"Steve and I broke up," she mumbles.
I almost trip over my own feet at the admission. For a moment I can’t think of anything to say, I can only gape in shock and try to process this news that Remy and I have been holding our breath for but were worried would never happen.
“What?” I finally choke out. "When? How?"
"We got in a fight, and I ended it. He left, and I don't know where he went. But I figured a breakup is a good excuse to get shitfaced, right?"
I wince and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Just… please tell me you're at home and not out by yourself somewhere."
She snorts—another un-Hailey-like sound. "Jax, I'm not an idiot. I'm not out wandering around Philly by myself."
My sigh of relief morphs into one of exasperation. "Hailey, why didn't you call me? Or Remy?"
"Because I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself,thankyouverymuch. I don't need a babysitter."
I shake my head, even though I know she can't see me. "Not a babysitter, just… you shouldn't be alone right now. Plus, what are you going to do when he comes home?"
She hesitates, and I can tell that hadn't occurred to her yet. "I don't know, I'll figure that out when it happens," she mumbles.
"Let me come get you," I say hurriedly. "He might be drinking right now, too. I don’t want you drunk in that house by yourself when he comes home."
She groans again. Then eventually, she concedes with a sigh. "Fine. I'll take an Uber over to your house."
"Don't you dare," I growl into the phone. "You keep your pretty little ass in that apartment, and I’ll call you when I'm outside. Don't move, I'll be there in twenty minutes. I mean it, Hailey."
She grumbles a few choice words but agrees to stay where she is. By the time I go to hang up, I can hear she's cracked another beer in the background. I groan and pick up my pace through the house toward the backyard.
It's not hard to spot my parents, but it is hard to wait for people to stop talking to them long enough to get my own words in. I lose all my patience far too quickly and interrupt my mom's conversation with one of my aunts, flashing an apologetic smile.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to leave, Mom. Hailey needs some help, so I have to go pick her up."
Mom's eyes widen in alarm, and I'm once again reminded how much a part of our lives Remy and Hailey have become over the years. I swear my mom loves the girls just as much as she loves me—sometimes probably even more.
"Is she alright?" she asks with a worried frown. "What's going on?"
I lean forward to kiss my mom's cheek. "She's fine, I promise," I say softly. "She just needs a ride. I'll call you tomorrow."
She relaxes with a smile. "Okay, honey, drive safe. I love you."
"I love you too. And if I didn't say it before, you look absolutely beautiful tonight."
She waves me off with a blush. By the time she turns back to the next person to catch her attention, I've already made my way through the house to the driveway.
Twenty minutes later, I'm parked illegally in front of Hailey and Steve's apartment. I grab my cell phone to call her so she can let me in.
She doesn't answer the first time.
Or the second.
By the third missed call, I'm starting to panic, my fingers tapping the wheel in rising agitation. Visions of a drunk Steve coming home and finding a back-talking ex-girlfriend flash through my mind. By the time two more calls go unanswered, I'm damn near convinced I need to break the door down to get to her.
At the last minute, before I do just that, I remember that Remy once gave me a key in the case of an emergency. We never thought Steve had it in him to be violent toward Hailey, but we definitely never trusted the guy. So she made a copy of the spare key that Hailey gave her and snuck it to me in case I ever needed to help her when she couldn't.
Now is one of those times.
I quickly work through the keys on my keychain until I find the one that unlocks the front door, and then the door to their apartment. I push it open with a sigh of relief, one that immediately gets caught in my throat when I realize I have no idea what I'm walking into.
There's no sign of Hailey in the kitchen, so I make my way down the hallway toward the living room, following the sounds of electronic music. As soon as I walk through the doorway, I see her sprawled out on her stomach on the couch, snoring softly.