Year of fire-an Upstead story

Chapter 11: Reunited hearts

As Hailey's thoughts reel from Jay's words, a sudden memory of her father's torturous words strikes her like a lightning bolt. The words once dormant in her subconscious, now resurface with an unsettling clarity, vividly recounting the warnings of danger and impending doom. Hailey's breath hitches as the weight of her father's words crashes over her, a flood of anxiety rushing through her veins.

The panic surges within her, threatening to engulf her in its suffocating grip. Hailey's chest tightens, constricting with each erratic beat of her heart, and her lungs struggle to draw in air as if weighted down by invisible chains.

A sharp gasp escapes her lips, startling both herself and Jay. It's a desperate attempt to fill her lungs with oxygen, to fend off the encroaching panic threatening to consume her whole. But despite her efforts, the memories persist, clawing at her mind with relentless ferocity.

Haunted by her father's harsh words, Hailey finds herself teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack, her senses overwhelmed by a barrage of fear and uncertainty. With every gasp, she fights to regain control, to push back against the tide of anxiety threatening to drag her under. But in that moment, she feels utterly powerless, a mere pawn in the relentless game of her own mind.

As Hailey gasps, her sudden intake of breath catches Jay's attention like a jolt. Concern flashes across his face as he notices the shift in her demeanor. Quickly realizing something is wrong, he moves closer, his brows furrowing with worry.

"Hailey, are you okay? Jay's voice is gentle yet urgent, his eyes scanning her face for any signs of distress. He reaches out a reassuring hand, offering support in whatever form she may need.

Seeing her struggle, Jay's instinct is to provide comfort and stability. He remains attentive, ready to offer a listening ear or a comforting embrace, whatever she requires in that vulnerable moment. With genuine concern etched on his features, he waits patiently for her response, ready to offer assistance in any way he can, even if it means burning down the entire planet.

Hailey, who was slowly calming down feeling Jay's warmth and closeness beside her, manages to look at Jay desperately needing to know if her mom is safe, and speaks in a shaky voice. "Jay, my mom is she okay? My dad said he injured her badly, and that he was going to kill her! I need to know she's okay please?"

Hearing her words Jay breathes out a sigh of relief knowing that it was nothing serious that he couldn't handle and reassures her. "Hails, hey look at me. Your mom is fine we found her, and she's safe at the district, she was injured badly but none of it was life-threatening paramedics gave us the go-ahead to keep her safe at the district. Do you want me to give Platt a call and get your mom down here?"

Hailey quickly nods, filled with relief at the fact that her mom is okay. She was injured but she was alive. Knowing Jay took care of her mom while she was kidnapped filled her with complete gratitude for Jay, though her emotions over everything that happened were still all over the place, but she did not want to address that now as it was definitely not the right time, plus her energy was slowly fading, but she so desperately needed to see her mom with her own eyes to make sure she was actually okay like Jay said. "Thank you for taking care of her even though you didn't have to. I have no words to express how thankful I am, as I'm not exactly sure how to feel about everything at the moment"

Jay, seeing her blank face with the hint of gratefulness in her eyes almost breaks right then and there wanting to apologize for everything and willing to even get on his knees and beg her to give him a second chance but didn't knowing that they needed to focus on getting Hailey better before being able to have that conversation. Having the need to reassure her though he says "Hey, I will be here, every day. I'll be right by your side reminding you that you matter, that you are needed, and that there is a reason to have hope and a reason to live. I'll be here reminding you that for me. You are that reason"