New cover or keep it as is?
Chapter Ten
The rest of my week was completely uneventful. I didn't have any tests or quizzes to cram for, didn't have any plans to look forward to, and Mr. Duncan pushed back the project deadline so Hayden and I haven't worked on it too much.
I don't have any plans this weekend either. I was sitting downstairs in the living room with my dad earlier, watching football, when Bruce and Angel trotted into the room with their leashes hanging out of their mouths.
I took the hint and went upstairs to get dressed since I was still rocking my pajamas, and walked them to the park.
"Alright, bring it back!" I shout to Bruce as he jumps up to catch his tennis ball from a few yards down the open field.
The best part about living in the suburbs is that there are parks everywhere. This one is just a five minute walk from my house and is the perfect place for Angel and Bruce to run around. It consists of a small pond, this huge field the three of us are occupying, and a large playground off to the side.
The pond is surprisingly clear and has a stunning fountain right in the middle. It has a small, resident made dock for fishing off of and a little ramp for small boats like canoes and kayaks. The field is about as large as a football field and is right in front of the pond, backed up the forest that surrounds this part of Indiana. The playground is massive, with a multitude of swings on either side of it. The actual play structure itself is enormous and takes on the theme of a castle since our neighborhood is named Kings Court.
Bruce drops his ball in front of me, utterly out of breath, but starts running again for me to throw it. I grimace at the slime covered, completely beaten and worn down tennis ball and stick it into my ball launcher; only ten dollars at Walmart and has proved to be the best ten dollars I've ever spent.
It throws the ball way further than I ever could and makes it so that I don't have to get slime all over my hands. It's absolutely disgusting to feel it squish between your fingers and contaminate your skin...
"Alright boy, let Angel get this one!" I exclaim as she barks hotly at him for catching yet another throw, barely giving her the chance to jump for it.
He whines and drops the ball in front of her, and she gives a doggy smirk, bending her head down to pick it up. She trots over to me with her head high and delicately places it in front of me before jogging back to Bruce.
"This is going to be a long one, guys. Get ready!" I say, and their tails go into overdrive.
I press the ball launcher onto the ball so that it picks it up and then throw it forward with all my might, forcing the two of them to chase one another for it at full speed.
"You're right, that was a long one."
I snap my body around in utter shock and almost knock heads with Hayden.
He backs up at the last minute and I almost fall backwards and onto my ass when I try to avoid him. The only thing that stops me is Hayden's hands darting out to grab my waist.
I stare wide eyed up at him with my mouth open in the midst of a surprised squeak and he smirks at me, his eyes twinkling against the sun. From this close up I can see that there isn't a single imperfection in his eyes; they are dark blue through and through. He has a small pink scar next to his right eyebrow, no more than a few centimeters long, and has an adorable dimple on his left cheek. The dimple challenges his bad boy-ish persona and gives a new light to his character.
His hands are gently caressing my waist, and I can feel his power coursing through his veins, revealing just how strong he is. From the corner of my eye I can see the muscles in his arms, fully flexed since he's currently holding me.
"Of all the people to fall for me..." He hums, trailing off.
I snap out of my moment of mesmerization when I remember that I despise this guy. I quickly blink and look away from him, beginning to remove his hands from my waist. In the process, I hear a deep growl mixed in with a threatening bark, and I look down to see Angel and Bruce baring their teeth at Hayden.
In one swift movement, Hayden throws me behind him into "safety" with his eyes wide from surprise and fear. I don't blame him for being terrified, Bruce and Angel both have perfect sets of razor-sharp teeth and their growls are insanely threatening.
"Okay, Reagan here's what we're going to do." He begins carefully, his hands still on my waist from where I stand behind him. "Reach in my back pocket and grab my phone, call animal control-" he says quietly, not taking his eyes off of Bruce and Angel.
I snort and step out from behind Hayden, cutting him off, and he snaps his head to me. His eyes fill with disbelief as I start to walk towards my dogs, still baring their teeth at Hayden.
"What are you doing?! Get back behind me!" He exclaims, trying to step in front of me to protect me from my own dogs. Bruce roars at him and he jumps, placing his hands up in a form of surrender.
I laugh and walk towards Bruce and Angel. "It's okay guys." I say, kneeling down in front of them. They instantly put their attention on me and start to sniff all over to make sure Hayden didn't do anything to me. I chuckle and start petting them. "Thanks you two, I'm okay though."
