“I’m sure my mom hasn’t helped the situation.”
“Have they even spoken lately?”
“Not in about a year. Mom swears that she’s tried to make amends, but we both know that’s bullshit. Mom can be a real bitch when she wants to be.” I was shocked at Ryan’s admission.
“At least you’re finally coming to that realization. Don’t get me wrong, she’s my aunt and I love her, but she’s never treated my mom the way a sister should be treated.” The conversation was getting too heavy for me, so I made up some lame excuse to go back inside. “I’m fucking freezing dude, let’s go inside.”
“Cool.”
I followed Ryan back in, but when we got to the kitchen, Hadley was nowhere to be found. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed by that fact, but there was no way in hell I was about to admit that to Ryan. While I headed into the living room, Ryan took it upon himself to go find his fiancé. I was beyond jealous and almost ready to get the fuck out of dodge, but then I noticed PJ sitting on one of the loungers in the main living room. She still hadn’t noticed me walk in, so I took it upon myself to run over and plop myself down next to her.
“Whatcha doin?” I was looking up at her batting my eye lashes when she started cracking up.
“You’re a dork. I’m reading. See, this is what they call a book.” She laughed as she held up the hardcover book in her hand.
“Why?” I teased. “Isn’t there something fun we could be doing?”
“I think reading is fun.” She joked. “What do you want to do?”
“I dunno. I’m bored.”
“Shocking. Hey Declan?”
“Yeah?” I laid my head on her lap and looked up at her.
“I thought you were leaving? I mean, I know it’s none of my business, but what happened?”
When her tone of voice turned serious, I knew there was no getting out of this conversation with humor. I let out an aggravated sigh, “I was. I mean…I still am. I just couldn’t duck and run. A part of me just felt like I needed to stay through the holiday, ya know?”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“You told her I left, didn’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She feigned innocence, but I knew her better than she thought.
“It’s cool. I could tell by her reaction when she saw me in the kitchen earlier.”
“Why were you leaving so soon?”
“It’s a long story, and I’m not sure I want to tell a little tattle tale like you.” I laughed as I flicked the tip of her nose.
“Funny guy.” She laughed.
I was about to answer her question seriously, but then Hadley came walking into the room. I could tell by the way she was looking at me and PJ that she wasn’t pleased…with either of us. I turned my head in PJ’s lap to get a better look at Hadley, but she began to scowl and I couldn’t help but laugh at her. “Why so moody, Hadley?” I joked.
“I’m not moody.” She scowled. “I’m bored, and Ryan and his father have decided to go over the logistics of his new partnership.”
I lay there staring at her with an extreme amount of intensity. No matter her mood, I still found this girl sexy as hell and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. “I was just telling PJ how we should do something fun. You in?”
“That depends on what you consider fun.” She smiled, and my heart instantly melted.
“Well, I actually have a few assignments I need to get done for school, but the two of you have fun.” PJ practically pushed me off the couch as she took off for the back door. I knew exactly what she was trying to do, but I wasn’t so sure Hadley was going to go for it.
“You wanna go for a walk or something?” I suggested as I sat myself back up on the couch across from where she was standing.
“I guess so. Let me just grab my jacket.”
I watched Hadley intently as she stood and made her way over to the coat rack by the front door. Her white jeans hugged every one of her curves perfectly, and I was having a hard time not getting all riled up at the way her ass swayed when she walked in the tight denim. I could feel my pants tighten as my excitement for her grew, and I quickly tried to think of anything besides her before she had the chance to realize what was going on. Knowing my luck, she would change her mind just because of that.
“Ready?” She came bounding down the steps from the front door with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.
“Let’s go.” I held out my elbow, and she didn’t hesitate to loop her arm through mine. I was going to have to remember to thank PJ when we got back.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Hadley
The close proximity of our bodies had my heart beating erratically, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I loved being near him, even if all we were doing was talking and walking. To me it was pure ecstasy. We could stay just like this all day long, and I would be happy. Up until now our conversation had just been about stupid superficial things, but I had a feeling that the tough intimate questions were soon to come. I caught a partial glimpse of his mom’s house as we headed down the beach, and that’s when my curiosity took over.
“Declan, why didn’t you tell me that your mom lives next door to Ryan’s parents?” I glanced up at him just as the wind picked up, causing his hair to fly across his beautifully bronzed skin as he looked down at me, causing my heart to skip a beat. I could tell he was hesitant to answer, whether it was because it was too personal or just because he didn’t want to, I didn’t know, but I was shocked when he finally did answer me.
“I don’t want you to think my mom is anything like my aunt.” I smiled, urging him to keep talking. “My mom and Ryan’s may be sisters, but they couldn’t be more different. See my mom married the “bad guy” and my aunt married the “rich guy”. When we were younger, we all lived in small houses just a few miles from here. When Ryan’s parents moved into this house, my mom and dad were having a lot of issues. I spent a good portion of my childhood in Ryan’s house. Eventually my parents divorced, and my mom bought the house next to theirs. Obviously it’s a lot smaller than Ryan’s, but she works real hard to afford it.”
