the rhyme.
Joey
rolls his eyes and holds Bailey’s hand as we walk past them. “Grow up,
Cameron.”
Cole
shrugs his shoulders in response before walking into the classroom as we pass
it and Braxton disappears at the door after. I’m not sure where everyone went,
but it’s just Haden and me, standing in the hallway alone.
“I’m
glad you decided to give this a try.” He smiles and leans down to give me a
kiss.
I
have no idea what comes over me when I pull him as close as possible to give
him another kiss. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be here, with
Haden of all people. Yet it’s exactly where I am.
“Me,
too.”
“I’ll
see you later?” he asks, though he already knows the answer.
The
bell rings obnoxiously overhead and I stand there watching him walk away. I
start to walk toward my classroom, but the damn bell won’t stop ringing and
it’s annoying me. I look around and no one else seems to mind the alarm, but I
do.
“What’s
wrong with this thing?” I ask aloud, but no one responds. “Make it stop,” I
say, but my own voice is muffled as I repeat the
I
read his words again, but this time I hear them—I feel them. I say those three words to all of the guys because
I do love them. And when they respond, I’ve never read into them.
How could Joey not tell me
that Haden felt this way?
I
grab my phone and dial Joey’s number again and wait for him to answer.
“It
wasn’t my place,” he answers, reading my mind like he always does.
“But-”
“It.
Wasn’t. My. Place,” he repeats, punctuating each word as he says it.
“But
this is Haden we’re talking about. What am I supposed to do?”
“Go
on a date with him,”
“I
told him I’d think about it,” I admit, recalling our evening together.
“There
you have it.”
“What
are the guys gonna think?” I ask.
“Do
you care?”
“Well,
yeah,” I shrug, even though he can’t see me.
“Then
talk to them—trust me, they can handle it.”
“Thanks,
Joey.”
“Anytime,”
he says before we end the call.
For
a moment I consider calling Braxton, but the weight of everything that’s
happened crushes me and I decide to call tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do
is sit in my room and give myself time to think.
My
phone vibrates at the end of my bed and I hesitantly reach over to see who is
texting.
Haden: I forgot to thank
you for coming with me tonight.
I
stare at the screen and contemplate how I’m supposed to respond. Am I his friend? Do I acknowledge
everything that happened? I opt to go the safe route and give a simple
response.
Me: Anytime
I
press send and see the three little dots flash, indicating he is responding,
and wait.
Haden: Then can I see you
tomorrow night?
I backed myself into that
one.
Me: We’re all supposed to
go to Cole’s for a BBQ
Haden: Forgot.
Me: Rain check?
Haden: Meet me outside
tomorrow? 8am? Run?
I
know that this isn’t our usual run, this is a talk—a talk I’m not sure
I’m ready to have. But maybe after some sleep I’ll have a clearer perspective
on things.
Me: 8:30?
Haden: See you then. Night
Nixon.
Me: Night Surly ;) Sweet
dreams
I’m
trying my best to lighten the mood and get us to the place I thought we were
earlier.
Haden: All of you
I
think my heart actually just skipped a beat. Am I flirting with one of my best friends via text? I’ve texted the
same thing a million times, and never once was there a flirtatious tone behind
it.
* * *
“Hey,
where are you going?” Haden asks, tugging my hand and pulling me to his chest.
“I
have to get to class,” I smile, trying to walk away again.
“No
you don’t.” He kisses my nose and tugs my hand so I move with him as he starts
to walk. “I’m walking you to class.”
“You
two are weird,” Braxton says from the other side of me. “I can’t believe it
took you this long. Hell, I can’t believe you thought he was gay, Lai.”
“Gay-Lai,”
Cole says and laughs at the rhyme.
Joey
rolls his eyes and holds Bailey’s hand as we walk past them. “Grow up,
Cameron.”
Cole
shrugs his shoulders in response before walking into the classroom as we pass
it and Braxton disappears at the door after. I’m not sure where everyone went,
but it’s just Haden and me, standing in the hallway alone.
“I’m
glad you decided to give this a try.” He smiles and leans down to give me a
kiss.
I
have no idea what comes over me when I pull him as close as possible to give
him another kiss. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be here, with
Haden of all people. Yet it’s exactly where I am.
“Me,
too.”
“I’ll
see you later?” he asks, though he already knows the answer.
The
bell rings obnoxiously overhead and I stand there watching him walk away. I
start to walk toward my classroom, but the damn bell won’t stop ringing and
it’s annoying me. I look around and no one else seems to mind the alarm, but I
do.
“What’s
wrong with this thing?” I ask aloud, but no one responds. “Make it stop,” I
say, but my own voice is muffled as I repeat the
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