Everything with you

Part 52

Emma

Today..

As I stepped back into our dorm room, closing the door behind me with a sigh, I found Hayley sitting up in bed, arms crossed, a knowing smirk already plastered on her face.

"So," she drawled, stretching the word out like she had all the time in the world, "did you enjoy forcing your ex to be your emotional support pillow last night?"

I groaned, tossing myself onto my bed, my face buried in my pillow. "Please don't," I mumbled, my voice muffled by the fabric. But Hayley was relentless.

"Oh, I will," she chirped. "Because I distinctly remember a very drunk Emma clinging to poor Justin like a koala and declaring he 'owed her this' for breaking up with her." I peeked up just in time to see her biting back laughter.

"I was drunk," I defended weakly. Hayley raised an eyebrow. "Drunk and very determined," she corrected, her grin widening.

I groaned again. "Remind me to never drink that much again."

Hayley laughed. "Oh, I don't have to. Justin's horrified expression when he left this morning is burned into my brain forever."

I groaned again, this time rolling onto my back to glare at Hayley, who still looked far too amused for my liking. "This is your fault," I accused, pointing a finger at her. "You and Taylor practically shoved those drinks down my throat."

Hayley scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Uh, excuse me, birthday girl, but it was your 18th! You had to have a drink to celebrate." She smirked. "Besides, you weren't exactly complaining when Taylor kept refilling your glass."

I frowned, my brain still fuzzy from the night before. "Taylor?" I echoed, sitting up slightly.

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Taylor—tall, cute, very into you last night?" She shook her head. "Honestly, Emma, he was practically hanging on your every word, and you barely even noticed. The second Justin showed up, it was like no one else in the room existed."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and I groaned, pressing my palms against my face. "God, I'm such an idiot."

Hayley snorted. "Oh, that's not even the best part," she said, leaning forward. "If you think you were bad, Justin was worse. The moment he saw you with Taylor, he practically dragged you away from his arms like some jealous caveman." She waggled her eyebrows. "So tell me, Em—who's really the one still hung up on who?"

Hayley stretched her arms above her head before reaching for her phone. "Oh, by the way, Taylor gave me his number last night—for you," she said casually, waving her phone in my direction. "He told me to pass it along."

I stared at her, my stomach twisting again, but for a different reason this time. "I... I don't know what to do," I admitted, chewing on my bottom lip. "I thought I was over Justin, but seeing him again just—" I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "It brought back so many feelings. And now you're telling me Taylor's interested? I feel like my brain is short-circuiting."

Hayley sighed, flopping back onto her pillows. "You know, Nate mentioned Justin to me a few times after your breakup."

I shot up, eyes wide. "Wait—what?" I stared at her, completely blindsided. "You never told me that! I talked about Justin all the time, and you just sat there, acting like you had no idea what he was going through?"

Hayley winced. "I was trying to protect you," she said, voice softer now. "You were already hurting so much, Em. I didn't want to make it worse."

I swallowed hard, gripping the blanket in my lap. "What did Nate say?"