Our Scars

Infinity

64

Infinity (Title by The XX)

Hailey had thought about just not talking to Jay and leave him a message instead, maybe even when she was already gone, but then she hadn't had the heart to do it like that. The last thing she wanted to risk was him hating her, if she left without a word. Hailey needed at least one person on her side. She needed someone to tell her it would be alright, that she hadn't ruined it all, that he understood why she had done what she did and that Voight had had no right to talk to her like that and take so drastic measures. Send her away? It was absolutely impossible to wrap her head around that alone. There was only one person that could give her the strength and power to go home, pack her things and board that fateful plane tomorrow morning. One person who could make her thoughts stop racing and ground her.

Right now everything was just a mess. And in that whole mess one thought had embedded itself deep in her heart: She really needed to see and talk to Jay! See and take in his familiar face one last time.

Only instead of his face, another one greeted her when she arrived at the location her phone had directed her to. A very fresh, very animated and beautiful face. One that she should have expected to be here and yet momentarily threw her for a loop.

It belonged to a woman who would put a smile on Jay's face during a stake-out just because she texted him to bring back lots of ice-cream when he got the chance and had the nerve to hit a 24-hour supermarket on his way home. A woman who had taken over some of what Hailey once had considered to be her responsibility concerning the care and mental hygiene for her friend and partner.

That woman now reigned in her very obvious surprise to see her here this late in the evening pretty quickly:

"Oh hey... We thought you were the pizza guy!"

Taking in her radiance Hailey started to wonder if her move to come here had been the right one.

Rianne was positively glowing even with paint splatters all over her face and dirt on her clothes, like someone from a couple-friendly D-I-Y advertisement, glossy edition. That ridiculously large hoodie sweater over clay stained leggings, all that messy hair held up by a signature headband: even Hailey had to admit she could pull that look off. How could Jay not be in love with her?

"Im sorry, to barge in here like this, but I need to talk to Jay. I know he's here, I pinged his phone."

Hailey instantly regretted for it to come out so harshly and like a demand, but it was the only way she knew she could handle this at the moment and not break down crying on the spot. She really must not cry under any circumstances!

Big azure eyes stared back at her so knowingly that Hailey felt pretty naked under her scrutiny.

"Hailey I'm starting to wonder if you can do it!"

Certainly she should not think about all the awful things Voight had shouted or rather spat out, his face only inches from hers. It had taken her every resolve not to flinch back or else, like punch him in the face for example, because she had felt so threatened. Especially she had felt extremely small and Hailey didn't like that at all. It reminded her of times she rather wanted to keep buried.

"Yeah, sure! Jay's here, come on in," Rianne's trademark lilt brought her back to reality and she followed her inside, where it was thankfully much warmer.

Jay had told her they were still fixing up the place, so she hadn't known what to expect.

Passing Jay's vintage motorcycle in the middle of the entrance hall, she was led up a steep straight staircase to the first half floor. From afar Hailey could hear Jay's voice chuckle flirtatiously: