by Hart, Rye
“Hailey, do you still write?” I asked as we started walking deeper into the park.
It was growing darker and the moon was creeping higher, and people were setting up smaller campfires all around the park. As we walked through the growing darkness of the evening, the light of all those campfires made her porcelain skin seem to glow as she looked over at me.
“Yeah, sometimes, actually” she said, a smile creeping across her face. “I can't believe you remembered that. What about you? Are you still writing?”
“Quinn? A writer? He's lucky if he can write his own name, most days,” Ben said, swooping in on the other side of her, sharing a laugh with Cason at my expense – no doubt, trying to make himself look better.
I ignored them, choosing to avoid getting into a ragfest with them and focus on Hailey instead. If I wanted to make headway with her, that was the way to do it – not getting down into the gutter with my brothers.
“Yeah, sometimes,” I said. “When I get time, you know? My brothers work me pretty hard, so I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like.”
“Sometimes?” Cason said, chuckling. “Writing? Seriously, bro, stop lyin'. The last time you actually wrote something was probably back in high school.”
“Nah,” I said, rolling my eyes, trying not to let their taunting get to me. I was in it to win it, and I wasn't about to let my brother's attempted cockblocking get in the way. “You guys just wouldn't understand. There's things about me you don't know.”
Hailey came to my defense and piped up. “I remember that poem you wrote – about the first time you saw the ocean. It was beautiful.”
“And was probably plagiarized from a greeting card or something,” Ben scoffed, drawing a peal of laughter from Cason. “So Hailey, what do you do now that you're back home?”
She turned her attention to Ben before looking away quickly, that strained, awkward look back upon her face. She stared off into the trees for a bit, not speaking to any of us. I almost wanted to say something to break up the silence, but before I could, she looked back at me, a small smile on her face.
“Currently? Nothing,” she said. “I'm still looking for work.”
“Well, what did you do? Back in California?” Ben said, stepping on my toes. “Maybe I can help you find something local just to get you back into the swing of things.”
“I did a lot of different things,” she said. “Waited tables for a while, worked as an executive assistant, did a few commercials –”
Cason jumped in at that point. “Wow,” he said in that fake interested tone of voice of his. “You were an actress?”
“I wanted to be for a while, yeah,” she said. “But it never really panned out.”
We were approaching the group of people milling around the bonfire, and I was frustrated by the fact that my brothers kept getting in my way of talking to her. Hailey looked nervously at the crowd, the expression on her face saying she wasn't sure she should be there. She bit her lower lip as she pulled her hoodie tighter around her petite, but curvy body.
“Tough industry,” Cason said. “But you're still young, you never know what might happen.”
“No, I'm pretty sure I won't be acting anymore,” she said, her tone a little harsh as she spoke about it.
“Why's that?” I asked, speaking softly as I gazed over at her.
With her hair falling around her face, she really was beautiful – even though she tried to hide herself away in that damn hoodie. She did that back in high school too.
“I'd rather not talk about,” she said.
She stood there, staring at the people, looking like she felt as if she didn't belong. I could tell she really didn't want to be there.
Leaning close, I whispered to her and her alone, “Do you want to leave?”
She nodded, her arms crossed in front of her as if she was protecting herself from something. What she felt she needed protection from, I had no idea, but it was a crack in the armor and a way I could spend some time with her. Alone. Reaching out, I took her arm and motioned for her to follow me.
“Come on,” I said. “I'll take you home. Or wherever you want to go.”
“Hey, where you going?” Cason asked, turning, an annoyed expression on his face as we started to walk away.
I shot him a look over my shoulder, a taunting look as if to say, “I won” even though I wasn't sure I had just yet. But at least, if I had some time alone with her, I had a better shot at winning than either of those two bozos. Hailey wanted to get out of there, and who was I to force her to interact with others if she didn't want to?
And the look on Cason and Ben's faces as we walked away together was priceless. I reveled in it for a moment as we made our way toward the parking lot and away from the crowd.
I had to make them think I'd done it again. That I beat them. That I got the girl. I knew it would be a thorn in their side and nothing made me happier.
***
“How does this place even stay open?” she laughed, taking a sip from her milkshake. “I don't remember it ever being full.”
Betty's Diner was empty except for the two of us. But that's because everyone – and I mean everyone – was at the bonfire.
“It's a staple around here,” I said. “Just like Driftwood. Some things are just institutions and will never disappear completely.”
“The Driftwood – which you guys now own,” she said, looking a little more relaxed and her eyes twinkling for the first time since we'd met.
Her smile was warm, genuine and she seemed more confident now that we were away from the crowd. She was no longer hugging the hoodie close to her body and spoke a little more confidently.
“Yeah, that was Cason's idea,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
The front door of the diner opened, the bell overhead tinkling, and I cringed. I just had a feeling I knew who was coming through the front doors. It took everything in me in that moment to not jump up and stab them both in the heart with a spoon.
“Speak of the devil,” I muttered and sighed.
Hailey turned around just as Cason and Ben entered the diner, wide smiles plastered upon their faces.
