LOSING IT ALL //HAYLEY PARKER

21

~LOSING IT ALL~

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21| DOES HE?
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THE TRILLING OF MY PHONE with Camille's megawatt smiling face bobbling on the screen immediately jolts my heart to begin it's predictable descent down my chest.

I tear my gaze from Dale's. "I'm supposed to meet with Jenny and Mill." I say, grabbing my bag from beside my stool. Dale raise his coffee cup to me in a silent toast. I narrow my eyes at him internally contemplating whether to ditch them to spend a little more time with him. I'm tempted to.

"See you at the house." I say instead, swinging the strap of my Tote bag over my shoulder as I pull myself from the patio stool.

"See you then." He nods curtly, a flash of something crossing his face as he looks up at me. It almost warms my heart to see him disappointed, but a reality check quickly fix that.

Jennifer and Camille are both sitting idly by the burger truck with its awning roof that holds a large marquee letters spelling out O'DOUL'S BURGER when my taxi pulls up along the curbside. They both narrow shrewd and curious gazes at me as I skitter over to their table.

"Where'd you wander off to?" Jennifer interrogates immediately I reach the table. I drag out a patio chair and plop my exhausted ass heavily into it.

Camille raise a brow, one that conveys 'yes, tell us' nonverbally, and then pins a patiently expectant gaze on me. Still very much hungry, I grab a menu and quickly peruse through it.

"Come on, Hayley, you're not going to hold back on us," Jennifer grumbles, snatching away the menu from my hands. "Now, tell us. You've been so distant lately, and for the first time since we've been friends, I don't think I know you anymore."

I tunnel a hand through my hair and sigh. "I went out to eat with Dale." I confess, fidgeting in my chair under their fixed gazes.

"With Dale?" Jennifer arches a musing brow.

"Yes." I one-shoulder shrug, picking her half-bottle of Schweppes, and sip it's sweet mineral water from the yellow striped straw that protrudes from the top.

"I thought you and Jay had a tiff cause you both hung out a lot." Camille says, eying me warily.

"Something like that." I quickly fob her off with an evasion. No need divulging anything to them. But why? Ain't they your friends?

Yes, they're.

So, why don't you tell them what that impertinent bastard did to you?

I just don't feel like burdening them with my issues. I've been doing that a lot lately. This time, I'll figure it out by myself.

You're such a hopeless fool. My inner voice chides at me.

"Something like that?" Camille probes, evidently not believing me. "Is something going on between you guys that we don't know about?"

I sputter into the bottle, and Jennifer mouths yikes, her face wrinkling in disgust. "You can take the whole bottle now." She adds, a disapproving frown touching the fringe of her auburn wig that is cut into a sharp chin-length bob.

"Don't be delusional, Milley." I parry abruptly, heat of embarrassment warming my face. "Why would Dale want to have anything to do with me?"

Jennifer raise a ludicrous brow. "Why wouldn't he. Who wouldn't." She says hotly. "You're a very pretty girl, any guy with good eyes can see that. Besides girl, if you were to get involved with him, he would deem himself lucky."

I scoff. Give me a break.

"That's not the case here." Camille interjects. "You're in a relationship, Hay. In as much as you like Dale—"

"—I don't!" I intone.

Jennifer and Camille throws me a look as much to say 'girl, of course you do'. I shift uneasily in my chair. "You guys knew?"

They both burst into laughter. "Yes girl, we're not blind." Jennifer says.

"And, he didn't even try to hide it either," Camille butts in, giggling so hard. "You should see him whenever he's staring at you-"

"-He be drooling over you." Jennifer completes, her eyes tearing up with mirth. "I've never seen a guy so smitten."

"For real!" Camille snickers. "For a while I was so confused, like can't Jay see what's going on?"

I sit there watching them, confusion etching everyone one of my features. How did I not see it? If Dale Randall has any interest in me, I would've known, in fact, I would've been the first to know, right? And, here I thought I was good at gauging people. Sighs.

"But, seriously." The mirth is no more in Camille's blue eyes. "You're with Jayden. Dale doesn't matter at this point. If you're trying to be nice to him, fine, I can't deny him that. But, you've got to be careful. Jayden loves you, everyone knows that. I don't want you hurting him, or getting hurt with someone who might not be ready to settle down with you."

I swallow hard. They don't just know what he'd. If they'd, I'm pretty sure their perspectives would change. It's just like the old saying, never trust a book by its cover.

"Look, guys." I start, spine straight in my chair. "I understand where you're coming from. But irrespective of me liking Dale—" my cheeks warms at my blunt acceptance. Gosh, this is so embarrassing. "—I don't think we're ever going to be a thing, okay? Besides, I have Jayden." I cringe inwardly.

Camille's smile is soaked with relief. I can understand why. She had loved Becky and got her heart broken, and for some reason, she's taking it upon herself to avoid such repetition. God help me, what'll happen when they'll find out that their precious Jayden isn't who they think he is.

"All right." Camille beams. "I miss us talking like this. It's been long."

"Apparently."

"For real." Jennifer and I reply synchronously.

However, I can't shake of the entire notion of Dale liking me. Does he? I mean, he doesn't even behave like he does. What if they're wrong? And oh, I really want them to be right.

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