Chapter Nineteen
NINETEEN
HAILEY’S DAILY RULE FOR SUCCESS:
Not that anyone cares anymore...
On the resort room bed, a suitcase is partially packed with Liam’s clothes.
I duck as a shoe comes flying toward me.
An enraged Sonia alternates between filling the suitcase and throwing things my way. Maybe a Zoom chat apology would have been safer. “Please just let me explain,” I say, holding my arms up to prevent injury.
“You acted like my friend,” she says, balling up a dress shirt and throwing it into the suitcase. “You agreed to be my maid of honor.”
“I tried to decline that,” I say and duck as the other shoe narrowly misses my head.
Okay, I deserved that one.
“Doesn’t matter, I came to say I’m sorry.” She deserves that much and so much more, and after witnessing Amelia reconnecting with her family after such a long time, I needed to do this now. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I need to be brave enough to face the music and deal with the consequences.
“You’re sorry? For breaking up my engagement? For kissing my fiancé? For lying to my entire family? For allowing me to trust you with my career goals?”
“All of that—yes. Deeply, deeply sorry and also I was so wrong. I’m not in love with Liam and he’s not in love with me.”
“Really? Tell that to fifty wedding guests who saw you two kiss!” Sonia continues to pace the room. Fuming, she continues to toss clothing into Liam’s suitcase. She picks up a bottle of champagne, takes a swig from it, then continues.
“Look, I admit, at first I wasn’t so sure that the two of you were meant to be...”
At Sonia’s look,
“In hindsight, I realize that wasn’t up to me to decide.”
Sonia hesitates for a beat, then squares her shoulders. “If Liam loved me, he wouldn’t have kissed you on our wedding day.”
“He was just freaked out. I’d messed with him. Again, so sorry!” I say quickly when she scans the room, looking for something heavy or sharp to throw next.
Sonia scoffs. “Warren was right about you. You’re manipulative and untrustworthy...”
I flinch at the secondhand insult from Warren, but Sonia’s not done with the attack. “Living in your mansion with your wealthy clients, playing with people’s lives for a living, you have no sense of morality—right and wrong.”
“I won’t deny that my moral compass can get a little skewed. I just want you to know that I am truly sorry and you are—were—the closest thing to a friend that I’ve had in a long time.”
Sonia looks conflicted for a long moment. Her expression is one of hesitancy and hurt and it gives me the slightest glimmer of hope that somehow we can get past this. I miss her. I miss her friendship. We’d really connected despite my efforts not to get too close. She’s a fantastic person, and spending time with her, despite the circumstances, had filled a void in my life that I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge—the lack of real human connection. I hate that I messed it all up when for the first time, I’d been willing to let my guard down just enough to risk having a friend.
Sonia sighs, looks like she might for a second concede, but then turns away. “Please leave.”
“Sonia.”
“Get the hell out, Hailey.”
The words are spoken softly but resolutely, leaving no room to argue or hope that there’s potential of a future friendship.
Deflated and defeated, with no other option and nothing left to say, I leave the room.
Parents, football fans, and scouts fill the stands for the league championship finals. On the sidelines, my entire body is full of nervous sweat for the athletes out on the field. This game could change their lives.
Adrenaline pumps through me as I remember facing this moment years before—a young, hopeful athlete full of dreams, adrenaline, and ambition. The pressure but also the anticipation, hope and drive fueling my actions.
The opposing team’s coach looks just as nervous as I am, and I nod in his direction. He holds up a triumphant fist. This game is different than all the others. Right now, while we are competitors in a season championship game, we are also allies, working together to showcase the talent and athletic ability of these kids we care so much about. It won’t matter today the final score or which team walks away hoisting the league trophy. Each player is on display. Each toss, each throw, each catch, each touchdown matters.
Everyone here is rooting for the future of this sport.
The game starts and time passes in an almost blur.
On the field, Marcus shines. His focus, determination, skill is all on point. Passes are caught. Touchdowns are scored. The kid is on fire and I’m so pumped up, I’m practically floating as I run along the sidelines watching one amazing moment after another. The teen has stepped up and brought it when it matters. I can feel the confidence and energy radiating from him that only being given a second shot can evoke. The feeling that it’s now or never—time to leave it all out on the field. He is the superstar I knew he always was. He believes it now too.
Everyone on this football field does.
The ball is thrown toward him and he runs with speed I’ve never seen, dodging players on either side, an unstoppable, unbeatable force as he makes his way toward the end zone...
His movements are concise as he plows through the obstacles that stand in his way.
I hold my breath as I watch, then the crowd around me erupts in the stands as Marcus scores the touchdown of his young career.