“How'd you find us?” I asked when they reached our table.
“Easy,” Cason said, slipping into the booth next to Hailey. “It's the only place open and your truck is out front. Didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out, chief.”
Ben sat down beside me. “Besides, I was in the mood for a milkshake,” he said, a cocky smirk on his face.
“Yeah, of course you were,” I grumbled.
“So, Hailey,” Cason said, turning toward her with an arm behind her on the bench. “What did you miss most about Black Oak?”
“Truthfully?” she laughed. “Not much. No offense or anything, but it's not like I ever had a lot going for me here. I still don't, but hopefully, that'll change soon.”
“Oh, I have no doubt it will,” Ben said, leaning across the table, closer to her. “A lot has changed since you left. It's like a whole different town in some ways.”
“That's what everyone keeps telling me,” she said. “Yet, I see that so much has stayed the same.”
“Like what?” Cason asked.
She looked at the three of us, her lips curling up in a grin, and I so badly wanted to know what she was thinking. Instead of enlightening us though, she passed and gave us something that was a little more benign. “Well, like the diner,” she said. “This milkshake tastes exactly like I remembered it. And the bonfire – that hasn't changed a bit. And I have to tell you, that brought back so many memories.”
Judging by the look on her face and the air of sadness around her, not all of the memories that came back to her at the bonfire were good ones. She stared down at her hands for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought, before looking back up at the three of us.
“I don't mean to be blunt, you guys,” she said, biting her lip. “But why all the attention? To be honest, it's a little overwhelming and unexpecte
d. I mean, it's not like any of you noticed or paid attention to me back in high school.”
“Like I said,” Ben said. “A lot has changed. We've all grown up, and it's been a long time since someone came back to Black Oak once they left. Usually, when somebody gets out, they stay gone. We're just interested in getting to know you, Hailey. That's all.”
She nodded, but she still didn't look entirely convinced. But she was smiling, almost like there was some small part of her that enjoyed the extra attention. Her gaze flitted back over to me and we locked eyes. I It felt like something hit me in the chest good and hard. As I looked into her eyes, I realized I could see myself easily falling for someone like her. She was sweet, down-to-earth, yet adventurous, and beautiful.
If I ever needed a girl who could get my mind off my ex, Hailey Roberts was it. Someone who didn't already know my entire past and wouldn't judge me on the mistakes I've made. I could work with that. “So, Quinn,” Ben said, turning back toward me, a sly smirk on his face. “How are things with you and Shelly?”
Damn him. That son of a bitch.
CHAPTER EIGHT - HAILEY
The next day, Jenn called, and I decided to meet her coffee at the one little coffee shop in town. It wasn't a Starbucks – not even close. It was a hole in the wall mom and pop shop, and it had been around long before coffee houses were trendy.
Mainly it just served regular old coffee and some bakery items. It didn't have any of those fancy coffee drinks you get in the city. Nobody in Black Oak seemed inclined to spend five bucks, or more, on some fancy coffee drink that had too much milk and not enough actual coffee in it.
At least, that's what my mom always told me when I asked her.
She said people in Black Oak were more practical and less about the frills than that. And now that I was an adult, I had to agree with her. The coffee in that little hole in the wall actually was superior to anything I ever got at Starbucks back in Los Angeles.
Jenn was sitting across from me, sipping on a chai tea, and cradling Marty in her arms. He slept peacefully, his eyes closed as he nestled against his mother's bosom. He seemed so peaceful, so serene. I found myself wishing I could feel half as peaceful as that child.
“So, I have a dilemma,” I said, biting my lip. “What if all three of the brothers wanted to date me?”
Jenn laughed, a loud raucous sound that filled the coffee house, but surprisingly, didn't wake up the sleeping baby.
“You're serious?” she asked, her mouth agape. “All three of them? Wow, you really have worked some magic since getting back into town, haven't you?”
“Apparently,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Quinn asked me out first – when we were at the bonfire. He knew I was uncomfortable there, so he took me out for milkshakes. But then Cason and Bennett showed up, and things just got kind of – awkward. I mean, it was like they were all trying to outdo each other for my attention.”
“Oh, tell me more,” Jenn said, a salacious grin on her face. “Because if you don't tell me, someone else will, and I'd rather get the juicy gossip straight from you, if you don't mind.”
“Well, it was strange, honestly,” I said. I stirred my coffee with my spoon, watching the cream mix with the dark roast I'd ordered. “Maybe I'm imagining it, I dunno. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.”
“They were always a competitive bunch, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were fighting it out for your attention,” Jenn said with a chuckle. “Lucky girl. So, how'd everything end? Did you pick one to go home with?”
“No!” I laughed, feeling almost scandalized. “I'm not that kind of a girl.”
“Pity,” she said, a wry grin on her face. “Those are the details I'd really like.”
“You're incorrigible,” I replied. “It ended when I left them at the diner. By myself. I just told them I had to get home.”
“And why would you do that?” she asked. “Why not let them fight it out a little longer? You can't tell me that wasn't an insane ego boost.”
