Brooke's POV
Hayes and I stood outside James' house sitting on the edge of the ambulance getting our injuries looked at. "BROOKE!!!" Maddie came running up, I stood up and opened my arms as she ran into them giving me a huge hug. "I'm so happy you're okay, but I can't believe this happened." She looked into my eyes and I saw she started to tear up. "It's okay M I'm okay." I slightly smiled because I was still so frightened by what took place only 20 minutes ago.
She walks over and gives Hayes a big hug too, "Thanks for rescuing us Maddie." Hayes says, "Thanks for saving Brooke." Maddie returns. Nash comes running up next, "DUDE WHAT THE HELL." He yells at Hayes, "YOU COULD'VE DIED." He hits Hayes on the chest, "but thank god you're both okay." He hugs Hayes before giving me a big bear hug. After about an hour of our families crying and hugging us Hayes and I found our way back to each other.
"Wanna go to the place?" "Please." I answer his request. I tell my mom exactly where I'm going and she's surprisingly okay with it considering I almost just got murdered. But she trusts Hayes and she knows I need to get away from what just happened.
Soon we are on the roof looking over the old abandoned amusement park, the same place Hayes asked me to be his girlfriend. We were silent for a while before I had to speak up. "Why do you think he did it?" Hayes lets out a sigh that he must've been holding for a while. "I don't know, there was obviously something mentally wrong with him, I guess we just never knew." I just nodded in agreement.
"I can't believe I did that." I know exactly what Hayes is talking about, I rested my head on his shoulder, "Hayes you can't be upset with yourself over that. You know you had to do it, he was going to kill both of us."
He nodded his head in agreement not wanting to talk about the topic any more. He lets out a small laugh, "this is crazy." "What is?" I look up at him. "It feels like forever ago when I asked you out up here, but it hasn't been that long, we've just had so much going on." This time I just nodded in agreement looking at the city lights in the distance.
Without thinking I did it, I said those three words I never thought I would say. "Hayes, I love you." He tensed up and looked down at me. "Really?" He goes wide-eyed. I let out a small laugh. "Yes, really." He grabs my face and kisses me, "Brooke, I am helplessly in love with you too." I smile at the thought of Hayes loving me so much.
Hayes drives me home and I go upstairs take a nice hot shower and throw on Hayes' t shirt before laying down and finally getting good sleep that I haven't gotten in weeks.
3 MONTHS LATER
Hayes and I just started senior year, and we are happy as could be. Hayes had a big meltdown last month after James' funeral but other than that we have done very well with coping. I have nightmares every once in a while that keep me from sleeping through the night. They are less common now though and I have my family, Maddie, and Hayes to help me through it.
Regardless of the stares in the hallway during the start of senior year it's been a normal smooth sailing couple of weeks. Until that one awful day, it was Friday night and I was sitting Indian style on my bed cramming for my Spanish 3 test, yes I was studying on a Friday night but I had to if I wanted to pass, which my teacher clearly could care less if I didn't.
I could feel my eyes closing when I got the call, I involuntarily flinched at the sound before picking it up. "Hello?" "B-Brooke?" I heard Hayes sniffling, obvious that he was crying. "Hayes? Baby what's wrong?" I was already slipping on my sandals and grabbing my keys before he answered. "She's dead!"
My keys dropped to the floor with those two words I never wanted to hear him say. I curse under my breath, "baby I'm on my way ok? It's ok, I love you." I hung up before speeding down the dark empty streets.
I run up the steps and try my luck of the front door being open and sure enough it is. "Hayes!" I yell into the house and hear Nash yell back, "upstairs!!" I run up the steps into Hayes room and I gasp and stumble back at the sight in front of me.
Hayes standing there drinking a bottle of whiskey, he had never drank before now and I knew he would really regret and be upset about this later. His entire room is trashed indicating he had a another meltdown, this time about his own mother.
I look over in the corner to see Nash holding his face wincing in pain. He sees me and gives me a sympathetic look, "I tried to take it away and he hit me." I could tell Nash was upset but he knew that Hayes had lashed out and would never actually hurt him.
"Oh Brooke I guess you decided to join the party!" He lifted his bottle of destruction in the air, "well bottoms up." He started to chug and I stood frozen in a do not knowing what to do. "Hayes, listen to me." I slowly walk towards him. "I know you're sad and-" "Brooke you don't know shit!" I flinch at his words. "My mom is dead! You don't know what that's like!" "You're right Hayes, I don't know, but my dad abused me and left for years. I've had my fair share of family issues and I just wanna help." His face softens up for a minute knowing that I was right.
But quickly his face goes back to the angry pained expression. "It's not fair!" He throws the bottle at the wall next to me and I cover my head in my hands and slightly duck. "Hayes just listen to me!" I raise my voice. "Why should I?" "Because, I LOVE YOU HAYES." I yell at him to get him to pay attention. I take a step towards him and put my hands on his cheeks and wipe his tears with my thumb. "I'm so in love with you Hayes and I just want to help you. I know your sad but I'm here for you and that is not the answer." I say looking over to the cracked bottle on the floor.
"Let me be here for you." He grabs my waist and pulls me into him before wrapping his arms around me and crying into my shoulder. "I'm sorry Brooke, and I am so in love with you too."
Authors note: yay an update! So I think this is gonna be the last chapter and the next one will be an epilogue:-) I hope you guys have been enjoying this book and I love all of your positive comments and messages ily guys!
