Beyond Bloodline - Unbreakable Bonds

six

Hayley had thought she'd been able to read the situation perfectly. There'd always been a certain level of chemistry between she and Nigel despite their never interacting. Just when she'd decided to bite the bullet, final year and all, yet another delicate situation pops up.

She understood he and Cassandra's situation well enough. That's what she'd thought anyways. The latter was her best friend and she'd been there for her through every series of their breakups and getting back together, hiding what she really felt in her heart. She cheered for them every time they did make up, feeling like a despicable hypocrite for wanting them to just be done with it all so he could just finally take a glance in her direction.

Well, they did announce they were finally done with the charade six months back. Like she'd hang on to every word that crossed his lips as truth, she'd foolishly believed it. In retrospect, she now understood she'd gone too far ahead of herself. Just friends? Only an idiot would believe that. She'd still been holding on to the bright ball of hope when she'd offered for companions to visit her sick friend.

He'd declined. Of course, he had. He'd freaking made plans with her after their visit. Them showing up at the dessert shop she worked part-time at for ice cream was a shock in itself and it was only watching them that she understood what a fool she'd been.

"Hey." It was her best friend, Declan's voice that snapped her out of her morose state. "Easy on the carrots, will you? What's eating at you anyway?"

Hayley glanced at the carrots she'd been tasked to grate. They were in long strips, if they could even be called that. They were still so thick they might as well be the size of her finger. With a sigh, she pushed it aside before plopping into one of the swivel stools by the breakfast bar.

Declan had stopped by to get away for a while and they'd decided to whip up a quick dinner before calling it a day. Well, he was trying to whip up dinner anyway. She was just being more of a hindrance, honestly.

"I think they're still together," she mumbled as she grabbed her water bottle from the counter, rubbing her fingers idly against it.

"You mean your best friend and that guy you like?" he asked, done with chopping up the other parts of the gravy sauce and coming to take over with the carrots abandoned by his listless friend.

Hayley gave him the briefed up version.

"He probably still likes her," Declan said with a non-committal shrug, finishing up with the dicing and going to check on the boiling potatoes.

"You think?" she frowned, fingers stabbing onto her palms so hard she nearly drew blood.

"With what you told me, there's at least an eighty percent chance," Declan broke down. "Just give it up."

Hayley sighed before her bottle and taking a few gulps of water, her cell chiming in the background. She turned a look at it, spewing out all the water yet to go down on seeing the notification sitting pretty on her locked screen.

Cheeks burning, she slid it open, not even caring for the disgusted look Declan threw back at her. Eyes wide, she came to stand next to him at the burner before shoving the message in his face with a triumphant smile.

💜❤️
Want to grab a bite Friday night?
Received. 21:37 pm

"He might like you then," Declan snorted before going back to stirring the pot.

"Might?" Hayley parroted with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah?" Declan said. "Or maybe he's just trying to eat his cake and have it."

"Get lost," Hayley rolled her eyes before lowering her head to type in her reply. "He's not the type."

"’course," Declan acquiesced before playing two portions of the meal and dropping it at the breakfast bar. "Eat up, lovebird."