“I'm not saying it wasn't,” I grinned. “But, it all just felt weird. All that attention, all those questions – all at once. I guess I'm just not ready for all that right now.”
Jenn studied my face for a long moment as she fidgeted with the spoon in her coffee mug. I had an idea what was going through her mind. Even though she was married, I could tell that she had a thing for the McCormick brothers – unanswered questions, perhaps. And I had a feeling she was hoping to live through me vicariously.
“So what are you going to do?” she finally asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to date any of them? If so, which one?” She was smiling wide, clearly enjoying this.
I don't know,” I said. “None of them actually asked, so maybe I was imagining things after all. Probably so. I'm just terrible when it comes to reading men. You know that.”
“Or maybe not,” Jenn said, her tone light and teasing. “Look at you, coming back into town, looking all gorgeous, and getting all the good men. Leaving none for anyone else.”
“You tramp,” I said and laughed. “You're married.”
“I'm not talking about me – for the most part,” she said. “I'm talking about all the other poor girls who are forever stuck in Black Oak. Now, they have three less guys to choose from because they're all in love with you.”
She giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. It felt so good to be back with Jenn again, laughing and talking the way we used to. I didn't realize until that moment just how much I'd missed her.
“In love with me? Now you're going way too far,” I said, shaking my head, but trying hard not to laugh. “It's not even like that. Besides, I told you I'm probably misreading the situation. But, even if I wasn't, I'm not really ready to date again. Not yet.”
That got a raised eyebrow and a curious look from Jenn. I hadn't talked about my ex back in California. I hadn't told her much – only, that I was seeing someone and now I wasn't. I wanted to keep it that way too. In my mind, the less I talked about it, the less real it became. And the less real it was, the less I had to deal with it.
And in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to not deal with it; to just pretend it had all never happened.
“Still hurting after your breakup, huh?” Jenn asked, obviously trying to get more of the story out of me in what she thought was a subtle way.
“No,” I scoffed. “Not in the least. I left him, remember?”
“Still doesn't mean you don't have a broken heart,” she said.
“I don't. Trust me,” I said.
My hands started shaking as unwanted memories of my time with Leo flooded my mind. The picture of his face, rising unbidden in my mind, filled me with a dark anger and an even darker feeling of dread. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, doing everything in my power to block everything out until I was able to calm myself down.
Jenn, sensing that something wasn't right, reached out and took my hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. I was so caught up in my own head that when I felt her hands on mine, I jumped, knocking my coffee all over the table and myself. Thankfully it wasn't scalding hot, but it was warm and wet – and my jeans were now soaked as I jumped up from the chair.
“Jesus Christ, Hailey, what's going on with you?” Jenn asked me, her eyes wide with surprise.
I stared back at my best friend, and felt my cheeks flush when I saw the expression of concern on her face. We both reached for the napkins on the table at the same time, our hands getting tangled up with one another.
“I'm so sor –”
I started to speak and then cut myself off when I caught sight of a familiar face coming through the front the door of the coffee house. Great. Just what I needed when I was as flustered and frustrated as I felt in that moment.
“Crap,” I groaned. “It's Cason.”
“Where?” she asked, dropping her napkins and turning to look at the door. When she spotted the tall, good look
ing man coming in, an approving grin spread across her face.
“Ah, so it is,” she said and then started waving at him like a loon. “Hey, Cason!”
I slapped her hand down as she waved at him and tried to shush her, not wanting to draw attention to the coffee soaked table – or my pants, which were also drenched. But it was too late, Cason saw us, smiled, waved, and headed our way. I quickly sat down, hiding my legs underneath the table as I wiped up my mess, trying to avoid eye contact with him. My jeans were wet and clung to me uncomfortably. I took a shallow breath and realized that I smelled like a coffee pot. “Hailey, Jenn, how's it going?” he asked.
“Good, good,” Jenn said, talking as if they were old friends. “Care to join us?”
I was still busying myself, avoiding Cason's eyes by wiping down the table as best I could with the dinky little napkins the coffee house provided. But when she spoke, I sat straight up, a jolt of adrenaline shooting through me. With my heart pounding so hard I was sure they could both hear it, I shot Jenn a warning look.
“I'm sure he's gotta head into work –” I started to say.
“Actually, I'm off today,” Cason said, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside me. “It's totally rare, but it happens now and then.”
Jenn, with a gleam in her eye, gave me a mischievous look before turning back to Cason with a big smile on her face. I had no idea what she was up to, but the knots in my stomach told me that it probably wasn't going to be good.
“Speaking of which,” she said, “you guys left pretty quickly after the bonfire last night. I didn't even see you there.”
“What can I say? We were beat,” he said.
I noticed he was staring right at me. His golden-brown eyes were solely on me, as if there was nobody else in the room, even though he was speaking to Jenn. And as our eyes met, the look he gave me made the swarm of butterflies in my stomach start to batter my insides. I scolded myself, mentally, for even feeling that way. I wasn't ready to think that way about anyone, no matter how handsome he was. “So Hailey, what are you doing this evening?” Cason asked.