Finally, Hayley was done with her rant. The car felt suffocating. Everything she said had some piece of truth to it. When I looked at her, I saw the past, and it made me want to hate her, but in the same breath, I also saw the future, and it made me want to love her.
Her hand was on the door handle. “Just leave me alone.” She glanced back at Piper, giving her a sad smile. “And take Piper back to where you found her.” With that, she climbed out of my car and slammed the door.
My fingers were drumming the steering wheel again, my mind going a million miles a second. Piper’s voice had me pausing. “Christian, everything she said was the truth. You are an entitled, rich dick who thinks he can control everything and everyone at English Prep. But this?” I flicked my eyes to hers in the rearview mirror. “This is real life. I’ve only known her for two weeks, and I can tell you right now that she isn’t the type of girl to ask for help or to confide in someone—not even when she needs to. And right now, she needs to.” She worried her lip between her teeth. “It’s not a good situation.”
“Was it her foster father?” I asked, keeping her stare.
“Yeah,” she answered.
Ollie hissed. “Bro, don’t do anything stupid. I can save your ass at a Wellington Prep party with a bunch of pansy asses, but I’m not so sure about this.”
I ignored his protests and climbed out of the Charger. I tr
ied to keep a steady head. Think this through. I couldn’t be rash.
Or could I?
Hayley was crossing the street as I passed the parked Escalade to my right. Her arms were wrapped around her middle, her hair blowing in the wind.
I stepped over the curb, and she turned toward me quickly. “Jesus Christ.” She threw her arms up when she saw it was me. “Take a hint! I don't need any help.”
“No, but Pete is about to.”
I stormed past her, ignoring her gasp. Right before I got to the bottom step of the house, Hayley sidestepped in front of me, her eyes wide underneath the soft glow of the moon. “Christian, stop! No!”
I snarled, ready to shove her away. Her warm palm landed on my bicep, skin on skin. I can’t believe her own foster father laid his hands on her. It wasn’t my intention to beat his ass when I climbed out of my car and followed after her. My plan was to act like I was so Hayley would stop lying and tell me the truth. But once I got to the bottom step and she looked up at me with fear plain as day in her eyes, something snapped inside of me. A protectiveness of her that I thought no longer existed emerged. He hurt Hayley. My Hayley.
“Christian.” Her voice pulled me further away from anger, her hand wrapping tighter around my arm. “Don’t. Please. I’m begging you.”
I paused, wavering for a moment. When I shifted my attention back to the house, she squeezed harder.
“If you ever cared about me at all, please don’t do this.”
My head tilted; my jaw tightened. What a stupid thing to say. Of course I cared about her. It was why I was acting so insane right now.
“That’s not doing it for me, Hay. Better think of something else to distract me with, because I’m seconds from bashing his fucking face in.” I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when he opened the door and I punched him clear off his fucking feet. I’ll kick him in his side just li—
My breath was momentarily gone. A spark of life went through my body like lightning striking the ground. Hayley’s lips were on mine, moving effortlessly, as if they were meant for me all along. Her hands left my arms and weaved into my hair; her soft breath mingled with mine. My heart moved inside my chest as I pulled her in closer. I’d never felt such a tug in my core than I did in that moment. Hayley’s ruby lips were mine for the taking, and I took every last breath that she had.
As soon as she pulled away, I was shocked. I couldn’t speak. Or move. Hayley dragged me by my forearm, over the dip in the grass and all the way to the tree near her window. I was like a lost puppy being tugged by his collar. Once we were face to face, I watched as her tongue darted out to lick her swollen lips. I stared at her. She stared at me. I blinked once. She blinked back. What the fuck just happened? One minute, I wanted to end her, and the next, I wanted to save her. “Are you back? Level-headed? Ready to hear me out?”
Well played, Hayley. Well fucking played. Hayley definitely knew how to distract me, and it worked.
It worked too well.
“I’m ready.” My voice was gravelly sounding. It was almost painful to talk after what just happened. Her kiss. Holy shit.
Hayley looked up into the starry sky. “Yes. Pete was the one who kicked me. And no, there isn’t anything I can do about it. Trust me. I want to take the dullest knife in the silverware drawer and hurt him with it until he bleeds, but I can’t, because if I get kicked out of this house, I’ll go into a group home.”
“So?” I ran my hand through my hair, wanting to tug at the ends to keep myself from grabbing onto her body and pressing my lips to hers again. “So?” she hissed, her legs pacing back and forth in front of me. Twigs and leaves crunched underneath her weight. “I turn eighteen soon! Do you know what they do when you turn eighteen while in a group home?” She didn’t give me time to answer. “They kick you out! You’re officially out of the system. A big congratu-fucking-lations. You get booted on your ass and become homeless. But”—she turned around and stared at the side of the house—“Jill and Pete and I have it all worked out. I can stay here until college as long as I give them my stipend money from the state and as long as I don’t give them any trouble.”
“And what if Pete doesn’t?”
Looking over her shoulder at me, she asked, “What if Pete doesn’t what?”
“Stay out of fucking trouble? He left bruises on your body!” I almost yelled, heating up again inside.
Hayley turned around and walked over to me, peering up into my face. “That’s something I can't really wager on working in my favor, Christian. You don’t get it. You aren’t in the system. Shit doesn't always work out the way it should. It’s about survival. And this is me surviving!” An audible groan left her mouth. “This is my last fucking pit stop. If I mess this up, I can kiss the scholarship I want goodbye. Being homeless and still attending English Prep and getting stellar grades would be impossible. And you’re not going to fuck this up for me because you have some crazy control issue.”