"Uh, they're friendly?" Hayden asks cautiously, moving from his defensive stance.
Bruce looks back at him and growls, but I just roll my eyes and stand up. "Sometimes. If they like you." I say as I look at Hayden, and his earlier comment of me 'falling for him' cuts into my head. "Oh, and I am not falling for-"
He chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Falling for me, yeah I know. I was messing with you, Reagan."
Bruce gives a warning bark and Hayden stiffens, gulping nervously. "Can you, like, call them off or something? They're looking at me like I'm a piece of meat."
I smirk and cross my arms, tilting my head at him. I enjoy watching him squirm like this- it's about time he expresses something other than arrogance. "I don't know, depends on why you're here."
He raises a brow, shifting his gaze from them to me. "It's a public park..."
Angel and Bruce growl at him and take a step forward and he quickly takes it back. "I mean I'm here with my little brother!" He exclaims, throwing his hands up again. He nods behind us at the playground, and my eyes scan the crowded jungle gym.
"Bruce, Angel, go on." I say, and they slowly back away. They trot over to a large oak tree and lay down next to it, keeping their eyes focused on Hayden. They lay close together and Bruce starts licking Angels ears as she cuddles up to him.
"They're...cute. I guess." Hayden mutters, clearing his throat.
"They're a couple."
He nods and I can tell he's a little weirded out. My eyes land back over at the playground and I scrunch my brows together.
"I didn't know you had a brother."
Hayden follows my line of sight and shrugs. "He's my step moms kid."
I do a double take, "I didn't know your parents were divorced either." I sputter out from surprise. "I know literally nothing about you." I muse aloud to myself.
"Yet you're so quick to judge." He muses. I snap my eyes towards him rather guiltily, but he's smiling lazily, his tone friendly rather than accusatory.
"Common flaw." I mumble, looking awkwardly at the grass. "But I am shocked to hear your parents are divorced."
He crosses his arms with a dry chuckle. "The odds weren't against you. I'm just like half of the rest of the country." His eyes take him elsewhere for a second and I stay quiet, trying to figure out what's going on in his head. Then he snaps out of it and shakes his head, looking at me. "What about you? What's the status of your parents?"
I close up at the question and look down, kicking at the grass with my shoes. "They're together."
Hayden nods and we fall into an awkward silence, but he breaks it with another question. "So, have any secret siblings?"
I snort and my eyes land back on the playground, "You mean like you do?"
He chuckles and shrugs, "It's not a secret I have a brother. It's just that no one asks."
Good point.
"Well, no, I don't have any siblings. It's just me and Bruce and Angel." I explain.
He nods, "Which one's Bruce again?"
"The one that made you shake like a little girl..." I say slyly, looking at him from the corner of my eye. "Oh wait, that was both of them..."
Hayden sends me a flat look and I start laughing, shaking my head. "I'm kidding! He's the gray and white one, then the tan and white is Angel."
He opens his mouth to respond, but his phone starts ringing and cuts him off before he can say anything.
I cross my arms and roll my eyes. "Booty call?"
A smirk replaces his scowl and he chuckles, "And you say you know nothing about me."
"This is why I'm quick to judge."
"Touché." He winks.
He starts walking away and I go over to Bruce and Angel, grabbing their leashes to take them home. They roll onto their backs in protest and avoid every way for me to hook their leashes on.
"Stop...moving!" I grunt at Bruce as I attempt to hook the leash to his collar. He keeps shifting his head or darting between my legs. "Angel, can you please get him to quit this?" I growl, but she daintily lays her head back down on her paws.
After a few more minutes of irritating struggle, I finally get them both leashed up and start walking out of the park.
"Hey, Reagan wait up!" Hayden calls randomly, jogging over to me.
Bruce and Angel both start low growls in the back of their throats as he reaches us.
"What?" I ask.
"I was hoping we could work on our project later today?" He asks, placing his hands in his back pockets.
"Uh, to be honest I'd rather not-"
"Great, so let's say four?" He asks, cutting me off.
I scowl. "Was that necessary to do?"
He shrugs and smirks, "I'll see you later, Cupcake."
I narrow my eyes and grit my teeth. "Cupcake? Again?"
