I waited until the last student had filed out before speaking. “We need to talk.”
She lifted emotionless eyes to meet mine. “I cannot imagine what we have to talk about Wyatt.”
Even her tone was void of feeling. Fuck.
I tried to lighten things with a carefree tone, ignoring her immediate denial.
“There is plenty to talk about. Like the fact that you’ve been ignoring me. That’s not very nice of you, study partner. How about dinner tonight?” I asked. “You can apologize to me and I’ll pretend to be mad for a few minutes before we make up.”
I smiled to end my teasing speech but she remained as aloof as ever. It was like being confronted by a brick wall.
My smile fell and I became series once more. “Come on, Hailey. Meet me half way here. We can talk this out. There is no reason for things to be tense between us.”
She looked away from me and sighed impatiently. She added insult to injury by looking down at the small watch on her wrist.
“Look, Wyatt. This is not going to work out between us. Not as friends or as study buddies. We should just be classmates from now on. I am here to work hard and I do not have time for messing around with you. I cannot afford to be distracted right now.” My heart fell into my stomach.
“I disagree,” I said quickly. “We’re both smart people. If we put our minds to it I know we can make it work so that we both do great at school and maintain a stable, healthy relationship,” I said. “We were great together before, Hailey. I think we should give this thing between us a chance. We obviously have the chemistry. I know I hurt you before. I should have never shut you out like that. Things will be different this time. I will-”
She cut me off and stated, “What we had was in the past and we should have left it there. I want to leave it there. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you? I don’t want to do this. Please respect my decision and leave it alone.”
God, this rejection felt like someone had just pushed a fist through my chest and pulled out my beating heart.
Old habits die hard and I pulled my playboy cloak around me to hide my hurt.
I pulled forth a cocky grin even though I was hurting on the inside and said, “If you change your mind, you know where to find me. I will even reinstate our friends with benefits arrangement if you ask real nicely.”
I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at her.
She just rolled her eyes at me and said, “Is sex all you think about?”
The question was rhetorical because she turned her back without waiting for an answer and left me standing there alone.
Chapter Twelve: Hailey
I was in the kitchen making dinner while Noah babbled on about his day at daycare and the new friend he made that day.
It hadn’t been long since we got home and I was so very glad that Noah was able to be on campus with me. It made my life so much easier because I didn’t know how else I would have been able to juggle classes, mothering and working part time.
I savored spending the quality time with my son, treasuring the minutes because they were becoming rarer with the demands of school.
Dinner was a simple pasta fare with cleverly cloaked veggies that Noah downed without realizing. We had his favorite desert – a slice of chocolate cake.
He helped me clean up afterward. In the way of kids, he made more of a mess in the process but I had fun watching him have try.
Next, we moved to the bathroom and he had a bath. I would have to clean up after that too because he got to rigorous in his splashing.
Aft
er Noah was all cleaned up and dressed in Spiderman pajamas, we read a bedtime story and tucked into in to his bed.
“Good night, baby boy,” I said, smoothing his hair back to kiss his forehead
“Good night, Mommy,” he returned, speech slurred.
He yawned and I knew that his droopy eyes meant he would be fast asleep within minutes.
After cleaning up the bathroom and tidying up the living room, I pulled out my books and knocked out some homework before studying up the chapter that would be discussed in one my classes tomorrow.