I was mesmerized by Declan’s voice and his story. I had known that I wanted to know more about him, but once he started talking, I never wanted him to stop. His life seemed like a fairytale compared to my upbringing, and I wish I could’ve traded places with him when I was younger…even if just for a day. To me it seemed like he had it all. Sure his mom and dad divorced eventually, but at least he still had two parents who wanted him.
“Enough about me.” I could feel his heated gaze on me, and I began to flush. “Tell me about you. What do your parents do, and why aren’t you spending the holidays with them?”
I glanced up at him before I looked back down at my shoes as they made hard imprints into the hardened sand below us. If I looked back up at him, I would lose it, and I wasn’t ready for him to see that side of me again so soon. “Um…I don’t know my parents.” I managed to croak out without tearing up. “My dad died when I was only four, and my mom was a drug addict who couldn’t take care of me. I haven’t seen her since.”
“I’m so sorry, Hadley. I had no idea.”
“I know you didn’t, and there’s no reason to be sorry. It is what it is, ya know?”
“I get that, but that doesn’t mean it’s not painful.” He paused for a brief second, and I was scared with anticipation of what he may ask next. “Is that who you got your scar from?”
My eyes went wide with shock as I realized that he had seen it before I pushed him away. When I didn’t answer immediately, he instantly became extremely apologetic.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I understand.”
I peeked up at him from under my hair, and I could see the sincerity in his eyes. Unlike Ryan, Declan wasn’t going to push me to talk about anything I didn’t want to, which in a weird way…made me want to do just that. �
�I don’t mind.” I muttered. “I got the scar later on.”
“So…were you ever adopted?” I could tell he was waiting for me to completely shut him out, but I took pleasure knowing that I wasn’t going to.
“I was…by a couple who actually had another little girl that they had adopted before me.”
“Were they nice?”
I knew exactly what he was asking, but I was worried that he wasn’t prepared for the answer I was about to give him. “Not really, but Ellie and I made sure to keep each other safe. At least…we tried. It’s a long story.” I confessed.
“I have all the time in the world.” He smiled, and without even thinking…I continued.
“They seemed nice when I first arrived at their home, but it didn’t take long for the mom to get frustrated with us. I found myself on the other end of beatings far more often than I expected, but that was nothing compared to…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish rehashing my embarrassing and sordid past. I never wanted those eyes to look at me any differently than they did in this moment, and telling him the rest would change all of that. I’m pretty sure he got the hint, because he didn’t ask me anything else about my adopted parents.
“So are you and Ellie still close?”
My face fell in sadness as thoughts and memories of Ellie ran through my mind. “No…she disappeared our junior year of high school.”
“Oh my god, Hadley. I’m so sorry…for everything.” He paused, and I wondered if he was starting to feel sorry for me, but his next comment put my mind at ease. “It actually explains a lot about you. You’re one tough cookie.” He playfully elbowed my side, and I finally let a smile show.
“So tell me more about you. I want to know it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.” I laughed as I playfully ran in front of him, stepping on top of his feet, and wrapping my arms tightly around his waist as he walked for the both of us.
“Well, there’s really not much to tell. My mom is an amazing woman. There literally wasn’t anything, and still isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for me. When my dad went to prison, I was only eight and I haven’t heard from or seen him since. I was a good kid, got good grades, and even graduated from school a year earlier than I should have. We have our problems just like any other family, but I’m okay with it.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“No…not anymore. I had a little brother, but he died from SIDS when I was four.”
I looked up at him as he spoke, and I almost wanted to cry for him. “I’m so sorry, Declan. That must’ve been hard.”
“Not any harder than most things. I was young enough that I don’t remember him much. My mom on the other hand, she still keeps his memory very much alive. Other than that, I’m just me. What you see is what you get.” He smiled.
“And the whole being married thing?” Declan abruptly stopped, and I almost went flying off of his feet, but he caught me at the last minute. I gave him a crooked smile, but I knew he could tell that I didn’t find it at all amusing. Apparently, he had told me everything about that that he wanted to.
“So, you up for something?” He was looking towards the ocean when he asked, and I almost pissed my pants.
“I’m not going in there.” I pointed out at the water and he started laughing hysterically.
“I totally wasn’t going to suggest that, but hey…maybe” He winked.
“Oh, what then?”
“Follow me.”
He held his hand out for mine, and I took it without question, because for some reason I trusted him with every fiber of my being. I never doubted his intentions, and it never crossed my mind that he would intentionally hurt me. He pulled me up the beach a little bit further, and then cut through a patch of trees that lined the house that PJ and I had stumbled upon the other day. It was definitely smaller than Ryan’s parent’s house, but it was still beautiful. It was a small two story home with the most amazing vines covering the entire south side of it.
