Refuge

Chapter 19: Beneath Your Beautiful

Hellloooooo!

So, I know I've been saying that I'm going to be posting within the next couple of days, but SURPRISE! i finished early, which by the way, never happens. Like, ever. But for real, this chapter was a bit difficult to write so please, no haitng on it. It's not as good as I would like it to be, but I've just been stuck on it for the past couple of days and right now, I just want to get rid of it. Hopefully I can go back tomorrow or sometime later this week and edit a bit here and there, something that anyone who reads this, if willing, is welcome to help with! Comment if you see a mistake, seriously! Lord knows there will be some really stupid ones!!!

It's because of you all reading this that this chapter is posted. Have fun, my lovelies :)

-A

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Hayden didn’t make an appearance for the rest of the evening and into the morning. I was starting to fidget during breakfast but according to Hallie, we shouldn’t worry. Apparently, he’s done this before, leaving the house and going to stay at Dom or Luke’s for days on end, leaving them to contact Hallie or Miss Abby, letting them know that they’ve got Hayden and that he’s safe. 

At around nine, Luke called Hallie and told him that he, Dom, and Hayden were staying home today, probably coming back with Hayden sometime around lunch. Hallie glanced over at me before confirming what Miss Abby already agreed to, that we were going to be staying home today.

Miss Abby went ahead and went to work with her husband, promising that she’d be back soon and that she had some family news to tell us. Her reasoning for us staying home today was that we needed to “unwind from our strenuous day.” Ha. If only she knew how ‘strenuous’ it was.

For most of the morning, Hallie and I just lounged around in the informal living room, eating poptarts and watching MTV’s GirlCode, a show that I personally love and that probably scarred Hallie for life. 

“So is that really what happens in bars...?” Hallie asks, almost to herself, her voice full of wonder. 

I turn towards her, my eyebrows raised. “Do I look like someone who enjoys the bar scene?” 

Hallie just gives me a look. “Oh shut up. It’s just hard to believe that these girls are giving us advice over something that just seems so....”

“Like it only belongs on television and on the pages of our smutty books?”

“Yeah.”

I laugh and toss her the remote. “Well, if the unrealistic views of some of the sluttier girls in the world are bothering you, then change it! I’m good to watch anything.”

Hallie snorts. “Are you kidding me? This show is hilarious! I don’t care if it’s complete and utter fiction, as long as they keep being as hysterical as they are!”

I roll my eyes, but a smile still makes its way to my face. 

I go back to watching the episode on how to show a guy that you’re interested in them (spoiler: they say to have sex with him!). I try not to think that Hayden will be coming home soon and I’ll probably have to see him. I try not to think about how I will most likely have to confront him about what happened yesterday, probably stomping my already damaged heart into pieces in the process. 

Suddenly, a small piece of poptart hits me in the cheek. I glare over at Hallie. “Hey! What was that for?”

Hallie shrugs. “I dunno, you just looked like you were in deep thought and you didn’t like what you were thinking.”