Chapter 13
Thirteen
Jaclyn
Kids are laughing and college students are messing around while playing games with their friends. Natalia told me that I should come and hangout with her and the rest of the group.
It’s not like I was doing anything other than reading or doing homework. Calvin said I should go out more now that I have friends.
They are holding this carnival to raise money to build a daycare for students who want to be a teacher for kids. I think it's pretty cool. I remember when I was younger I used to want to be a teacher because I thought it would be fun telling people what to do.
Now the thought scares me because I’m scared of children. They are loud, needy, and require too much .
How would I ever be able to take care of a child when I can’t take care of myself?
“Hey little lady.” An arm swings over my shoulder and I look to the side and see Max with a grin on his face, per usual.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Max shrugs. “Natalia and Chris are working on a booth so might as well bother them.”
I noticed that Max is always wanting to bug everyone. He thrives on seeing people laugh around him. Spending time with this group made me learn a lot about them. I also can’t help comparing them to my old friends.
My old friends were negative and they only ever caused drama in my life.
Having Natalia around and the rest of the group feels like good people exist in the world that match your energy.
We walk up to the booth where Chris is watching Natalia play the game they are holding at their booth.
It’s the game where you throw a dart at a balloon and paint splatters on the wall. She is trying really hard to hit the smallest balloon while Chris is crossing his arms over his chest while smiling at her with adoration in his eyes. He looks so in love with her and I can’t help but feel jealous of her again about something she has that I don’t.
“You know, maybe you should try hitting it from behind,” Max says, his chest moving lightly against my shoulder.
“Fuck you, Max!” Chris yells.
Natalia just rolls her eyes before throwing the dart. “He distracted me!” Natalia points her finger at Max and glares at him.
“You can beat me at the maze.” Max removes his arm from my shoulder. “Let me try.” He walks towards Chris and grabs the darts from him.
“We’re just waiting for someone to cover our shift. He should be here soon,” Natalia says, walking over to me as Max argues with Chris. “We’re going to go to the maze after this.”
“I’ve never been to a maze before,” I say, turning my head away from Max and Chris to look at her.
“Really? Never?'“ Natalia’s eyes raise in shock. I shake my head with my lips turning into a small smile. Natalia smirks as if an idea just sparked in her head. “You’ll love it. I’m sure.”
“See motherfucker?! I told you!” Max yells, making my attention go back to him. He has a huge smile on his face while teasing Chris. Chris just rolls his eyes and shakes his head lightly as if Max is ridiculous. Max looks at me, still smiling. “Come and try, Jaclyn. It’s easy. Natalia just sucks.” Natalia glares at him while I can’t help but laugh.
I swear he loves drama.
I walk over to Chris who gives me the darts. I lick my bottom lip and raise my arm, getting ready to throw the dart. I miss the first time, not surprising because I suck at throwing. I throw the next one and miss again.
“You’re throwing it wrong.” I hear a deep, familiar voice say and I can’t help but turn around. Hayden has his hands in his jean pockets as he keeps his eyes on me. When did he get here? “Stop angling your hand when you throw the dart. Keep your hand straight as you throw and release it.” I don’t reply, instead I turn back around to face the board. I ignore the way my body fills with butterflies, knowing that he’s here and watching me now. My arm goes back into the throwing position. As I release the dart, I try to force myself to not angle my hand and it misses the big balloon I was aiming for. I feel Hayden come up behind me. His warm and hard chest is against my back. I shiver against him and want to arch my back slightly. Having him close feels so foreign but also right at the same time. Hayden grabs my hand and positions it a certain way. His touch on me feels like fire and I do everything I can to try and not feel affected by him but it’s hard when he is consuming my entire being “Like I said,” Hayden whispers in my ear, his lips grazing the lobe. “Release it before you throw it.” He holds my waist and he motions my wrist to throw it. I release the dart before my hand starts to go down with his. The dart hits the board making the balloon pop. “Good girl.”
I melt .
I feel like the entire world just stopped.
Fuck.
The way Hayden's simple words can affect me even though I hate that they do. The simple praise sends heat down my body and between my legs but I ignore it, or at least try to.
“Thanks.”
Hayden backs away from me and I look up at him. He is already staring down at me with heat in his eyes. His eyes go down to my lips before going back to my eyes.
“James is here. He’ll cover us for the rest of the night,” Chris says, making me look away from Hayden.
Chris walks out of the booth and wraps his arm around Natalia.
Kayden is also here, he is standing next to Max and Natalia.
Natalia and Chris walk in front, leading us towards the maze while I walk with Max, his arm hanging on my shoulder. I wish he would take it off but I don’t want to sound rude and say anything so I pretend to ignore it.
When we walk up to the stand in front of the maze a girl looks at the six of us. “$60 total. We take credit, cash, and Apple pay,” she says, before blowing her bubble gum.
“Venmo me and I’ll pay,” Natalia says as she gets her card out.
Right away I pull out my phone and pay her through the app so I don’t forget. I brought cash with me but I can just save that.
