“You too?” she asked Tara. “Jesus Christ, Jared, is there anyone from high school that you haven't fucked?”
Ashley wouldn't meet her eyes, nor would she meet mine. She bit her bottom lip and stared down at the ground like a little girl ready to get scolded. I guess the guilty look was obvious to more than just me, because Hadley scoffed, shaking her head.
“Unbelievable,” she said.
She snorted derisively and pushed her way past me, but I grabbed hold of her arm. Hadley turned and gave me a look of disappointment.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“To get some air,” she asked. Her cheeks were bright red, and not from blushing. She looked upset, but I had no idea why. “Let me come with you,” I said.
“Nah, you need to get back to work,” she said.
She pulled her arm free and marched off toward the exit, Tara close on her heels. Ashley smiled at me as she walked by, running her fingernails along my arm. She gave me a wicked little smile.
“Call me,” she mouthed before she too disappeared into the crowd.
CHAPTER FIVE
HADLEY
The next morning I woke up with the headache from hell. I didn't drink much these days, bu
t when my mom offered to let me have a night out to reconnect with some old friends, I'd jumped at the chance. Now, as I stared at the ceiling, groaning and covering my eyes, trying to shut out the sunlight that came streaming in through the window, I regretted that decision very much.
I hadn't even had all that much to drink, thinking back on the night. But then, I also wasn't used to being up that late. The music had been loud, people were yelling, and it had been hot in the club.
I rolled over and looked at the clock. A jolt of adrenaline shot through me and my eyes bugged out of my head when I realized it was well after nine – Grayson was usually up at the crack of dawn which meant, I was already running way behind.
I hopped out of bed. It was comforting to be back in my old bedroom and brought back a host of memories of waking up late for school because I'd been out all night with the Walker boys, and rushing to get dressed without my mom noticing that I was still half asleep. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I thought back to those days. I didn't have the time to revel in them, so I pushed them away.
I was wearing a pair of gray sleep shorts with a pink tank top. It was getting warmer in the house and sleeping with a heavy down comforter meant I didn't need to wear much. My hair was all over the place, and I definitely had heavy, dark bags under my eyes. Ugh. No more going out for a while, I told myself. Not now that I was an old lady and had a kid to care for. As much as my mother loved taking care of him, I couldn't rely on her completely. That wouldn't be fair. Especially since she was already going to watch him during the week as I worked remotely from her home office. I didn't need her watching my son on the weekends too. Smoothing my hair down as best I could, I stepped out into the hallway and glanced down toward Grayson's room. The door was open and there was no sound coming from inside. Voices floated up to me from downstairs though. Feeling guilty for sleeping so late, I walked down the stairs, expecting to catch a little grief. As I reached the bottom though, I suddenly realized that it was more than just mom and Grayson hanging out in the living room.
Gabe was sitting on the floor with Grayson, and they were playing with some Hot Wheels. Both of them were laughing, and it warmed my heart to see my son bonding with one of my closest friends. Deeper inside though, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some small sliver of pain as well. He should be playing Hot Wheels with his father.
I pushed it away and savored the moment for what it was – and what it was, was incredibly warm and sweet. When I stepped into the room, Gabe looked up at me – the smile that had been on his face as he played with Grayson, slipping off his lips almost instantly as our eyes locked onto one another.
My mom was sitting on the couch nearby, watching the boys play with a grin touching her lips that would have made the Cheshire Cat jealous.
Gabe stood up as if I'd caught him doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.
“Morning, Gabe,” I said, holding tightly to the bannister on the staircase, purposely not stepping completely into the room.
“Good morning,” he said.
His voice was low and stiff. His face was unreadable, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides.
“I hope it's okay that I stopped by and visited with Grayson for a bit,” he said. “I had no idea you weren't up and I – ”
“No, it's fine,” I said.
I pasted a fake smile on my face I hoped passed muster as genuine, because the gratitude I felt actually was real. The sadness that was burning deep inside me was the only thing preventing me from showing my true feelings.
“I want Grayson to spend time with you and your brothers,” I said. “That's why we came back here, actually. I thought it important that he be around family, and people I consider family. Now, more than ever.”
Gabe's face relaxed, along with his shoulders and the rest of him. The tension just seemed to melt away. Just like that. Most of it anyway. His lips pulled back in a partial smile, though, it also didn't seem completely genuine. God, when he smiled for real, it sent tingles throughout my entire body. With his chiseled, perfect cheekbones and those plump, kissable lips, he could give most Hollywood actors a run for their money.
“Good, I'm glad to hear that,” he said. “Because I've wanted to be there for him for a while.”