Hayden laughs at my response, which reveals a full blown smile. He doesn't smirk or give a close-lipped grin. No, he actually smiles and it's absolutely breathtaking. That dimple on his cheek is even more prominent and his eyes make his smile look even brighter.
"Alright, I'll see you later then." He says before turning around and jogging back to the playground to find his brother.
Does it even matter that I never agreed to this?
---
Once I take the leashes off of Bruce and Angel, they bound up my front porch steps and wait at the door. When I reach the front door, I instantly hear muffled voices behind it. As muffled as they are, I can clearly hear the anger coursing through my parents words. I can't exactly make out what they're saying, but I know that whatever they're arguing about isn't good.
I start to open the door and the voices instantly stop and fake laughter fills its place. I sigh and watch as Bruce and Angel skip inside, jumping up on the couch in the living room.
My parents don't seem to know that I'm aware their marriage is failing. For some odd reason they think that our walls are soundproof and that I think everything is perfect between the two of them, that I never hear them arguing.
"Hey sweetie, how was the park?" Mom asks as I walk into the kitchen, throwing the leashes onto the table.
I force a smile, acting as if I hadn't heard them; like I always do. "It was good, they're going to be tired tonight." I say, referring to Angel and Bruce. "I'm going to meet up with a, uh...friend later to work on a project, by the way." I say as I grab a water bottle, struggling to find what word to use to label Hayden.
They both plaster on fake smiles and nod at me.
"Alright, Chloe or Logan?" Dad asks.
I awkwardly look down at my feet and shrug. "Uh, neither?"
At my answer he looks up from his laptop and raises a menacing brow. "Who?" He asks, crossing his arms.
I grin sheepishly at him. "Hayden..."
Mom tilts her head, "I thought you were working with Noah on your project?"
"That's English, this is my art project." I explain.
"Wait. So you're telling me you're working with two different guys on two separate projects?" My dad exclaims, sitting up straight. "What is this school doing? Do they want little girls to have sex?!"
My jaw drops. "Dad! I'm not having sex!"
"Tucker." My mom snaps, slapping his shoulder.
He sends a second long, cold glare at her before directing his attention back at me. "You had better not be."
"And I'm not a little girl anymore." I pout, crossing my arms and stomping a foot on the ground.
He smiles at me, "Then what is this whole charade here?" He asks, gesturing to my obvious childish persona.
I uncross my arms and stand up straighter. "What charade?"
He chuckles at me, shaking his head as he directs his attention back towards his laptop.
I head into the den to watch TV to pass the time.
A small sigh passes through my lips when I think about the argument my parents were having before I got inside. How their smiles were completely and utterly fake until I started talking to them...
There are times when their smiles around one another are genuine, and there are times when there's no tension at all. It's just that those times are rare, and lately tension is all I ever come home to.
A few hours later I get a text from Hayden.
Hayden: What's your address?
I furrow my brow and text him back, my thumbs dancing expertly across the screen.
Me: Uh, why?
Well there's at least one thing I can add to the previously vacant list of pros about Hayden: he's quick to text back.
Hayden: So that I can come over
Me: Why can't we just meet at that diner?
He conveniently avoids my question in his response.
Hayden: Address?
Me: No.
Hayden: If you don't tell me where you live I'll just get your address from someone else
I can practically see him smirking through the phone; his stupid adorable dimple on full display as he waits for my angry response.
Me: Have I ever told you how much I don't like you?
Hayden: It's all in your eyes cupcake ;)
I let an inhuman growl and place my phone to the side, crossing my arms angrily. I can't believe I was-was ogling this guy just a few hours ago. He's insufferable! He's an egotistical demon who crawled his way up from the depths of hell to-
Hayden: So about that address
After I reluctantly gave Hayden my address, I told my parents that he was coming over here and got a lecture from my dad about how we would have to stay downstairs and he wanted to meet him and all that dad stuff. I was sure to let him know I completely despise Hayden and that we wouldn't...do anything anyways, but he kept a hard glare and repeated that we had better not.
Now I'm watching as my parents put on phony smiles and act like the perfect couple for Hayden. He's giving them both dashing smiles, wearing a black long-sleeved v-neck, a small gold chain, and khakis. Of course he looks incredibly sexy and hot as Hades, and he's charming the pants off of my parents.
I'm actually quite surprised at how polite Hayden's being. I never pinned him as the type to win over a girl's parents, quite the opposite actually.