I hear his mother cheering the loudest and my heart is full that she’s been able to see this moment. Truly enjoy the sacrifices that the family has made and see that her son’s talent was worth taking this shot on.
I’m overwhelmed with so many emotions and the only thought that pops into my mind out of nowhere is I wish Hailey was here to see this.
I force the sense of longing away as I glance toward the stands and the scout sends me a nod. It’s short, brief, but so full of meaning that I finally feel myself relax. Marcus has a bright, amazing future ahead of him.
On the field, the team rushes to their star quarterback and hoists him up onto their shoulders, celebrating the touchdown, the victory, but more importantly the rare moment of being part of something special. As they pass by, Marcus sends me a grateful look from beneath his football helmet as he raises his arms in the air.
I sit in a booth at Malibu Moon and clutch a coffee cup nervously. On my cell phone, I scroll through the social media hashtag #CancelHaileyHarris. My followers have dropped off even more and those who have stayed are deeply disappointed in my actions. Each comment is more disheartening than the previous one.
Money obviously doesn’t buy loyalty.
How many other clients has she manipulated to further her own agenda?
I never believed that was her real hair.
Liam enters the café and looks apprehensive as he approaches the booth. With his hands shoved into his shorts pockets and a reluctant gait, he’s not looking forward to this face-to-face any more than I am. I put the phone away and my brain is scrambled on what to say. We haven’t spoken since the kiss and the cooldown period hasn’t done much to calm my frantic thoughts and conflicted heart. How do I break it to him that I’m not into him, not wanting to rekindle our relationship, that I was just trying to stop him from making a huge mistake?
I can’t tell him the truth. I learned that lesson from my confession to Warren. I don’t need this secret circulating. If social media was trying to kill my reputation for a kiss, having a secret superpower would have me trending in ways I never want to happen.
But I invited him here this morning to clear the air, so I have to say something...
He sits across from me and we both speak at the same time.
“I’m not in love with you!”
We both stop, stare at one another, and simultaneously slowly relax.
He sits back against the plush seat of the booth and gestures for me to speak first.
I’ve basically said what I need to, but I should probably elaborate. I take a deep breath. Best to start with an apology. “I’m sorry I meddled in your relationship.”
He nods slowly. “Appreciate that, but I’m the one who freaked out and kissed my ex-girlfriend at my wedding.”
“So, we’re both to blame.”
Liam shoots me a look.
“Like 60/40 in your favor,” I say.
Liam sighs as he leans forward and folds his hands on the table. “Sonia refuses to talk to me. The front desk at the resort has literally banned me from entering. She won’t answer my calls or texts.” He looks tired and truly wrecked and my guilt only increases. I thought apologizing and clearing the air would help ease how shitty I feel about all of this, but seeing him this upset makes it worse. He deserved to be happy. Deserves to be happy...
If only...
Nope. No more meddling.
“She wasn’t thrilled to see me either,” I say. Even if I wanted to keep messing with their relationship, Sonia’s not having anything to do with me.
Liam looks surprised. “You saw her? How? Your photo is up at the front desk of all Banks Resorts.”
Right, the “do not admit this unhinged person” sign. Social media caught wind of that too and now that ’s a trending meme. I’m all over the internet these days and not at all in a good way.
“A hotel staff member was a previous client...he let me in,” I say in explanation.
“How is she?”
“Angry. She threw things...said things...” I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter. I just feel horrible. If there’s any way I can help you get her back...”
Liam shakes his head quickly. “I think you’ve done enough.”
Right.
“The thing is, Hails. While this whole thing was a disaster, I think it made us both realize that we aren’t quite ready to get married.”
Not a shocking revelation.
Liam runs a hand through his hair. “I want New York and skyscrapers. Sonia wants the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.”
“Right, but I thought your relationship was about compromise. You’d do this now—for her family and for her to pursue a career in acting—then you’d re-evaluate and maybe move back to New York in a few years. Balance in the relationship—you both emphasized how important that was. I think maybe this...hiccup...has just made you two doubt the strength of your commitment to that plan. To each other.” Doubts were natural, especially after such a setback, but they couldn’t throw it all away, could they?
My heart sinks at the thought. If they could after such a strong connection, what hope do Warren and I have of finding a way back?
“We did say all that,” Liam says with a nod, “but I think we were just saying what the other person wanted to hear because we were dedicated to making things work. But deep down, we were both making compromises we really weren’t ready to make. We love one another, but maybe not enough...”
“Wow.”
“And a small part of me wanted to prove to my dad that I was confident in this decision...” He pauses and shakes his head. “Make some point or something. Apparently, the effects of childhood divorce include wanting to show my parents how relationships were supposed to work, but that’s not something I should take on.”
