Hard to Love You (19 page)

I regrettably untangle myself from her naked body and go to wake Cooper for practice.

When I walk downstairs Cooper and Jaylinn are already sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee.

“So Masey, you and Hailey?” Jaylinn questions me.

I shrug. I’m not sure exactly what we are right now.

Cooper stands up and goes for another cup of coffee. “You fucked her in our sister’s house, in the kitchen dude, and all you can do is shrug?”

I walk by and smack him upside the head, “Yup and you aren’t going to say a word about it to Kenzie either.”

“Hell no I’m not. I’m staying far away from that.” Cooper says.

The three of us talk for a little while before Coop and I leave the girls and Ryder to head off to practice.

I wake around ten and I feel the panic quickly. Mason is gone, I can’t feel his body heat, but he never woke me to make sure I kept an ear out for Ryder. I throw the covers off and run into his room. Jaylinn is sitting on the floor playing with Ryder’s blocks as he is sitting in her lap, attempting to eat the block in his hand.
Thank God those things are plastic.

“Morning Sunshine.” Jaylinn greets me.

“Damn, I was in a panic for a minute. I didn’t hear Mason leave this morning and thought Ryder would be in here screaming his head off.” I take a seat next to Jaylinn and Ryder on the floor and pick up a block, twirling it around in my hand.

Ryder squeals, I reach out and grab his little hand, “Morning monkey.”

I look over to Jaylinn and she grimaces a little. “What’s the matter?” she says.

“Damn rug burn.” I start laughing. “It’s not what you think, jackass.”

I roll my eyes, “Yeah sure.”

“It wasn’t! Coop and I were playing around. I tried to get away from him but he caught me by my feet and dragged my ass across the floor back to him.”

I laugh harder, “Didn’t you have pants on?”

“Oh whatever.” Jaylinn huffs and blows her bangs out of her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“When are you and Coop ever going to get together? Everyone knows you two are fighting your feelings for some reason and it makes no damn sense, Jay.”

“It’s complicated.”

“What isn’t complicated anymore?”

Jaylynn shrugs, “Every time I try to get close to him he shuts me out and then things are weird for a few days afterwards.” Jaylinn shrugs and looks hurt.

“What’s so complicated about your relationship? Is it because of baseball? And your soccer? Both?”

Jaylinn just shrugs.

“Do you want me to have Mason try to talk to him?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

Ryder starts getting fussy. Poor little guy is drooling like crazy.

“Don’t panic, but I think you need to run out to the store and get Ryder some teething medicine. He’s putting everything in his mouth and he’s really cranky. Kenzie left a note.” I laugh once, of course she did. “She said if he’s really cranky to put Baby Orajel on his gums but I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Aww, Monkey are your teeth bothering you?” I coo to him. He reaches for my finger and tries to stick it in his mouth.

“See.” Jaylinn says while reaching for a teething ring I didn’t notice on the floor.

“Alright, I’m going to go throw some clothes on. You’ll be ok with him until I get back?” I ask Jaylinn as I stand up.

“Yup, we’ll be fine.”

An hour later I walk into Walgreens, pushing a shopping cart down the baby aisle. I grab the Baby Orajel and then swing around to the next aisle to grab some snacks.

I stop dead in my tracks. Lily is standing there. She hasn’t noticed me yet and I could easily back up and leave but before I get the chance she looks up. Panic flashes across her face.

“Oh hey, Hailey.” Lily says as the panic leaves her face. Lily is a nasty person and cries for attention from anyone that has a dick. It’s a shame that her good looks were wasted on such a sleazy whore bag.

Someone clears their throat behind me. I turn and I’m almost face to face with Brittany.

Fuck!

This situation could go one of two ways. I could completely ignore them and leave or I can stay and stand my ground. I’ve never fled before and I’m not about to start now.

“Well who the fuck do I owe this surprise to?” I say with a sweet voice.

Brittany walks past me and stands next to Lily. I look down to what Lily has in her hands. Two different kinds of pregnancy test.

What. The. Fuck?

“
What idiot would fuck you without a condom? He’s gotta be fucking stupid.”

“That fucking idiot would be Mason.” Brittany taunts.

I want to punch this bitch in her face.
There isn’t an ounce of relation between her and her step-brother and step-sister. She’s vile. I pity any man she ever ends up with.

Lily plasters a fake smile on her face, “You know how Mason can get so caught up in the moment he forgets to use a condom sometimes, and now look what’s happened.”

I feel all of the air leave my lungs. Please, please, please let me have misunderstood what she just said.

“Mason’s not sleeping with you Lily. I’d know if he was.”
I would. Jaylinn or MacKenzie would tell me. Wouldn’t they?

Lily lets out an evil laugh. “I don’t recall seeing you at any of his away games. Mason got me a room every time they were away so we could spend some time together. He’s a wild one in bed.”

She’s lying. She’s fucking lying.

“Looks like Blondie here doesn’t know, Lil. I thought Mason was going to tell her right after the wedding.” Brittany says as she twirls her blonde hair around her finger.

Lily looks over to Brittany, “He hasn’t had a chance yet.”

“So that night at the bar wasn’t your first time?” I barely get out.

“Oh no honey, we’ve been at it for months. You just caught us at the bar. Mason couldn’t help himself.” Lily explains.

Mason wouldn’t do something like this. He told me just last night that he loved me. He made love to me yesterday, twice.

“He’s been sending me flowers for the last two weeks, Lily. If he’s fucking you why is he still trying to get me back?” I ask through my teeth.

