HISTORY☆RUDY PANKOW

THIRTY-ONE

AN: this is a long one, prepare yourselves

Avery had thrown Hailey a party, as promised. Fortunately for Hailey, her best friend had listened to her requests and thrown the party at her own house. Hailey had to admit, it was one of the best birthdays she'd ever had. Ryan and her mother had even flown in from Australia to be there on her day, a surprise he put together with Averys help to which her brunette friend cried.

Hailey was thoroughly enjoying herself, she was surrounded by everyone she loves. From her family to her cast members who she now considers family too and Rudy and his friends who she's come to love as her own. The night was full of a lot of alcohol, a lot of music, a couple complaints from Averys neighbors and stupid party games that everyone thought was fun in their drunken states.

It was nearing the end of the night and almost everyone was calling their Ubers home, save for Alex and Hailey who were spending the night at Averys house along with Rudy who insisted on staying behind to help clean up. He was in the backyard picking up the chairs set up and placing them back in the storage shed while Hailey picked up any rogue wrappers and plates.

"So, did you have fun?" the blonde boy asks, after putting back the last chair and taking a seat on one of the terrace chairs.
"Yeah, Avery knows how to throw a party." she giggled, feeling very slightly more sober than she was an hour ago and sitting down next to him.
"I've been meaning to talk to you, ya know."
"What about?"

The blonde boy turns slightly, just to be able to look at her while they talk. "I know this isn't really ideal, but Madison told me about that day you guys hung out." he starts, softly grabbing the girls hands in his own when he noticed her slight confusion.
"I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now, mainly about that last night back in Alaska. I know what you were trying to tell me then before I cut you off."

Hailey roughly pulls her hands away from him and stands up, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. "No, no, Rudy. Don't-"
"And you tried to tell me again in Charleston before you left, but then you saw Elaine-"
"Rudy, you can't just-"
"Hailey, listen to me, please! I'm trying to tell you I feel the same way!"

His voice was slightly higher by the end of his sentence, stunning the pair of them into silence. A month ago, those words were everything Hailey had ever wanted to hear from the boy but now? Now she wasn't so sure. She didn't even know what she was supposed to say to him now.

"Please say something." his voice came out, slightly higher than a whisper as he looked at her pleadingly.
"What do you want me to say Rudy?" she replies, equally as quiet as he had been. "You want me to run into your arms? Thank the heavens that you like me? What are you tying to achieve here?"
"I'm trying to tell you that I love you, Hailey, i'm not trying to hurt you."

Those three words. She couldn't believe his nerve saying those three words to her, after everything he'd put her through. Those three words infuriated her. More than anything he's said so far to her tonight. And she made sure to let him know that.

"All you've ever done is hurt me, Rudy! You string me along and then you're off to find someone better and you expect me to just fall to my knees right here, right now because you think you love me?" she yells at him, pointing an accusing finger at his chest as she moves closer.

"You couldn't let me get a word out two years ago and now you're saying you loved me then but you had a girlfriend a couple months after? You slept with Elaine a month ago and you're here saying you love me? bullshit."

     Her raised voice had attracted the attention of Avery and Alex who had been cleaning up the living room. Alex began to take a step towards the couple when Avery held him back, telling him they need to work this out on their own. So they stayed by the terrace doors watching the scene unfold.

"Hailey, I never meant to hurt you!" he yelled back, his eyes starting to glaze over as he realised how much he'd messed up with her. "All this time, I just- I never thought you felt the same and I was stupid and i'm sorry!"

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it this time, Rudy." she spoke calmly, stepping away from him again. "I think you should leave now."
"Hailey please-"
"Leave, Rudy. You've said your piece and i've said mine. Now leave. Please."

     Her friends watched the boy retreat back into the house, they could see the tears staining his cheeks as she pushed passed them in order to leave. The pair thought nothing of it as they rushed towards their friend, seeing her collapse back onto one of the terrace chairs.

     They held her that night as she cried for hours. Cried for what could've been. Cried for what she lost. Cried over how stupid that blonde boy had been with her and how stupidly in love she still was with him.

AN: did someone say angst? tears? pain?

another double update as promised!
have a great day loves xx