Halftime

chapter 29

Hayden and I were infatuated with each other. In a good way. We spent five out of seven days with each other, and Hayden usually spent the nights at my apartment.

He'd started leaving things in the apartment. His toothbrush had joined mine and Harley's and in the shower were his shampoo and conditioner, since he didn't fancy my jasmine scented ones.

Now the pile of clothes on my floor had been doubled by Hayden's collection of clothes that he left. Clothes that I frequently borrowed even though they were way too big for me.

The nights that Hayden wasn't at my apartment, I was usually at his.

We spent our days hanging out with one another or with our friends, just in the company of each other or going down to the beach during the sweltering hot days.

New York summer was not forgiving. It was humid and sticky and the amount of people walking around everywhere did not help.

Sadly, it was just getting into summer and would be hot like this for the next month.

But even the gross weather wasn't a dampener on my mood. I was happy. Happier than ever.

Harley had come back from Washington, with her car, and was in a better mood. Even though Aiden had been ignoring her, still pissed off, she was still trying to win him back. And trying to win back his trust.

She hadn't so much as looked at another guy since she'd been back. I was proud of her. And her good mood and determination, only made me feel more happy.

Ophelia had also basically moved into our apartment. Things had become tense with Jess. Even more so after she continued to hang out with Mark.

Me and Harley could avoid her, but Ophelia lived with her. So we let Ophelia live with us. She either slept in Harley's bed, the couch or in my room when I wasn't there.

It was a little cluttered now, especially with Hayden over most of the time and we decided to start apartment hunting for something a little more spacious. And now since there would be three of us paying rent, it meant that getting a bigger apartment was a possibility.

Everything was working out in my life right now.

And right now I was lying in Hayden's bed, him cuddling me and stopping me from getting ready to go dress shopping with his sister.

Cami, true to her word, had asked me to go dress shopping with her and Amanda. I didn't really want to go since shopping wasn't my forte, especially when I didn't have the money to buy any fancy dinner dresses, but I still agreed.

Hayden, however, was being annoying about it since he had to drive me to his house. Which also meant he had to interact with Amanda and Dave.

"Hayden," I grumbled trying to peel his arm off me but he wasn't budging. My back was pressed along his chest and he was nuzzling his face against the back of my neck sending pleasant shivers through me.

"No," he muttered, tightening his hold around me.

"I'm going to be late!" I said, "and you need to drive me. Come on! Stop being so difficult."

"No one's gonna care if you're late. Come on Vi, just let me cuddle you."

I groaned, "you are unbelievable."

He grinned, "twenty more minutes."

"No," I argued, "I have to get dressed."

"That doesn't take twenty minutes," he said, and his hand started their tantalising strokes towards my lower stomach.