“I live here.”
“Two streets over,” Hayden says. “There was no reason for you to stop, except maybe you wanted to feel tough. You wanted to feel like the big bad neighborhood wolf, assert your dominance as soon as you arrived. I bet you were a big deal in your old neighborhood.”
The man flinches as if Hayden’s just reached inside of him and swirled his personality around.
Pride whelms in me. Hayden’s journalistic instincts and his people reading skills are so on point.
“Let me break it to you,” Hayden growls. “If you ever say anything about my woman again, no matter what workarounds you use, it’s going to end badly.”
“You like your chances, do you?” the bald man grunts, but his voice is shaking. He doesn’t look anywhere near as certain of his convictions as he’s trying to pretend.
“Yes,” Hayden says flatly.
The man looks at me, back at Hayden, and then shrugs, throwing his hands up.
“It’s none of my business anyway,” he snaps and then walks away, as though we’re the ones who tried to make it his business, not the other way around.
Hayden watches him go and then walks around to the driver’s side, climbing in, resting his hands in his lap, and breathing shakily.
I lay my hand atop his, squeezing, hoping he can feel the support I’m sending.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Hayden murmurs. “I’m just glad he walked away. When he said that…I was treating you like a…I can’t even say it. When I heard that word, I almost snapped, Hallie. Nobody deserves to talk about you like that.
“But at the same time,” he goes on roughly. “He was right. I can’t control myself around you. I don’t want anybody else to see you like this. When you moan, kiss me in return, squeeze onto my shoulders like you’re about to come for me right here… that’s all for me, nobody else.”
He turns, his entire focus fixated on me.
“That man was a nosy asshole,” Hayden says. “But I’m glad it was him. It could’ve been any one of your neighbors…hell, Hallie, maybe we’ve already been spotted. Maybe word will get around now.”
I swallow, trying not to think of dad’s face crumpling into sobs.
“So what should we do?” I murmur.
“We could call Graham and tell him now.”
He abruptly cuts off when I pull my hand away. I don’t mean to, but it’s like an instinctive reaction I can’t control.
“You heard him on the phone. You heard how happy he was.”
“I’m not sure I can fight this anymore,” Hayden says in a rough tone. “I can’t fight the urge for you, Hallie. You’re too…ah, you’re to mine.”
He leans across as if to kiss me. And even if I know what just happened, and even if I remember how passionate he was a few moments before about not wanting to kiss in public again, I move toward him.
I can’t help it.
He pauses an inch away from me, and his eyes are glassy.
“Hallie,” he whispers. “If we’re not going to tell Graham, we have to take a break for real this time. We have to try.”
I swallow, my throat going tight.
“We did try,” I whisper.
“And we were doing well,” he says. “Until I called you. Until I ruined it.”
“Is that what you think? You ruined it?”
He moves away, his lips twisting into a grimace as though it takes a huge effort.
“No,” he says. “We’re not ruined, not even close. Me and you, we’re for life. I feel that right in my bones, and you’re all I want. And that’s the thing. If we keep on like this, I won’t be able to stop.”
“But what if you don’t feel the same after the break?” I murmur.
“Hallie.”
He takes my hand, enveloping me in his warmth, his strength. I squeeze and imagine we’re standing beneath the altar, that everything has worked out.
There’s no drama. There’s no waiting for all of this to go wrong.
“Nothing could ever change how I feel,” he says. “We could spend ten years apart, and it wouldn’t affect my feelings. If it weren’t for Graham, I’d be down on one knee right now, demanding that you marry me.”
“Demanding?” I say, trying for a joking tone.
But he just looks at me steadily. “Yes. You’re mine. What else would I do? But we can’t betray Graham like that. Let’s wait. Let’s try. It will be so much better when we can meet again.”
“Without worrying about betraying dad every two seconds.”
“Exactly,” he says, sitting back with his fists clenched against his legs, his jaw tight. “But it’s not going to be easy.”
“Okay.” I push the door open, telling myself I can handle this. It’s no big deal. “I guess…goodbye for a while, then.”
“Goodbye, Hallie,” he says, his voice tight. “Just you watch. Your dad will get home soon. We’ll tell him. He’ll give us his blessing. And then we can really be together.”