I nod and take a deep breath. It sounds like he’s done some soul-searching about all of this and reached a conclusion that makes sense. “So, what now?”
“I’m hoping to try long distance...if she ever speaks to me again, and see how it goes.”
“I hope she wants that too.” Though the reality of the situation is that they’ve decided to pursue career over love and eventually the connection they have now will either strengthen or weaken. But their future is their business and I absolutely will not touch Liam’s lifeline to warn him of what’s to come.
Life is meant to be a surprise.
Liam smiles at me gently, then checks his watch as he gets to his feet. “Hate to cut this short, but I have a plane to catch for a job interview in New York.”
I stand and we hug quickly from across the booth. A table between us, which feels like an appropriate metaphor for the distance between us now. There’s no going back to what we were before. This has changed things. Too much history now to ever be friends.
“It was great seeing you again,” he says.
I laugh.
“Okay, not really, but it was an...adventure as always.”
I nod, feeling the slight sting of it. “Have a safe flight.”
He nods and gives a small wave as he walks away.
I watch as my ex leaves the café and feel the closure I’d always sought wrap around me. Liam will be fine. Sonia will be fine.
Will I be fine?
The departures drop-off point at LAX is busy with travelers and taxi cabs as I put my Jeep in Park and turn to Liam. “Here you go.”
“Thanks for the ride,” he says gratefully.
We climb out and I take Liam’s suitcase out of the back and set it down on the curb. We fist-bump and share a manly hug.
“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” I know he needs to do this, but I’ll miss having my best friend around. Over the years we’d lost touch, but spending time reconnecting these past few weeks has made me realize how much I value his friendship.
Though, I wonder how he’d feel if he knew I’d fallen for his ex.
Doesn’t matter since it’s over now. No sense telling him that the girl I’d always thought of as the Antichrist is actually the only woman in the world who has me feeling some type of way and without her, I’m feeling really lost.
He said he was meeting with Hailey this morning at the café before heading to the airport. I assume they finally discussed the kiss and what that means for them. I haven’t had the guts to ask if they are rekindling the old spark. I don’t think I could handle hearing it. But he seemed lighter, happier when I picked him up, so I can only assume the conversation went well. Not sure how the two of them together will affect our friendship moving forward. I’d be lying if I said I could be around them.
Fuck, if they ever got married, there’d be no best man speech from me.
My chest is tight and it feels even tighter when he says, “I’ll be back more often now.”
My mouth is dry. “To see Hailey?”
Liam looks confused. “No. To try to make things work with Sonia.”
Sonia? She’s still in the picture? The last time I saw her, she was singing “Roar” by Katy Perry, burning photos of her and Liam in an illegal bonfire on the beach outside the resort. “I thought you two had called it quits.”
“We talked this afternoon when I picked up my things at the resort and she reluctantly agreed to try a no-pressure, long-distance thing. But I’ll be honest man, I miss her already.”
The tightness in my chest eases significantly.
“So, you and Hailey aren’t...?”
Still doesn’t mean he’ll be cool with me dating his ex.
Liam sends me a knowing look. “That Hailstorm really dented your heart, huh?”
I shake my head quickly and scoff. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Denial was the only way to deal with this one.
“Bullshit someone else, man. I saw you two. And I’ve never seen you like that around a woman before.”
Shit. He’s right. Best friends since childhood can call your bullshit like no one else can. I shrug and desperately try to sound unfazed. “It was just a forced proximity thing. That was never going to work.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Go easy on her.” Liam taps my shoulder. “This wasn’t her fault.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“She had good intentions. She’s a good person, Warren.”
Hailey was the first woman I ever let get close and it backfired. Besides, I still don’t know what to do about her revelation. How do you enter into a relationship with someone who claims to be psychic without trusting and supporting them in their claim? I can’t say I fully believe it, but at the same time, I believe in her enough to know that she believes she possesses this ability. I’m at a standstill and have no idea how to move forward.
As if shit wasn’t complicated enough.
I check my watch and punch Liam softly in the shoulder. “You better go.”
“See ya, man,” Liam says. He picks up his suitcase and heads toward the door.
As he enters the airport, I run a hand through my hair and ponder next steps. I have his blessing to pursue something with Hailey, but can I take that risk? Put it all on the line again? Go all in with her and see if this connection neither of us expected is real?
Another disappointment—if she rejects me or if we give it a shot and things don’t work out—could be absolutely devastating.
But I’m not sure anything could be worse than this lovesickness that doesn’t seem to have a cure.