As Natalia pays I feel warmth against my shoulder that isn’t covered by Max. Chills go down my body even though it’s not that cold outside.
I look to my left and see Hayden standing next to me, looking straight ahead. I ignore the goosebumps that appear on my bare skin from touching his bicep. He’s wearing a graphic t-shirt that shows off his muscular arms with veins running down his forearms. His tattoo sleeve is visible, no doubt making every girl drool.
“Let’s go,” Natalia says, making me look away from Hayden’s arm. We walk inside the maze and Max finally lets go of my arm. He is super touchy while I am the complete opposite. Being touched makes me feel like I can’t breathe and not in a good way. I feel like I’m suffocating. “Okay, let's go in groups. Whichever group is last out of the maze has to buy dinner.” Natalia says when we stop right before we are at the start of the maze. “Okay so Chris and I will go together. Max and Kayden, since I know how much you love Max, Kayden.” Natalia smirks at Kayden but he just looks bored. He hasn’t said one word since he got here. “And then Jaclyn and Hayden.”
“I’m with my best buddy!” Max says as he walks towards Kayden and wraps his arm around him.
“Get off me asshole.” Kayden pushes him away but Max still keeps his hold tight on him.
I smile at the two. Kayden walks off, leaving Max to fend for himself. Max looks at me, gives me a quick wink before running after Kayden.
Chris pulls Natalia away from Hayden and I, going towards their entrance.
“Don’t get lost because I won’t find you,” Hayden mutters before walking in front of me and going into another entrance.
I furrow my eyebrows as I watch him.
What’s his problem?
I follow after him. His strides are long and determined as he walks through the maze.
Hayden and I haven’t talked much since we worked on the project in my room. He and I have been keeping our distance. I just feel like every time I’m around him, he will do something irrational and kill me especially with his threat from when we were in the alleyway. He hasn’t mentioned anything about “ruining my life”. My thoughts are occupied with anxiety that he’s giving me whenever I’m around him. After everything I told him that day in my room, I want to keep my distance from him. I hate how he knows that I hate myself.
While I was telling him how I felt, I wanted the world to swallow me up and make Hayden forget about that moment.
It just seems so pathetic especially with how I admitted all that to Hayden as if we were friends .
He’ll probably just use that against me.
After so many turns and many dead ends, Hayden starts cursing and I can tell he is getting frustrated.
The maze walls are tall and covered with green grass. It makes it seem like this maze goes on for hours but I know it doesn’t. It’s a trick to make it seem like it does.
“Let’s try going right this time,” I say, trying to be helpful. Hayden instead goes left. I furrow my eyebrows, my patience running thin with him. He doesn’t have to ignore me. “If you let me help I might get us out of here. You running around and being angry doesn’t help,” I say, avoiding eye contact with him when I say that.
“And you breathing like a fucking dog isn’t helping either,” he mutters.
“I’m trying to catch up to you. You have long legs and walk really fast.”
“Then fucking catch up,” Hayden mutters, making another turn, hitting another dead end.
“If you were going to act like this then you should have stayed out of the maze or maybe gone with Kayden. No one wants to hang out with a mood killer.” I glare at him and rest my arms across my chest.
Hayden turns around to look at me. “Princess, you know you want to hang out with me.” He takes one step closer to me.
“Me? Hang out with you? Why would I want to do that when you make me feel like shit? You make the day get worse every time something stupid comes out of your mouth. Grow up and stop being so childish.”
“I wouldn’t act like this if you weren’t around. Stop talking for fucks sake.”
My eyes turn icy and I feel fire in my bones with the way he talks to me like that. “I’m trying to help you and you’re just being an asshole. It’s like you’ve had it out for me since we met.”
Hayden laughs and it sounds so sinister. “You have no fucking clue.”
“I mean since we’re here and alone, we might as well just air it out. Why are you always trying to make my life harder? It just feels like you’re set out to ruin me. Four years ago we were teenagers and now we're adults and you’re still out for me. What the fuck is wrong with you?” I raise an eyebrow at him, truly confused.
Hayden’s eyes darken and he takes a step closer to me. “What did I tell you four years ago?” I step back a few feet trying to put distance between us but Hayden eats it all up and I’m suddenly against the grass wall. “What did I say, Jaclyn?”
“That I’ll know the true meaning of what being hurt feels like,” I say, in a low tone, I think he might have not heard it.
“Exactly.” Hayden puts his hands on the grass wall near my head and he leans in, his lips hovering over my ear. I shiver and turn my head to the side making his lips touch my ear, just for a second but it feels like ice touched me and my skin is sensitive. It’s never been this sensitive. “I will give you hell.”
Hayden leans back and his eyes make contact with me. Even though he looks like he wants to hurt me. I see heat in them.
It’s confusing. His emotions are giving me whiplash.
Hayden looks down at my lips for just a second before meeting my eyes again. His body is warm against mine, even though he is just cold and almost heartless.
Hayden pushes himself off the wall and starts walking away.
One second, I felt him touching me and the next it feels like a ghost is replacing his touch.