Brittany doesn’t miss a beat and answers for Lily, “He was just trying to smooth things over before the wedding. He didn’t want to cause anymore drama.”

I’m going to be sick.
I leave the shopping cart in the middle of the aisle and run to the exit. I barely make it to the car before I empty my stomach on the pavement.

“Hailey?” I heave again. “Hailey, are you alright?”

I’ve gotten everything out I think. My stomach feels all twisted, I’m clammy and sweating. When I look up Cole is standing beside me, holding my hair.

“Are you ok?” Cole asks with concern.

I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. “I’m fine. Just not feeling well.”

I hear the evil bitch and her twin walk out of the store, laughing. Cole goes stone solid next to me when he sees Lily and Brittany. As luck would have it, I’m parked right next to Lily’s car. They walk over and Lily eyes Cole. “Hey Cole.”

What the hell is going on? Please let this be some fucked up dream. How in the hell does she know Cole?

Cole puts his arm around my shoulder, “Come on, Hailey. Let’s get you in the store and find something for your stomach.”

We leave Lily and Brittany laughing as we walk away.

After I ensure Cole that I’m fine I drive back to MacKenzie’s house. I never question Cole about how he knows Lily because I’m not sure I can handle anything he might tell me right now.

I leave the car running when I pull into the driveway. I run in and hand Jaylinn the Orajel.

“Hailey what’s wrong?” Jaylinn asks as she takes the bag from me.

Ryder is sitting in his highchair. “I’ll be fine. Can you keep an eye on Ryder until I get back?” I tell her. “There is an emergency that came up and I have to figure out what’s going on.”

Jaylinn’s eyebrows burrow but she doesn’t question me. “Yeah, sure.”

I kiss Ryder on his head. “I’ll text you as soon as I figure out what’s going on.”

“Alright.”

I don’t look back at her as I leave. I get back in the car and text Mason.

Me 12:11p.m.:
Meet me at your house. We need to talk.

I go over to Mason’s house and let myself in with the key that he gave me months ago. I go into his room and let all my anger out on it. I tear his clothes out of the closet and throw them all over the room. Tears are streaming down my face. I open his drawers in his dresser and dump everything out.
How could I have been so stupid? How did I fall for his lies?
I pick a signed baseball that is on his dresser and throw it at his closet door. There is a picture of him and me from this past summer, we’re lying together on the beach, I heave it at the wall. I run my arm across the top of his dresser knocking everything else that was on there off. I go over to his desk and do the same thing; papers go everywhere, his laptop crashes on the floor. I stomp on it and the screen cracks.

I storm out of Mason’s room and grab a knife from the kitchen then go into the living room. I go to work on cutting all the wires for his x-box, cable box and his TV. I knock his DVD stand over and all the DVDs fall to the floor. I pick up another picture of us both at one of his games. I have my legs wrapped around Mason and he’s kissing me. It’s one of my favorite pictures. He looks so hot in his baseball uniform. I fall onto the couch where I cry and cry and cry. Sobs rock me so hard I can’t breathe and I beg the next breath not to come. I don’t want to feel the pain, the betrayal, the heartache.

Once I’m all cried out, I sit in complete silence in the rocking chair, rocking back and forth until Mason comes home.

Practice drags at a snail’s pace today. Come to think of it Mondays just suck in general. I just want to go home to Hailey and finish what we started last night. When it is finally over I take a quick shower, wrap a towel around my waist and head to my locker. I pick up my phone before getting dressed to see if I missed any calls or texts. I see one from Hailey telling me to meet her at my house.
Strange.

“What’s up with you?” Cooper asks as he roots through his locker for his clothes.

I tap out a quick text to Hailey.

Me 4:15 p.m.:
Heading out in 15 mins. See u soon.

“I got a text from Hailey asking me to meet her at our house.” I answer him. I set my phone on the shelf and start to get dressed.

Cooper pulls a shirt over his head. “Hmm, I got one from Jay asking if everything was ok.”

I look to Cooper and give him a ‘what the fuck’ look; he shrugs.

Fifteen minutes later we manage to get out of there with no one wanting to talk about the upcoming away game on Wednesday.

Cooper calls Jaylinn when we are in the car. “Hey.” Cooper drums his fingers on his leg. “She didn’t say what the emergency was?” Cooper looks over to me. “Alright. I’ll see you soon.” Cooper ends the call. “All Jay said was that Hailey ran out to the store to grab something for Ryder and when she came back she said there was an emergency and she would text Jay as soon as she found out what was going on.”

I’m worried, what the hell could have happened? “Where’s Jay now?”

“At Kenzie’s. Drop me off there and then go home and see what’s up with Hailey.”

Whatever is happening with Hailey I know it can’t be good. This makes me shudder at the thought of the last time Hailey said there was an emergency. She never used the word emergency unless it truly was one. We set a rule years ago that if something really bad ever happened at home that she would just text emergency and I would come running.

At the end of Hailey’s parents’ divorce, right before her dad moved out, things turned ugly and mainly for Hailey. I got a text from Hailey one winter night when she was around fourteen. I had just gotten my driver’s license and she sent me a text in the middle of the night to come and get her. I jumped out of bed and rushed to her house. When she got in the car all I saw was red. I was livid and she hadn’t even explained yet. Hailey had a cut on her eyebrow, thankfully it didn’t look like she was going to need stitches but then she turned on the light and I saw a black and blue mark forming on her cheek.