When We Meet Again

Chapter 20 | Prickly Promises

Hailey's POV

I laughed out loud.

"Tasha, you really are a hopeless romantic!" I said. Her reply was a beetroot red blush.

I looked at my watch shaking my head, highly amused. My face froze as I remembered, mine and Max's library appointment.

"Shoot!" I mumbled, getting up so fast that my drink almost spilled. I jumped a little as I grabbed my delectable beverage and headed for the door, not even thinking about the friends I was leaving behind.

"Whoa, Flash where do you think you're going?" came Sharon's voice from behind me.

"Library." I said, rushing out into the cool September air.

"Why?" she asked, coming up beside me. I was never a quick walker. I tried jogging ahead. It didn't work.

"Appointment." I said vaguely.

"Whom?" she asked.

"When did you become my mom?" I shot back.

She jumped in front of me and stopped me, holding my shoulders. She raised an eyebrow.

"Max!! Okay?" I resigned, getting ready for the immense amount of teasing about to befall me.

"Uh-huh? Finally getting it on with him huh? And in the library? You naughty girl.." she teased.

"It isn't like that!!" I said, blushing hard.

"I saw that last night, dearie." She said.

"I don't like Max. I loathe him. I'm just being civil to him. Last night? Last night was a big fat mistake. I must have been drunk or something." I gritted out.

"Okay, okay woman. Calm the pregnancy hormones!!" she replied, waving her hands up and down. I would have laughed if I wasn't already on my last nerve.

"Remember when I told you I liked him?"

She nodded.

"Well that was a lie. The only reason I said so was because I didn't want you to go man hunting for me!! Please. Honestly, I'm just mad at him right now. And when I stop being m-mad at him, which is never going to happen, he's just going to be a friend. Nothing else. I can't imagine having anything else with him. Capesh?" I seethed, my face so hot I felt like a boiler about to burst.

Sharon's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Lee! I didn't mean it like that!! I'm really sorry! Gosh, it was just harmless fun! Honest!" she said, looking the epitome of regret.

I sighed. She was just having fun, like she usually does. Why was I blaming her? It was my fault. I was hating him and being attracted by him at the same time and I was taking out my frustrations on her.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I think I'm just about to get my period or something." I said, smiling weakly.

"Friends?" she asked, uncertainly.

"Best Friends." I stated, enveloping her in bone rushing hug trying to crush out the tiny memory of mine and Max's first meeting that had suddenly flashed in my head

"You imbeciles just had to leave me with that flirty cashier to pay the bill, right?" panted Tasha as she came up to us and stopped holding her knees and breathing heavily. I poked my head up from our hug and smiling wryly at Tasha.

She looked at us quizzically. "I missed something big didn't I?"

I just sniffed and pulled her into our hug.