We made our way around the front, where the garage was, and I was suddenly in shock. “Are we going inside?” Declan could sense my trepidation, but all he had to do was smile, and I instantly felt at ease.
“Would you just come on.” He tugged on my hand, and I gave in, letting him lead me up to the front door. Before I could ask anything else, he was putting a key into the lock and pushing open the extremely large metal door.
I stepped into his childhood home in awe. Though the outside seemed understated and a tad small, the inside was completely open and absolutely stunning. It was covered in the most beautiful and luxurious pieces of furniture and antiques from all around the world. There was everything from voodoo masks, to African totems, to the most beautiful rugs and lamps I’d ever seen. Walking into Declan’s mom’s house was far different than his aunt’s. You could tell that Declan’s mother took pride in decorating her house, where as Mrs. Tate most likely hired someone to decorate hers.
As we made our way through the living room and into the kitchen, I gently tugged back on Declan’s arm. “Is your mom home?” I whispered.
He turned towards me and lowered his voice so he was whispering as well, “Well I hope so.” He laughed. “Stop being such a baby.” He slid his fingers through mine, and I secretly smiled to myself as I followed him into the other room.
“Mom?” Declan’s voice echoed throughout the vast open space, sending a jolt of excitement through me.
“Declan, is that you?” The most beautiful voice I had ever heard came floating down the small hallway we had just entered.
“It’s me Mom.”
“Oh Declan, I can’t believe you’re here.”
A petite blonde came out from around another corner, and headed right for the both of us. I almost thought that once she saw me, she would get a gruff look on her face like her sister did, but I was pleasantly surprised when she smiled wider as she took in the sight of both of us. Declan looked exactly like his mother, with the same electric blue eyes and pouty lips. It was almost uncanny. I expected Declan to drop my hand as he hugged his mom, but I was thrown off when he held on to it tighter. When he pulled back from hugging her, he pulled me in so she could hug me as well.
“Mom, this is Hadley.”
His mom wrapped her thin arms around my neck and I instantly hugged her in return. The feeling felt entirely natural, and comforting. “So this is the infamous Hadley, huh?” When she pulled back, she stepped back to take a good look at me, her eyes stopping for a brief pause on mine and Declan’s intertwined hands.
“Infamous huh? It would seem as though my reputation precedes me.” And that’s when I wondered if she meant because of mine and Declan’s brief history. I dropped Declan’s hand out of fear, but his mom quickly set me straight.
“You are the Hadley that is marrying my nephew, aren’t you?”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Yes, yes I am.”
“Did you think I meant the couple of times that you and my son were together.” She turned and gave me an amused smile as she led us into the kitchen.
I turned and gave Declan my best death stare as he laughed, amused by the straight forwardness of his mother. “I…”
“No need to worry, dear. I won’t tell a soul.” She winked as Declan and I took a seat at the breakfast bar. “Can I get y’all something to drink?”
“Water, please. Your house is absolutely beautiful, Mrs. Hunter.”
She turned to hand me my glass of water. “Oh, please, call me Rita, and thank you.”
“Do you travel a lot?”
“I try to. It’s been a little easier now that I have some extra time off, but as you can tell, my house is a shrine of culture from all around the world.”
“Well it’s amazing.” I replied.
“Do you like to travel, Hadley?”
“I do. I haven’t done much, but I’m hoping as soon as I’m done with college, to save enough money to travel around the world.”
“Any specific places you’d like to see?”
“Wow, that’s a good list. I’ve been to all of those. They are all amazing places. I hope you make it to all of them.” She smiled. “So…Declan, how’s things?” She turned towards Declan, but never enough to leave me out of the conversations, which was refreshing. That’s when I knew no matter what happened with her son and me, or even Ryan and me, I would always stay in touch with Rita.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Declan
I sat there enamored by the way that Hadley was with my mom. It was as though the two of them were long lost friends, finally finding the time to catch up with one another. I half expected my mom to give Hadley the third degree, but surprisingly, she was very open with Hadley and accepting. And after witnessing the cruel interaction between my aunt and Hadley the other night, I knew it meant the world to her to have someone’s mother accept her for her.
“Declan?”
I quickly turned towards my mother, who was now speaking to me. “What?”
“I asked how things are going?”
“Things are good, Mom. I won my last fight, and I have another one in another month.”
“Shouldn’t you be training? Why are you out here?”
“Wow, missed me that much, huh?” I teased my mom.
“Oh stop. You know if I had my way, you would live back at home with your lonely old mom.”
“You’re not lonely or old, Mom. And you know I would love to, but Arizona is where I belong right now.”
“I know, I know. How is Braxton? Is he still crashing on your couch?”
Simple Lies Page 14