Chicago Love ✔️

Chapter 37: My Boyfriend, Alex Bowman

Kim walks over, placing a pair of beers on the table before hopping up on her seat as she looks across at her fellow female officer. 

There was a time she did not believe she was capable of being at Hailey's level. She dreamed of being just like her, having a spot in Intelligence, and being able to tackle anything. Over time, she had learned she was that person herself. She had gotten shot, came back stronger, and beat her own demons to take down some of the craziest criminals. Now this was not someone she simply admired. This was someone she called a partner, a fellow Intelligence Unit family member, and a friend.

"So, do I get to learn the full truth now about you and Alex?" Kim questions as she takes a sip of her own drink. "There's got to be more to the story if you are spending every single weekend with him. There has got to be more to the story if Hank is okay allowing that to happen. There also has to be more to the story if you are still gawking over every single text message. Oh, and the fact you stayed an extra day with him and went back home with him." 

"Are you don-" Hailey questions as Kim shakes her head no, as she glances towards Hailey's vibrating phone.

"Don't even think of answering that text message. We both know it's probably him. If I have to guess, the pair of you are se-texting each other. Am I on to something, at least?" Hailey laughs, doing everything to resist the urge of checking the message right away. She hated to leave him ignored. She didn't want to him to think less of her for not answering the messages. She always wanted to take advantage of any time they had together. Was that wrong?

"I stayed the extra day because I wanted to look out for him after he wrecked on Sunday, okay? I wanted to be there and make sure he was okay, considering he just broke his back months ago. Is that a crime? Last I heard it was fine to check on friends if something happened. You'd be doing the same if it was Adam." Kim nods her head, accepting, knowing she would probably be doing more than simply checking in on him. She'd be tending to every bit of him, getting Makayla to help if necessary.

"That's what a good partner does, though..." Hailey fingers twirl around the bottle top as she knew they could keep going in circles. She could keep playing the complete tease game about this. However, there was a real reason she had wanted to set-up a night out with Kim to talk. She hadn't shared everything over the weekend by text message. Some things needed to wait until they were face-to-face.

"He isn't just a friend, though. He is not just a partner to me. He's my boyfriend, actually. He asked me on Saturday if I would be his girlfriend, formally." Kim could only smirk in response, knowing it was a matter of time before that detail was released. It was obvious by how Hailey lit up talking about him and spending time with him that was coming.

"Hot damn!" Hailey couldn't help but chuckle a bit in Kim's response. "I'm not surprised, though. It's obvious that you care about him a lot by the time you spend time together. I can tell how much you like him by how you smile at the simple thought. I'm happy for you, though. You deserve to be happy, Hailey. I am glad that you have that in Alex." The realization then hit her, though, as her eyes fell back down to the table between them. "So if you are official, that means you are probably going to be moving to North Carolina. We both know that he can't just pick up his life and come to Chicago. When does that happen?" 

"I don't know, honestly, if and when that will happen. I don't have any immediate plans to move in with him quite yet. We are just enjoying our relationship for what it is right now, and the time that we are able to make together. I am going to keep spending weekends with him, and he is going to make time in his off-season to come to Chicago. We are going to make the long distance relationship thing work until I am ready for that step." Hailey takes a deep breath, as everything that flashed through her mind upon accepting Alex's offer and the reason she almost did not came back immediately. "I can't see my life without him as he's so amazing and I love the relationship we have together. But I also don't see myself being away from my family, and our unit. Sure, I can do my job anywhere with any unit in any city, but it's not the same..." 

"I will miss you when that day comes..." Hailey nods her head, as she takes a long sip of her drink in debating what to say next.

"I will miss you, too. I will miss Hank's hardassness but yet sweetness that's buried underneath. I will miss Adam's idiotic moments. I will Erin's ride or die attitude. I will miss Kevin's comedy. I will miss Jay's heroism. I will miss your ability to go above and beyond anything we expected of you. I'll even miss Trudy's candidness. That's why I can't say today that I can let go of all that for Alex, even though I love him so much and care about him so much. I was sad leaving North Carolina in knowing I wouldn't see his smile or feel his arms around me for four days. I am missing those kisses right now. I am counting down the minutes until we are back together again. But yet I can't just be like oh I'll drop everything I have here in Chicago for him, yet, either. I know that day will come sooner than later. I know eventually I will have to make that decision. I can't do long distance forever as that'll kill me, Kim. But when does that happen? I don't know...."