That Girl (Part 2)

Chapter 11

EDITED

"You're here." Haylie announced as Dan turned to face her while slowing down his treadmill.

"I am." He sighed as he came to a stop and reaching for his water.

She frowned, confused on his cold shoulder but when she remembered the last time she saw him, she understood. "You haven't really been around recently."

He jumped down from the machine. "Well, you have my number Haylie so you could have called."

She scoffed as he reached for his bag. "Seriously?" He didn't respond and went to move past her but she moved her body in front of him first, not caring for the other gym goers on this Saturday morning. "You're playing the 'you didn't call' card?"

He shrugged. "I'm not playing any cards. If you wanted to see me, you would have called. That's a fact."

"You're upset about the kiss. Just say it." She snapped and he met her eyes with a frown. "I kissed you and then left. You're pissed at me. That's a fact."

He shook his head. "No. No Haylie, I'm not pissed at you. I actually expect it from you at this point so I can't be pissed. But what is frustrating for me is that you obviously feel something for me, but you won't get out of your own way."

"You have no idea how I feel." She stated quickly and he folded his arms over his chest, his gym bag still hanging from a shoulder. "Okay, I made it very clear to you nothing was going to happen between us. It's not my fault if you couldn't take no for an answer."

He took a step back, looking wounded. "Wow. You're really going to paint it like that?" She knew what he had heard, and she wanted to take it back but she didn't know why he got so deep under her skin that it made her stubborn. "God you are so stubborn." He groaned. "Fine. Well, have you considered in your own self-absorbed world, that the fact I haven't been here waiting for you so we can train, is me taking no for answer?"

She was so insulted that she couldn't even think about if his words made sense. He obviously decided he had won as he moved past her and left the gym. She should head upstairs before she's late but when movement came back to her feet she headed outside to where Dan was shoving his bag into the SUV.

"Screw you!" She screamed at him. He obviously wasn't expecting the reaction as he paused for a second as he faced her. "You act like you know me. You don't know anything about me and you know the most pathetic thing about you? It's that you decided you liked me before you even knew me which meant you liked me because of the way I look. And considering my age, what do you think that makes you?"

He slammed his car door shut when she was finally in front of him again. "That's great. So, I'm pathetic, can't take no for an answer and now I'm also some creep that has a thing for pretty teenagers. Anything else?"

She nearly screamed as he ticked them off his fingers. "Yes! You're also arrogant. You have it in your head that I have feelings for you when I don't. When I've told you that I don't. And you always look at me when you say it like you can see through me but you can't."

He folded his arms and leant his back against the car as he waited to see if she continued. When she didn't he slowly nodded. "Why are you so set on the fact you think I don't know you?" She scoffed. "Seriously, you always bring that up. But I do know you. I know how hard you work, how strong you are. I know that you're brave even when you tell yourself you're not. I know you're funny but you only use that humour as a defence most of the time. You have a serious female rage complex that was amplified when Derek insisted, he killed his uncle to protect you. You're aware of the way you look, but you've never once used it to your advantage because it makes you uncomfortable. I know you Haylie, do you want me to keep going?"