"We can go to the den if you're done kissing ass." I grumble as my mom gushes over him, and I grab his arm to pull him away.
Okay, Reagan, pretend you don't notice how muscular his arms are or how his muscles are rippling under your touch.
"I'd like to kiss your-"
"I would be quiet if I were you." I growl, whipping around to face him.
He grins, "Or what?"
Bruce and Angel come at that moment and stand next to me, both baring their teeth at him again. I smirk; what perfect timing my dear doggies.
His smirk drops and he gulps. "Yeah, okay I'm going to shut up."
I smile and turn around to keep walking into the den. "Good. So, do you have a lot of practice talking to girls parents or something?" I distastefully ask as we sit down.
He shrugs, "First time actually."
I recoil in shock and snap my eyes up to him. "Seriously?"
He nods and makes himself comfortable on my couch, throwing his shoes onto the floor to reveal his gross, discolored socks. "Serious."
Bruce and Angel hop on the couch next to me and Hayden visibly stiffens as Angel growls briefly at him. I laugh and watch as he swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing from the force of the nerves.
"They're actually really good dogs. Just pet them." I say, rubbing Bruce's belly.
Hayden instantly shakes his head. "Yeah, I'd like to keep my hand thank you very much."
"I wasn't really asking." I say, mocking him from the other day.
He glances at me and stares at me for a few seconds before sighing and giving in, lowering his hand to Angel's head. "Good doggy, doggy..." he says, closing his eyes just before he pets her. When he makes contact and nothing happens, he slowly opens his eyes and lets out a breath of relief.
"Pet behind her ears, she really likes that." I say, and he nods, sliding his hand to behind her ears. She does a small grunt of approval and Hayden chuckles. "Not so intimidating anymore, huh?"
He lifts his eyes to me and smiles, "I guess not."
We start working on our project and he pleasantly surprises me with his amount of knowledge. We get a lot more done than I figured we would, and with him doing a lot of work I'm able to let my mind drift from our project.
The first thing that comes to mind is my chat with Cole the other day in the parking lot.
I haven't thought much about it since it happened, but being around Hayden for more than an hour and seeing a slightly more tolerable side of him brought it to mind.
"Why did you tell Cole to talk to me and make me 'give you a chance'?" I ask, staring curiously at him. He's looking intently at the screen of his laptop, his thumb playing with his bottom lip as he reads some article. At my question he looks up and raises a single, perfect eyebrow.
"I have no clue what you're talking about." He says, lowering the lid of his laptop.
I roll my eyes, "I'm not an idiot."
He smirks, "I'm sure your parents are very proud."
"Just answer the question." I snap. Bruce and Angel lift their heads from the sharpness of my voice and deep growls form in the back of their throats- directed towards Hayden.
He sighs and sits back on the couch. "I'm being honest- I never told Cole to talk to you about anything. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know y'all talked. This is the first I'm hearing of this." He says.
I look at him and scrutinize his every move during his response, and he doesn't give me any reason to assume he's lying.
"Then why would he have talked to me?" I ask.
"Maybe he wanted to get to Chloe?" Hayden suggests.
I laugh sarcastically and shake my head, basically saying as if.
Hayden sits up a little and his eyes harden to show a more serious side of him. "Hey, Cole actually does miss being friends with Chloe. He talks about her all the time."
I recoil in shock and my eyes widen. "He does?"
"Cross my heart."
That's certainly not what I was expecting to hear.
"He regrets dropping her like that when they were younger, but he doesn't have the guts to talk to her on his own." He explains.
I look at Hayden and suddenly it makes sense. He and Cole are best friends, have been since forever. I'm best friends with Chloe and I'm the easiest way to get to her.
Therefore I'm the easiest way for Cole to get to Chloe, and he's going through Hayden to do so. He's talking to me to play Cole's wingman.
"So that's why you're talking to me!" I breathe, giving a big nod with the realization. "To get Cole and Chloe together. I'm not gonna lie, it's a smart plan." I say.
Sure he has the project as a reason to talk to me, but we could easily work on that in class. I figured he just wanted to see how much he could annoy me, but this conclusion makes so much more sense.
Hayden chuckles at my suggestion and shakes his head. "No." He hums, resting back on the couch. "That's not the reason." He muses, looking at me.
Vote! Comment! Don't hold back ;)