Chapter 27
Twenty-Seven
Jaclyn
Sounds from downstairs wake me up in the middle of the night.
It’s currently 3:23 a.m.
Natalia, Chris, and I got home about two hours ago, without Hayden.
Chris said that Hayden texted him that he left because he needed to take care of something. During the drive home I couldn’t help but think what that something was.
I left Hayden alone in that alley while trying not to cry because I promised myself to not cry over boys anymore because what was the point.
Especially since it’s the beginning of the month and a New Year.
I did warn myself about Hayden so why couldn’t I just listen?
Hayden even told me clearly what he was going to do.
All men are the same, they’re after one thing only and once they get it, they're gone.
Hayden doesn’t care so why do I? Why do I feel so much more for him even though we only had two kisses and maybe a few days of us being nice to one another?
It’s like my thoughts regarding Hayden turn obsessive and I can’t shut my brain off from thinking of it.
Instead of thinking more about Hayden I get out of bed and go to the bathroom, but as I’m opening the door I see a familiar figure leaned over the sink, grunting as if they’re in pain.
I furrow my eyebrows and am about to turn on the lights but his voice stops me. “Don’t turn on the fucking light.”
There is a window in the bathroom so the moonlight is shining through the opening making me see him a little bit but I can’t see why he would sound like he’s in pain.
“Why? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I ask, not stopping myself from wanting to care about him even though he was cold towards me a few hours ago. Hayden leans off the counter and stands up straight making me see his bare chest. There are cuts on his chest and a bruise forming on his ribs. I look at his face and he has a bruised eye and busted lip. Blood is dripping from his eyebrow piercing down his cheek. My jaw drops to the floor and something in my stomach turns. I don’t even want to look at his fists. I walk towards him and bring his face down so I can look at his injuries closer. “Who did this to you?” Hayden tries to take my hands off his face but I don’t let him. “What happened? Why do you look like this?'' I ask, my eyes trailing all over his face.
Hayden manages to take my hands off his face and he backs away from me slowly. “I fight, remember?”
“Yea but you never look like this after getting out of the ring so what happened? Why did you even leave the club in the first place for a fight?”
Hayden shakes his head lightly, turning towards the mirror and turns the sink on. “I don’t need someone yelling at me for my decisions. Carter does a great job of that.”
My eyes go back down to the bruise on his ribs. It’s an angry red and purple color. I’m shocked that he isn’t crying or sitting down. He shouldn’t even be standing.
I walk up to him and move him away from the sink. “Sit down,” I say, not looking at him. I grab a small towel and turn the sink handle to the hot side. I look at Hayden who is still standing next to me. “Do I have to repeat myself? Sit down so I can clean you up,” I say, in a meaner tone, hoping he just listens instead of making this harder.
I want to help him but God, I hate that I want to.
I hate Hayden Night so why do I have to feel this need to help him?
Hayden sits on the toilet, not taking his eyes off me. I place a towel under the hot water, wetting it a little before turning towards Hayden, going on my knees in front of him and making him look down at me. I place the towel on his eyebrow piercing making Hayden hiss.
“Do you want to take out the piercing?” I ask but he just shakes his head.
“No, leave it in, just don’t mess with it too much. Wipe the blood around it,” he says and I listen, wiping the blood that fell down his face.
Hayden keeps his eyes on me as I wipe the blood from his face. I go to his lip that’s busted which makes him wince again. I can’t help but say sorry to him, feeling bad that he’s in pain.
Once I’m done with his lip I look down at his hands which are worse than I thought. Not as bad as his face but his entire hand is covered in blood.
“What the hell did you do Hayden?” I ask as I start to wipe the blood off one of his hands.
“Don’t worry about it,” he mutters.
“It’s hard not to worry about it when you come back home in the middle of the night looking like this.”
“Just don’t worry about it. My life doesn’t concern you last time I checked.”
“I was just trying to be nice but there you go being an asshole again.” I stand up and go to the sink, putting the towel under the water. “You have this need to push people away when you have no clue the kind of damage your words or actions cause people. That’s probably why Carter-”
I’m cut off by a warm hand around my throat and my back against the wall. “Never, ever bring up that motherfucker and me in the same sentence again. As far as you’re concerned, you have no idea the kind of relationship me and Carter have so stay the fuck out of it.” Hayden leans closer and he gives my throat a threatening squeeze. He isn’t hurting me, if anything my stomach is tingling. What the hell is wrong with me? “Stay out of my way, don’t fuck with me again. I don’t know who you think you are, coming in here and demanding things but if it’s because of that little kiss I gave you, let me tell you something about that.” Hayden leans closer, his breath hitting my cheek. Anticipation and fury swim in my veins. I want to slap him and punch his chest but that would require showing him the pain he’s causing me. The psycho probably likes it. “That kiss was a mistake.”
Hayden lets go of my neck and backs away from me to go back to the sink.
A tear falls from my eye but I wipe it before he can notice. “Good thing I’m not going to kiss you anymore then right?”
Hayden doesn’t say anything back so I turn around and leave him in the bathroom alone, while I’m left alone with all of the thoughts that take over my mind again.