CHAPTER 25 #2
Shay laughs, the sound low and distant. “Ezra talks a lot, especially when he’s drunk. And he didn’t have to talk much for me to put two and two together. You like him, don’t you?”
My chest tightens at her words, and I clench my jaw, trying to keep my expression neutral. “Ezra doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” I say, my voice sharper than I intended. “He’s full of shit.”
Shay smirks, “Maybe. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
I glare at her, my hands curling into fists. “Why do you care, Shay? What’s it to you?”
She shrugs, “I don’t, not really. I just think it’s… interesting. You and Hayes. The way you look at him, the way he looks at you—it’s not exactly subtle, Dakota. You can deny it all you want, but people notice.”
Her words cut deeper than I’d like to admit, and for a moment, I don’t know how to respond. She’s too perceptive, too calm, like she’s enjoying watching me squirm under her gaze.
“No offense, but your boyfriend isn’t really the likable type,” I say finally, my voice low and measured. “Whatever you think you know, you don’t. So drop it.”
Shay raises an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Sure,” she says, drawing out the word like it’s a challenge. “I mean Hayes can be a dick sometimes, but he’s a good guy.”
I laugh, the sound bitter as I stare at Shay. I don’t think she believes the words she just said. She rolls her eyes and looks away, tucking a few strands behind her ear.
“I have a feeling you know I’m right. I just think it’s because he’s always under a lot of pressure,” Shay says as she slowly shifts her gaze to me.
“Hayes and I used to be friends before we started dating. I came onto him, and I was surprised he didn’t fight it.
I guess he thought it was easier that way,” she continues, her tone thoughtful, almost detached.
“Being with me came with certain… advantages. Less drama, and our families were friends.”
I stay silent, my grip tightening around the cigarette as her words sink in. There’s a hint of bitterness in her voice, buried under layers of composure, and for a moment, I wonder if she’s telling me this because she needs someone to listen—or because she wants to get under my skin.
Shay shifts closer, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. “You know, I always wondered if there was someone else. Not in a cheating kind of way, but… someone he couldn’t stop thinking about. Someone who made him second-guess everything.”
Her gaze pierces me, and I feel the weight of her words pressing down on my chest. “You don’t know shit,” I say flatly, though my voice betrays the crack of uncertainty.
“Don’t I?” she asks, tilting her head, studying me like she’s piecing together a puzzle. “Hayes isn’t exactly subtle when it comes to you.”
I look away, my jaw tightening as I fight to keep my emotions in check. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, Shay,” I say, my voice low. “But you’re wasting your time.”
She lets out a soft laugh, the sound laced with something almost sad. “I’m not trying to prove anything, Dakota. I’m just saying—Hayes isn’t as untouchable as he likes to pretend. He’s got cracks, just like the rest of us. And maybe, just maybe, you’re the one who gets under his skin.”
Her words leave me frozen, my mind racing with thoughts I don’t want to entertain.
Shay stands, brushing off her skirt as she glances down at me one last time. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think he’s figured it out yet. But he will. And when he does, he’s going to have to decide which one of us is good for him. You or me.”
“Isn't he supposed to be your boyfriend though?” I ask, tossing away the cigarette and watching it fizzle out on the cold, hard floor. My tone is sharp, almost accusatory, but I can’t help it. Shay’s casual revelations and pointed observations have left a bitter taste in my mouth.
She pauses mid-step, glancing over her shoulder with a faint smirk. “He is,” she says, her voice smooth and unbothered. “But relationships like ours aren’t always about love, Dakota. Sometimes, they’re about convenience.”
I scoff, leaning back against the railing. “That’s a nice way of saying you’re both just using each other.”
Shay doesn’t flinch. If anything, she seems amused by my bluntness. “Whatever floats your boat, Dakota,” she says with a shrug. “But isn’t that what everyone does, in their own way? Use people to fill the gaps, to make life a little easier, a little less lonely?”
Her words hit harder than I expect them to, but I mask it with a laugh, hollow and sharp. “Sounds depressing.”
“It’s realistic,” she counters, turning fully to face me now. “Not everyone gets some grand love story, Dakota. Sometimes, you take what you can get. And sometimes… You just settle.”
Her gaze lingers on me, her meaning clear even if she doesn’t say it outright. I cross my arms over my chest, my defenses rising. “So, what? You’re telling me you settled for Hayes because you’re too scared to be alone?”
Shay’s smirk fades, replaced by a flicker of something more vulnerable. “I didn’t say that,” she replies softly. “But maybe Hayes and I aren’t as different as you think. We both know what it’s like to want something we can’t have.”
The air between us feels heavy, charged with unspoken truths, and I don’t know what to say. Before I can think of a response, Shay sighs and runs a hand through her hair.
“And don’t get me wrong,” she starts, her voice quieter now, “I really like Hayes, but I don’t think he feels the same. I’ve always had my doubts, but I wasn’t sure. Well, not until you showed up.”
With that, she turns and walks away, her heels clicking softly against the steps. I watch her go, the weight of her words settling over me like a storm cloud. It’s not the first time someone’s hinted at something between Hayes and me, but coming from Shay, it feels different—heavier, more real.
And that’s the part that scares me the most.